A delicious Thanksgiving dressing with thick sourdough, fresh herbs, and sautéed veggies in butter. Less is more, and this recipe proves that simple, good ingredients give the best flavor.
As you plan your Thanksgiving menu, this simple dressing is a must-have! I love pairing it with Wild Rice Salad, Crockpot Potatoes Au Gratin, Roasted Vegetables, and Crockpot Turkey!
Thanksgiving Dressing
Thanksgiving Dressing (or stuffing, if baked in the turkey) is a must for Thanksgiving dinner. There are many ways to make it—stuffing the turkey, baking it in a dish, or adding eggs for a light texture. Some dressings have lots of ingredients like mushrooms and dried fruit, while others keep it simple.
My family’s recipe uses medium-firm bread, fresh herbs, and sourdough. It doesn’t need many ingredients, but the flavor is amazing. It’s always a hit with guests; I can’t show up to Thanksgiving without it!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: Makes the dressing rich and moist. Use unsalted to control the saltiness.
- Bread: Use day-old bread to get the right texture; it should be dried out to avoid sogginess.
- Yellow onions: Cook until lightly browned for the best flavor.
- Celery: Slice thinly for even cooking and texture.
- Minced garlic: Add garlic near the end of cooking the veggies to keep it from burning.
- Parsley: Choose flat-leaf for a stronger flavor than curly parsley.
- Fresh poultry herb mix (or individual herbs): Look for a mix with sage, thyme, and rosemary.
- Fresh oregano: Fresh herbs taste better than dried; but in a pinch dried works.
- Chicken stock: Low-sodium helps control saltiness in the dish.
- Eggs: Whisk eggs before adding to mix them evenly.
Thanksgiving Dressing Tips
- Use room-temp eggs. This helps them mix well and prevents cooking too soon. Soak cold eggs in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs first. Whisk the eggs with chicken stock before adding them to the dressing for even mixing without overdoing it.
- Choose unsalted butter. Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness; salted butter can make it too salty.
- Chop flat-leaf Italian parsley. Flat-leaf parsley tastes stronger than curly parsley, which is mostly a garnish.
Fresh Herbs
Buying individual packs of fresh herbs can be expensive. Around Thanksgiving, many grocery stores sell a fresh “poultry” herb mix that usually includes rosemary, sage, and thyme. This way, you only need to get parsley and fresh oregano.
Quick Tip
If you don’t want to buy an entire package of oregano just for this recipe, use 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano instead or simply leave it out.
How To Make Dressing For Thanksgiving
- Bake the bread. Cut a day-old loaf into pieces and bake until dry.
- Sauté veggies. While the bread dries, cook veggies in butter over low heat. Stir often, then add herbs.
- Toss with eggs and chicken stock. Mix the bread and veggies with chicken stock and eggs.
- Bake. Transfer to a pan and bake until golden and crispy on top.
Can You Make The Dressing Ahead Of Time?
Yes! This Thanksgiving Dressing is easy to make ahead. Put all the ingredients together up to the baking step, then cover the dish tightly and refrigerate. The next day, let it sit at room temperature before baking in a preheated oven, adding extra time if needed.
I wouldn’t suggest making it more than one day in advance.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes with the best seasoning blend
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with breadcrumbs
- Green Bean Casserole from scratch
- Frog Eye Salad retro side or dessert “salad”
- Sweet Potato Casserole with marshmallows and pecans
Thanksgiving Dressing
Ingredients
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 cups good quality, day-old white bread (we love sourdough best), cut into 1-inch wide by 1/2-inch thick cubes
- 2 medium yellow onions diced (~2 and 1/2 cups)
- 6-8 stalks celery thinly sliced (~1 and 1/3 cups)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely diced
- 1 package fresh poultry herb blend mix (by other packaged fresh herbs in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store or See Note 1 for individual herbs needed)
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano finely diced (or use 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 2 and 1/2 cups high quality (low sodium) chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- DRY OUT BREAD: Cut the bread into equal one-inch pieces and place in one layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring the bread cubes every 15 minutes, or until completely dried out. Set aside to let the bread cool. Now increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- BUTTER AND VEGGIES: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and garlic. Stir often until just beginning to lightly brown and the ingredients have become tender– about 10-15 minutes. Prepare all the herbs by chopping finely. Once the veggies are tender, stir in all of the herbs: 2 tablespoons sage, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons thyme, and 1 teaspoon fresh oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon pepper). Remove pot from heat and allow to cool until warm.
- EGGS AND STOCK: In a separate bowl, add the eggs and whisk with a fork. Stir in the chicken stock until combined. Pour this mixture into the pot with the veggies and herbs (make sure the pot isn't super hot or it will scramble the egg mixture; pot should be warm or room temperature). Very gently stir everything to combine. Pour the toasted bread cubes into the pot and gently mix until bread is well coated.
- BAKE: Gently transfer this mixture to the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and press into one even layer. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until browned and crisp on top. Remove and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chelsea, I made the dressing just as you said….did not cover it and it turned out beautifully! Very moist inside and that crunchy topping. Will use this as my go-to dressing! Thank you!
Yay!!! So thrilled to hear that 🙂 Thanks Betty!
Do you not cover the dressing when first put in oven? It won’t dry out? I’ve always made stuffing (inside the Turkey) and it’s always moist and succulent. I guess I’m just nervous it will not be as moist.
I don’t cover it! The top gets a bit crispy which we all love, but the dressing never dries out 🙂 If you want an extra moist dressing, you can cover it 🙂
I will make this in my crockpot (makes the entire house smell like Thanksgiving) & one less thing I have to put in the oven…
Sounds great! You could even put your crockpot in the oven (if it’s oven safe) and broil it at the end for a crispier top! Enjoy 🙂
hey girl- this looks so yummy!