I love making this rich and savory brioche stuffing for Thanksgiving! It's made with buttery brioche bread, fresh herbs, onions, and celery, then baked until the top is golden and crispy, while the center stays moist and fluffy. It's a classic Thanksgiving side dish that's always a favorite at my table.
Seriously, don't think twice about indulging in this savory side dish on Thanksgiving! I've been making it every single year for the past four years, and it always receives rave reviews.
And even better, it's easy to prepare in advance! I provide detailed instructions below on how to get it started the day before you plan to serve it.
The traditional ingredients really shine in this recipe, especially when paired with classic Thanksgiving sides like Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Chicken, Mashed Potato Squash, and Sweet Potato Casserole with Walnuts.
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Ingredient Notes
- Brioche bread: Brioche bread is a slightly sweet, rich-tasting bread that has a higher egg and butter content than most other breads. This gives brioche bread a light and fluffy texture and a golden brown crust.
- Celery and onion: The onion and celery should be diced so they easily incorporate into the soft chunks of bread.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh sage and fresh rosemary are fragrant fall herbs that give Thanksgiving side dishes their classic flavor. I also add fresh flat-leaf parsley, and you can add fresh thyme if you'd like as well.
- Additional ingredients: My stuffing recipe also calls for unsalted butter, low-sodium chicken broth/stock, eggs, kosher salt, and black pepper.
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
Possible Recipe Variations
I've only made this recipe as instructed, as I LOVE the classic flavors. However, if you want to add your own touch, here are a few ideas for you.
- Brioche bread: Common substitutions for stuffing with brioche are Hawaiian bread and challah bread. Hawaiian, challah, and brioche all have eggs and butter as essential ingredients.
- Vegetables: In addition to the celery and onion, you could try adding chopped carrots, mushrooms, garlic, or a variety of fall root vegetables.
- Other additions: Fresh thyme, walnuts, crumbly sausage, and dried cranberries are also all commonly found in recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing.
Only cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a few people? This Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin is the perfect alternative to a whole turkey.
How to Make Brioche Stuffing with Photos
Quick Overview
- Dry out the cubed bread.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Cook the celery and onion.
- Combine all the brioche stuffing ingredients together.
- Bake, serve, and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 275°F. Tear the brioche bread into approximately 1-inch chunks or cubes. Spread them in an even layer on a baking sheet, then bake for 45 minutes.
- The goal is to dry the bread out. It doesn't need to be seasoned or oiled during this step. Once finished, remove from the oven and set aside.
- Combine the chicken broth, eggs, diced fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk until fully incorporated and set aside.
- Melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat in a large sauté pan.
- Add the chopped celery and onion.
- Sauté until the celery and onion are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Transfer the toasted bread to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the bowl of liquid ingredients (broth, eggs, herbs, seasonings) and the sautéed onions and celery over the brioche bread cubes.
- Mix until fully combined.
- Carefully transfer the stuffing to a large casserole dish measuring around 9" x 13".
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the stuffing in your preheated 350°F oven for 40 minutes, covered.
- Uncover and bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crispy.
- When done, remove it from the oven, let cool for about 15 minutes, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don't add extra butter. I originally tested this recipe using an additional ½ stick of butter. The extra butter was not needed. I believe this is because brioche bread is already rich in buttery flavor.
- Unsalted butter is best. I also tested the recipe with salted butter. I found the addition of salt to the salted butter made the finished dish far too salty tasting. Unsalted butter is best!
- Mix thoroughly. You don't want any stuffing cubes to go into the oven dry. Keep mixing the stuffing combination until all the stuffing cubes are soft and moist.
- Bake separately. It's best to bake your stuffing in a separate dish, not inside the turkey. This ensures even cooking and will prevent food safety issues.
- Test for doneness using a digital meat thermometer. The center of the stuffing should be cooked to 165°F.
Looking for a way to use up leftover stuffing? Try these Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Meatballs!
How to Prepare in Advance
Homemade stuffing can be a little time-consuming to make. Luckily, it's possible to prep some of the recipe steps ahead of time.
- Brioche stuffing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance.
- Once you've assembled your stuffing in the casserole dish, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to bake.
- When you're ready to bake the stuffing, bring it up to room temperature, then bake as directed.
How to Store and Reheat
- How to store: Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover brioche stuffing in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven. Reheat leftovers in an oven-safe dish at 350°F. Heat for 20 minutes covered with foil, and another 20 minutes uncovered. If the stuffing starts to dry out, add a splash of chicken or vegetable broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
You'll want to use sturdy bread that is cut into thick slices. If your bread is already stale and dried out, even better! The most common breads used are brioche, Italian, challah, and cornbread.
Brioche bread is made with butter and eggs, while most other breads are only made with flour, water, yeast, and salt.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Chicken
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
- 3 Ingredient Drop Biscuits
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Walnuts
- Roasted Green Beans and Carrots
- Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
If you tried this Brioche Stuffing Recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Classic Buttery Brioche Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup diced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 cups chopped celery
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 275°F. Tear the brioche bread into approximately 1 inch chunks. You'll want the chunks to all be about the same size. Spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the bread is completely dried out. Remove from the oven when finished.
- Combine the chicken broth, eggs, parsley, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together until fully mixed and then set aside.
- In a large frying pan, melt the stick of butter over low to medium heat. Add the chopped celery and onion. Sauté until the celery and onion are soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Grease the inside of a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter.
- Transfer the bread to a large mixing bowl. Pour the bowl of liquid ingredients (broth, eggs, herbs, seasonings) and the melted butter, sautéed onions and sautéed celery over top of the brioche bread cubes. Thoroughly mix the ingredients together, until they're fully incorporated and all of the chunks of bread have become saturated in liquid.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture to your greased casserole dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes in your preheated oven. Uncover and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top of the stuffing is brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for about 15 minutes, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Stuffing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Once you've assembled your stuffing in the casserole dish, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. When you're ready to bake the stuffing, bring it up to room temperature and then bake as directed.
- Unsalted butter is best. I first tested the recipe using salted butter. I found it made the finished dish far too salty tasting.
- The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
Katie says