This crock pot stuffing is a mix of bread cubes, sauteed vegetables and seasonings, all placed in the slow cooker to create a flavorful and delicious side dish. A great way to free up oven space when you’re making a big holiday meal!

I like to use a slow cooker for side dish recipes on Thanksgiving to keep my oven open for the main course turkey. Some of my favorites include slow cooker cranberry sauce, crock pot sweet potato casserole, slow cooker creamed corn, slow cooker glazed carrots and this crock pot stuffing recipe.

A bowl of crock pot stuffing topped with fresh herbs.

I always run into an issue when I’m preparing a holiday meal: not enough oven space! To solve this problem, I turn to other appliances such as my smoker, slow cooker or Instant Pot. This crockpot stuffing has the same classic taste, but doesn’t require an oven which makes it super convenient.

Slow Cooker Stuffing Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need bread, butter, onion, celery, garlic, sage leaves, parsley leaves, thyme, eggs, chicken broth, kosher salt and black pepper.

How Do You Make Crock Pot Stuffing?

Start by cutting your bread into cubes. You can either bake the cubes in the oven, or let them sit out overnight on a baking sheet to dry out. Cook the onions and celery in butter in a large skillet until they’re soft. Next, place the vegetables in a large bowl with the dry bread cubes. Add herbs, eggs and chicken broth to the bowl, then toss everything together to combine. Coat a large crock pot with cooking spray, then drizzle butter over the top. Cover and cook on high, then low heat, until the stuffing is done. Finally, sprinkle the stuffing with fresh parsley and serve.

Bowls of bread cubes, vegetables, herbs and seasonings.

Tips For The Perfect Dish

  • You can use any type of bread you like for this dish, but choose something with texture such as a baguette, Italian loaf, sourdough, rustic bread or hearty sliced white bread.
  • It’s super important to let the bread dry so that the final product has the correct consistency.
  • This stuffing pairs perfectly with main course options such as Instant Pot ham, Thanksgiving turkey, rack of lamb, glazed ham or dry brined turkey.
  • Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.

Quick Tip

This recipe can also be made in the oven. Simply follow the recipe as directed. Then, spoon the stuffing mixture into a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes.

A bowl of diced bread, celery, onions, herbs and seasonings.

Recipe FAQs

Can you prepare stuffing in advance?

The components of this dish can be prepared before the big day. Feel free to make the bread cubes up to 3 days in advance. The vegetables can be cooked the day before. If the bread and veggies are ready, all you have to do is toss them together with the herbs, eggs and broth, then place in the slow cooker.

How do you keep stuffing warm in a crock pot?

If you find that your stuffing has finished cooking before you’re ready to eat, switch your slow cooker over to the warm setting. You can leave the stuffing on warm for up to one hour.

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Uncooked stuffing inside a crock pot.

Crock Pot Stuffing Flavor Variations

While this recipe is great as-is, there are so many different ingredients you can add to customize your stuffing flavor.

  • Protein: Add 1 pound of cooked crumbled sausage, 3/4 cup cooked diced bacon or sliced smoked sausage.
  • Vegetables: You can’t go wrong with extra veggies including fennel, leeks, mushrooms or carrots.
  • Fruit: Stir in some sauteed chopped apples, dried cranberries or dried figs.
  • Seasonings: Feel free to add other types of fresh or dried herbs such as fresh rosemary, chopped nuts or even cheese.
Crock pot stuffing on a plate with turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes.

Once you see how simple it is to make crock pot stuffing, you’ll serve it for Thanksgiving every year!

More Holiday Side Dishes

Crock Pot Stuffing Video

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Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

5 from 30 votes

Crock Pot Stuffing

AuthorSara Welch
A bowl of crock pot stuffing topped with fresh herbs.
This crock pot stuffing is a mix of bread cubes, sauteed vegetables and seasonings, all placed in the slow cooker to create a flavorful and delicious side dish. A great way to free up oven space when you're making a big holiday meal!
Time
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 45 minutes
Total Time5 hours 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Serves 8

Ingredients 

  • 10 cups hearty white bread cubes such as French bread, country style bread or sliced hearty white bread, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 10 tablespoons butter divided use
  • 1 cup onion finely diced
  • 1 cup celery sliced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup sage leaves finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped, divided use
  • 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • cooking spray

Instructions 

  • Leave the bread out overnight spread out on baking sheets to get stale. Or, you can bake your bread cubes at 225 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until they get crisp which should take about one hour.
  • Coat a 6 quart crock pot with cooking spray.
  • Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. 
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Place the bread cubes in a very large bowl, then add the cooked vegetables. 
  • Add the sage, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and thyme leaves to the bowl. 
  • Add the eggs, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss gently until everything is well combined.
  • Spoon the stuffing into the crock pot. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top.
  • Cover the crock pot. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, then switch the heat to LOW and cook for 4 hours.
  • Uncover the pot, then sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top and serve.

Notes

  1. You can use any type of bread you like for this dish, but choose something with texture such as a baguette, Italian loaf, rustic bread or hearty sliced white bread.
  2. It’s super important to let the bread dry so that the final product has the correct consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3.2mg

Hello! I’m Sara!

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5 from 30 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. This was really simple and good. The house smelled so “cozy” as it simmered on low for 4 hours. Thank you! So many stuffing recipes are needlessly complicated. I made a double batch for a church gathering at my home and not a crumb was left. That says it all.

  2. 5 stars
    I always say the crockpot must be used during Thanksgiving and what better way to make this flavorful stuffing! Genius recipe and perfect for Thanksgiving!

  3. 5 stars
    My family likes “holiday food” all year round, so I made this stuffing last weekend with a turkey breast. Let me just tell you, it was amazing! And so glad to be able to save room in the oven for other things!

  4. 5 stars
    This stuffing recipe was the perfect blend of flavor and was so tasty! I cannot wait to make it for Thanksgiving!

  5. 5 stars
    This stuffing was such a delicious and very flavorful recipe! I love that it’s made in the crock pot! Easy and makes our house smell so yummy!

  6. 5 stars
    We love this recipe and I canโ€™t wait to make this for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Such a delicious and very tasty recipe that will definitely be a hit here!

  7. 5 stars
    As I prepped Cornish hens, my daughter assembled this delicious crock pot stuffing. It was easy to make and so good!

  8. 5 stars
    This stuffing is so satisfying and delicious – and I love that it can be made in the crock pot! Makes it super convenient to add to my holiday spread!