Homemade Slow Cooker Stuffing
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Try our easy Homemade Slow Cooker Stuffing Recipe to keep your oven and stovetop open for other dishes this holiday season. This Crockpot Stuffing is utterly amazing!
Our Favorite Homemade Stuffing Recipe
Looking for ways to lighten the oven load this Thanksgiving? Try our rich herby Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Stuffing made right on the countertop in a crock pot!
It’s the plight of Thanksgiving dinner… How can you possibly make all the wonderfully cozy dishes you’ve added to your menu, with only one oven and four stovetop burners?
You could upgrade your kitchen this month to include double ovens and additional burners. *wink*
Or, you can look to your slow cooker for answers!
Slow cookers (AKA crock pots) are a fantastic solution for all sorts of dinnertime dilemmas. Think beyond the beef stew and Mexican casserole you usually throw in your crockpot. The humble slow cooker is capable of so much more.
And the beauty is, most of us have at least one crockpot hidden in our pantry. Often two or three.
Crockpot Stuffing To The Rescue
Over the years we’ve made yeast rolls, quiche, spiced apples, beef tenderloin, wassail, creamed spinach, creamed corn, and all sorts of unconventional things in the crock pot. This frees up the oven and stovetop space.
Plus, you can plug in your slow cooker(s) anywhere in the house. They don’t have to take up valuable countertop space either! #mindblown
Just imagine all the Thanksgiving side dishes that are potentially slow cooker-friendly.
Crockpot Stuffing Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Chopped Sweet Onions
- Thinly Sliced Celery
- Unseasoned Dried Bread Cubes (store-bought or homemade)
- Chopped Parsley
- Chopped Fresh Sage
- Chopped Fresh Rosemary Leaves
- Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaves
- Dried Cranberries
- Chicken Broth
- Large Eggs
- Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt
- Crushed Red Pepper
How To Make Slow Cooker Stuffing (Dressing)
Let’s start with my favorite Slow Cooker Stuffing Recipe, shall we? This is a classic dressing recipe loaded with butter and herbs.
- Prep the Bread – I usually start with store-bought unseasoned bread cubes, because they are quick to use and easy to find this time of year. (You’ll find them in the seasonal Thanksgiving section at your local market.) However, you can cut day-old bread into cubes as well.
- Sauté the Vegetables – Then add fresh herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, along with sautéed onions and celery. If you are cooking something in the slow cooker for 10-12 hours it’s sometimes unnecessary to sauté the onions first. But in this case, it softens the texture and sweetens the onions so they don’t overpower the stuffing.
- Combine – Add all the dry ingredients for the Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Stuffing to the crock, then whisk chicken broth and eggs together and pour over the top.
- Slow Cook – Cover the crock and let the Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Stuffing cook for several hours. You can turn it on low or high to match your cooking time frame. The rising moisture gathers against the lid and drips down over the stuffing the entire time it cooks.
Find the Full (Printable) Homemade Crockpot Stuffing Recipe Below!
Homemade Stuffing Tips & Tricks
Because this crockpot stuffing recipe is made with all fresh ingredients, it’s important to season it well with salt.
I like to sprinkle a generous amount of Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt over the top to bring out the natural flavors in the other ingredients.
It makes the butter-soaked bread cubes taste butterier. It makes the herbs taste even more fresh and green. It even makes the cranberries taste sweeter. Good salt is the magic ingredient in any recipe.
What you end up with is a super moist and fluffy traditional Thanksgiving stuffing that is utterly irresistible. Who even needs the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner when you have stuffing like this?
Looking for more holiday recipes with a salty note? Check out our newest Pinterest Board, Brilliant Time Saving Recipes! All our sweet and savory favorites are represented, along with amazing tips on how to make the most of sea salt and kosher salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Cook Stuffing In A Slow Cooker?
Oh, yes! It’s actually my preferred method, because it keeps the stuffing extra moist, and frees up the oven and stovetop for other holiday dishes.
How Long Do You Cook Stuffing In A Crockpot?
Generally speaking, stuffing will “bake” in a slow cooker for 2-4 hours on high heat, or 4-6 hours on low heat. Then set the slow cooker to warm and leave it, until it’s time to serve.
How Long Does This Dressing Recipe Last?
Leftovers of this recipe can last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days or you can store it in the freezer or up to one month.
More Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
- Sausage Mushroom Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe
- Mexican Thanksgiving Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
- Asian Spiced Thanksgiving Turkey Oven Baked Recipe
- Amazing Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipe
- Pecan Praline Cake Recipe
- Fluffy Pumpkin Cream Pie Recipe
Follow Diamond Crystal® Salt on Pinterest for perfectly seasoned recipe ideas!
Homemade Slow Cooker Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cup chopped sweet onions
- 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 12 ounces unseasoned dried bread cubes, store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large skillet and set over medium heat. Once melted, add the chopped onions and celery. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, chop all the herbs and whisk the chicken broth and eggs together. Pour the dried bread cubes into a large slow cooker.
- Once the onions and celery are soft and sweet, scoop them over the top of the dried bread cubes. Add the chopped herbs, dried cranberries, 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal® Kosher Salt, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Pour the broth and egg mixture over the top. Gently mix to coat.
- Cover the slow cooker and turn on high for 2-4 hours, or low for 4-6 hours. If you leave the stuffing on too long, and it starts to dry out, add a little more chicken broth to soften.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Making this recipe? Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Diamond Crystal® Salt. All opinions are our own.
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It was a hit, easy and super delicious, filled the house with wonderful herb scents. It is on the menu for next year – thank you
I discovered this recipe 2 years ago and it is a HIT! Seriously, the best stuffing I’ve ever made, full of flavor, moist and delicious. I’m now the designated stuffing person for the holidays. I tell everyone about it and direct them here. I think it’s the sage and butter that really set this recipe apart from what I had been doing previously. Plus I don’t measure the fresh herbs, I eyeball it, so I’m probably adding a lot more than recommended, but it’s totally worth it.
Is this the recipe I would use for the bundt pan? And if so, change it to 4 eggs?
Hi Donna!
We actually have a separate recipe for that: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/stuffing-bundt-pan/
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I am reading this article about the cooker thanksgiving stuffing thanks for sharing this article
Made this recipe in family gathering , got hiting rate .
My brother liked it very much , am also so happy that all member like it .
Thank you so much for sharing this with us .
Thanksgiving on point! I bet it tastes as delicious as it looks! Can I have some? Lol.
If I only have a pack of seasoned or a pack of sage and onion stuffing bread cubes
, would I need to adjust the amount of herbs?
Hi Kelly,
You don’t have to, but I might reduce the fresh herbs by half. Hope this helps. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks!! It’s in the crock pot now. Smells delicious!
Made this recipe for our family dinner the other day and it was a hit! My husband was raving about how delicious it was. I will be making it again on Thanksgiving. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Made this recipe for our family dinner the other day and it was a hit! My husband was raving about how delicious it was. I will be making it again soon. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
This is the BEST stuffing! I love that I can make it in the slow cooker…SO EASY!!!
Yummy! Just in time for Thanksgiving. Super easy to make and super delicious.
Such an easy and amazing side dish to make for thanksgiving when you are busy hosting family
Great recipe. I cant see making stuffing any other way in the future. The cranberries and pepper flakes are nice additions. Yum!
Can you double this recipe?
Hi Jennifer,
Absolutely, as long as your slow cooker is large enough. :)
making this for a crowd including vegetarians and someone with an egg allergy. would a flax egg work for this?
Hi Jo,
Yes, absolutely!
I’m very happy I found your tips today. I’m fixing the Thanksgiving dinner this year, and in the past I have started the Monday before starting food preparation. I was wondering if I made the mashed potatoes a few days before, what temperature would I use on one of my crockpot to reheat them on Thanksgiving? I will be using my other pot to make the stuffing the day of dinner, and your recipe sounds perfect! I think i will be cooking some pork breakfast sausage along with the celery and onions and adding it to the stuffing. Thank you for any information you have.
Hi Kathy,
I would set the crockpot on low, and just give them a couple hours in the crockpot to reheat. Then you can turn the pot on warm, if you have that setting. Here’s our favorite mashed potato recipe: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/best-mashed-potatoes-recipe/
I love the sound of this recipe. Can’t wait to try it. I’d love to add come apple to this as well. If I do would I add the apple with all the ingredients or wait?
Hi Rosie,
That sounds great! I would add it in the beginning. :)
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Made this for family Thanksgiving and was well received. The only alteration I made was that I used turkey flavored stuffing. Some people couldn’t help but take some taste tests “to ensure that it was still good”.
In your notes you say you can sub 4 teaspoons poultry spice for sage rosemary and thyme. But the recipe says 4 tablespoons of those three. This is for slow cooker stuffing. My favorite by the way. But wondered if I was putting triple herbs using the tablespoons
Hi Carl!
Dried herbs shrink up really small, then expand when reconstituted. Therefore, 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried. Does that make sense?
Can you use fresh cranberries?
I did a test run by making a half portion and I used about 3/4 of a cup of roughly chopped fresh cranberries in place of the dried cranberries. It came out wonderfully! I couldn’t stop eating it! That’s how I know it’s good – stuffing has always been one of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving. I put in a little less than 1 tsp salt, and think I will reduce it even more for the big day. I found it to be a bit too salty. I loved the use of kosher salt.
Hi Leva,
Yes you can, but they will be very tart instead of sweet like the dried cranberries. :)
How many cups of bread cubes is this equivalent to? I need to use my own bread since store bought is not an option where I live. Thanks!
Hi BD,
If you’re cutting bread into cubes, that would be about 11-12 cubes of cubes.
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Can you add pork sausage? Should you brown it first?
Hi Liz,
Yes and yes. Make sure it is fully cooked before adding. Let me know how it turns out!:)
If using dried herbs/spices, what would be the equivalent?
Hi Jackqueline,
Usually you use 1/3 dried herbs to fresh herbs. So 1 tablespoon fresh would be 1 teaspoon dried herbs. :)
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Just a quick question. I plan on making this recipe for Christmas Day dinner. 12 ounces of bread cubes doesn’t sound like very much, do you mean 12 cups of bread cubes? Thanks, Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Most large-cube dried stuffing comes in 12-14 ounce bags. You can use either size and it will be plenty. Happy cooking! :)
Can you double this recipe in the large slow cooker? One just won’t be enough!
Thank you so much for posting this, it will be such a time saver and life saver for me. We do Christmas at the families, and we just do sandwiches. I really like to have a dinner, but am not home to make it. This will be a great help!
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This is the best stuffing I ever made and super easy. I skipped chopping up the herbs and just used dried.
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it. :)
What kind of cranberries do u use?
The soft moist ones or the bag of dried?
Happy Thanksgiving.
Hi Robin,
You can use any kind of dried cranberries you like. If they are pretty dry, they will moisten while cooking. :)
How can I keep the edges from burning? I made a trial run tonight. The flavor was fantastic. But the edges burned after less than 2 hours. Any suggestions or tricks?
Hi Jen,
Maybe give the stuffing a stir a couple times. You must have a hotter-than-average crockpot! I’ve made this is several different slow cookers and the edges get a little crusty, but do not burn.
Another idea is to line the crock with parchment paper.
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Absolutely love the idea of making the stuffing in the crock pot! It’s beautiful!
So so smart!! I love everything about this stuffing, especially that it can be made in the crock pot. Great for pot lucks!
I love anything I can slow cook!! Gorgeous flavors and colors Sommer!
What a great idea. Genius! Anything to free up oven space.
this is gold! anything I can do to free up some burner space for the holidays is key!