Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing Recipe
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This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect the holidays. Hearty sausage, fragrant herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes make it easy—and you can even make it ahead!
I used to host elaborate Thanksgiving celebrations, where I’d cook for days on end, only to be completely exhausted by the time my guests arrived on Thanksgiving day. After one glass of wine, I’d be nodding off at the table and dreaming of my pillow. I finally wised up by simplifying my side dishes and desserts. This rich sausage and herb stuffing recipe relies on store-bought stuffing cubes, which eliminates the step of slicing and drying out the bread. Believe me, when you’re using a pound of sausage and an entire stick of butter, and pairing the dish with turkey gravy and cranberry sauce, the type of bread you use does not matter. This is the easiest and best stuffing recipe, hands down!
“I made this for Thanksgiving and made the mistake of not doubling the recipe. Corrected that for Christmas as it was GONE – first empty dish on the buffet table.”
What You’ll Need To Make Sausage Stuffing
- Store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes – I’ve made this easy stuffing recipe using dried bread cubes from both Arnold and Pepperidge Farm. I’ve also had good results with the “fresh” dried bread cubes from Whole Foods, which add a bit more texture (these are sold in plastic bags labeled “stuffing cubes”).
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and helps create a moist texture.
- Aromatics (yellow onion, celery, and garlic) – Provide savory depth and a classic stuffing flavor.
- Bulk sweet Italian sausage – If you can, look for bulk sausage (sausage without casings). If only whole sausages are available, just remove the casings: cut through the sausages with kitchen shears, then peel the casings off—it’s much easier than squeezing out the meat.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Keeps the stuffing moist without adding too much salt.
- Large egg – Helps bind the stuffing together for a cohesive texture.
- Fresh Herbs (rosemary, sage, and parsley) – Bring freshness and a touch of earthy, holiday flavor.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – For seasoning and balancing flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large skillet.
Add the chopped onions and celery.
Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. In the same pan, cook the sausage until browned.
As it cooks, use a metal spatula to break it apart into small pieces.
Add the sausage to the stuffing cubes and veggies. Then add the broth, egg, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Transfer the contents to a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish or similarly sized casserole dish.
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Enjoy!
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
This homemade stuffing recipe can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking from the fridge. It can also can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.
Video Tutorial
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect the holidays. Hearty sausage, fragrant herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes make it easy—and you can even make it ahead!
Ingredients
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (i.e., sausage with the casings removed) -- see note below
- 2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Place the stuffing cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the stuffing cubes. (Don't wash the pan but scrape out every last bit of vegetables, otherwise they will burn in the next step.)
- In the same pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula while cooking (the largest pieces should be no greater than ¼-inch). Add the browned sausage and fat to the bread cubes and vegetables.
- Add the chicken broth, egg, rosemary, sage, parsley, salt and pepper to the bread cube mixture and mix until the bread is soft and moistened. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 65-75 minutes, uncovered, until deeply golden and crisp on top.
- Note: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stuffing can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake; follow the baking instructions in the recipe, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven. It can also can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 467
- Fat: 28 grams
- Saturated fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 40 grams
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
- Sodium: 1,063 mg
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The baking time seems long….my oven cooks fast…is it okay to reduce cooking time? Does stuffing become dry?
Thanks so much!
Sure Jodi, you know your oven best, so if you think the time needs to be reduced a bit, trust your gut. The stuffing is pretty moist, but if you get concerned that it’s drying out, you could cover it for the last few minutes of baking.
Can I use dried seasonings/ herbs instead of fresh and if so how much?
Sure Gail. The general rule is to use 1/3 of the herbs called for when using dried, so in this case, I’d use 1 tsp. each of rosemary and sage and about 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the parsley.
Trying this for the first time, I am serving vegans and meat eaters, for the vegans was going to substitute veggie broth for chicken broth and apples for sausage any thoughts of other spices I should add for the vegans. I thought of using tofu but am at a loss for how I would cook and add that
Hi Denise, I might suggest my Challah, Wild Mushroom and Herb Stuffing instead (substituting vegetable broth). It’s wonderful!
Would you bake it the day before and just reheat or would you assemble and then bake the next day?
Hi Allyson, Ideally, I would assemble and then bake the next day but you could really do either – the difference is minimal so whatever is easier for you!
Hi! I’m thinking of trying this stuffing receipe. I always like the flavor of adding diced (lightly cooked) apples. How many would you say would be sufficient for this receipe?
Thank you!
Hi Katie, I think 1 large or 2 small apples would be great. Enjoy…and pls lmk how it turns out!
do you need to fry sausage first or can it be baked raw in the stuffing?
Hi Karen, It should be cooked first. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for answering my question about the amount of stuffing for my turkey. I do want to say how lucky we all are to have you and your site. You are really a gift. I have loved everything I have made and look forward to so many more of your delicious recipes.
I hope you enjoy the holidays. I will because of your delicious recipes !!
Thanks Char 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site and Happy Holidays to you too!
Can I use cornbread instead of the breadcrumbs?
Yes PC, I think cornbread would work here. I’d love to hear how it turns out this way!
If I were to stuff a 15 or 20 pound
turkey would this be enough to stuff the turkey ? Also would I change the amount of broth. Thanks
Hi Char, I’m not certain how much stuffing you’d need for a turkey of that size, but keep in mind that a 9 x 13 pan (like the one called for in this recipe) holds 14 cups. If you’re uncertain that will be enough, you could always make 1 1/2 or 2 times the recipe and just bake whatever doesn’t fit in the turkey in a separate baking dish.
Hi! I am making this stuffing for Thanksgiving . If I omit sausage, should I use all the same ingredients?
And do you have to bake 60-70 minutes??? I have boxed stuffing cubes 14 oz. Thanks
Hi Carol, You don’t need to adapt the recipe in any way if you omit the sausage. And boxed stuffing is fine; just cut back on the added salt (just to add it to taste) and omit the sage. Enjoy!