Best Crockpot Stuffing Recipe

Free up oven space and make the Best Crockpot Stuffing Recipe to eat alongside Thanksgiving dinner! It's easy to toss the ingredients in your slow cooker and have it do the rest! 

Plus, your crock pot keeps your Thanksgiving stuffing warm until ready to serve. 

Thanksgiving isn't complete unless you serve some deliciously moist stuffing to soak up all your gravy! This Slow Cooker Stuffing has all the classic flavors and can be made ahead so you can focus on all the sides and the turkey. 

For ease and convenience, you can make many Thanksgiving recipes in your crockpot! Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole are lifesavers! Try our crock pot turkey breast recipe if you need a smaller turkey.

Here's why it's the best recipe:

• You can make it ahead so you can focus on all the other Thanksgiving recipes.
• It’s easy to make, and no special skills are required. 
• It can be kept warm until ready to serve. 

For a stress-free holiday, grab our printable Thanksgiving Planner. It's invaluable and helps you plan in advance so turkey day goes smoothly. You'll also want to know all the essential Thanksgiving kitchen tools to have on hand!

Jump to:

• Stuffing Vs. Dressing
• Ingredient Notes
• Additions and substitutions 
• Bread for Making Stuffing
• How to make stuffing in the slow cooker
• Tips and Tricks
• How to store
• More Thanksgiving Recipes
• Printable Recipe

Stuffing Vs. Dressing

Years ago, home cooks "stuffed" their turkey, so the dish was called "stuffing." Nowadays, due to the increased risk of foodborne illnesses, we don't stuff the bird, so it's called dressing since it's cooked in a separate dish. 

However, we use the terms interchangeably, as the ingredients are the same. And most of the country uses the term stuffing to describe this holiday side dish regardless of where it's cooked. 

Ingredient Notes

• Butter - salted or unsalted works fine.
• Pepper & Salt - you can add more or less to your liking
• Poultry Seasoning - store-bought or homemade (see recipe below).
• Onion - diced
• Celery - diced
• Bread - the best stuffing uses rustic artisan bread (or sourdough, Italian, or white bread), dried and chopped into cubes.
• Parsley - fresh or dried parsley works in the recipe.
• Fresh Herbs - thyme, sage, and rosemary
• Chicken Broth - canned, boxed, or homemade broth.
• Eggs - large grade A

How to Make Poultry Seasoning

If you don't have poultry seasoning on hand, no problem. You can make your own by mixing:

• 2 teaspoons ground dried sage
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground dried marjoram
• ¾ teaspoon ground dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Store your seasoning in an airtight container for about 6 - 9 months. 

Additions and substitutions 

• Dried cranberries or chopped apples are an excellent addition to your Crockpot Stuffing recipe. They add color and dimension to this classic recipe. 
• Cooked sausage, pork, or chicken is one of our favorite things to add to turkey stuffing. It adds a hearty, savory flavor. 
• You can add 1 cup of roughly chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds to the recipe for added flavor and texture. 
• It works great if you’d like to substitute plain white sandwich bread and wheat sandwich bread in the recipe. Just make sure to dry them out before you are ready to use them, and you use 12 cups of bread in total.
• To go semi-homemade with your stuffing, you can use 2 (12 oz) packages of dried cubed bread stuffing in place of the bread. 
• You can use turkey broth instead of chicken broth. If you want a vegan recipe, use vegetable broth. 

Bread for Making Stuffing

The best bread to use is high-quality artisan bread. We like a loaf of white (sourdough) bread and a loaf of whole-grain rustic bread when making homemade stuffing. However, you have options to make your stuffing with white, Italian, whole grain, or sourdough.

Just make sure you have 12 cups total. This may mean one large loaf or two smaller ones.

How to Dry Bread for Stuffing 

The easiest way to dry bread for stuffing is to place cut-up cubes on rimmed baking pans (probably two or more) and cook them in a 350-degree F oven for 12-15 minutes. 

The bread should be toasted but not brown. 

How to make stuffing in the slow cooker

To start, coat a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray. See above for how to dry bread for stuffing.

Step 1 - Sauté Onions and Celery

First, melt your butter in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Then, stir in the poultry seasoning, pepper, and salt. Next, add onions and celery and cook until tender. You do not need to brown them. 

Set the mixture aside to cool. 

Step 2 - Place Bread, Onions, Celery, and Herbs in a Bowl

Now, place your dried bread cubes in a very large bowl and add cooled celery and onions, parsley, and fresh herbs if you're using them. 

Step 3 - Combine Bread with Broth

Crack eggs into the broth and stir to combine. Then, add to the bread mixture a little at a time and gently toss to coat. You want your bread to soften but not to be completely soggy. 

Note: How much broth you need will depend on what type of bread you use. See Tips and Tricks below. 

You can cover and refrigerate at this point if you are making your stuffing ahead of time. 

Step 4 - Place in Crock Pot and Cook

Add stuffing to the crockpot and turn it on high for 30 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to low and cook for an additional 3-4 hours or until hot and cooked through.

It should be lightly crisp around the edges and set in the center. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Note: if your stuffing finishes cooking before you're ready to eat, leave the slow cooker on warm until ready to serve. 

Tips and Tricks

• If you’re using bread cubes, you dried yourself; you’ll need less broth—about 2 cups. If you’re using store-bought bread cubes or boxed stuffing mix, you’ll need closer to 3 cups of broth. 
• We do not recommend cooking this crockpot stuffing recipe on high the entire time. It may not cook all the way through before the edges start to burn. 
• To make sure your crockpot dishes come out perfectly, follow our Crockpot Tips & Tricks.

How to store

To Refrigerate - place any leftover crock pot stuffing in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.

To Reheat - Gently rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. You can add a bit of butter to the top if you're worried about it drying out.

To Freeze - Freeze stuffing in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese - creamy, cheesy goodness, and no need to boil your noodles!
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes - let your crockpot do all the work for this weeknight side or holiday favorite.
Turkey Stuffing Meatballs - your turkey and stuffing in one bite!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts - caramelized to perfection in your oven.
The Best Cranberry Sauce - so much better than anything you can buy.
Paleo Pumpkin Pie (GF) - perfect for those avoiding gluten or dairy.
Pumpkin Dump Cake - the easiest pumpkin dessert.

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Printable Recipe