This easy gluten-free stuffing recipe is based on the traditional stuffing I've made for our family Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey dinners for decades. It has only gotten better since!
The original recipe came from a (affiliate link) Mennonite country cookbook by Edna Staebler. Over the years, I substituted gluten-free bread in that recipe. Then, I made the move to baking the turkey stuffing outside the bird. Not stuffing the turkey (or chicken) allows it to cook faster and not get dried out. It also alleviates a safety concern around undercooking with possible bacteria in the cavity.
Because this poultry stuffing is cooked apart from the bird, I added more liquid for moisture. The original recipe called for milk. I replaced that with chicken or turkey bone broth for turkey flavor.
I measured the butter more precisely. The Canadian "½-inch slice of butter" would be confusing in the United States.
I increased the bread because who doesn't want more stuffing?! Of course, I also increased the seasoning accordingly.
The optional dried cranberry add-in is my most recent addition.
Gluten-Free Stuffing Ingredients
- My Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread is the one I use and have tested this recipe with. You could use any gluten-free bread that you like.
- Broth: I use my homemade broth for the best flavor. If you don't have any, use a purchased one and adjust the salt and pepper amounts accordingly, to taste.
Exact quantities and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Cut gluten-free bread into cubes.
2. Finely chop onion, celery, and parsley.
3. Cook onion slowly in melted butter.
4. Add celery and cook some more.
5. Turn off the heat and add bread cubes, parsley, and seasonings.
6. If you choose to add dried cranberries, put them in now.
7. Whisk together eggs and broth, pour them over the bread mixture, and stir everything together.
8. Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish (or use the Dutch oven from the stovetop), cover and bake for 50 minutes.
9. Remove the lid, bake for 10 minutes more to brown the top, and serve warm.
FAQ
Yes, I have used this stuffing (minus the cranberries) inside a turkey. If you do that, you must make sure that the turkey is very well cooked to destroy any bacteria in the inside cavity. The downside, then, is that your turkey cooks so long that it can dry out.
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Equipment Tips for Baked Stuffing
This recipe fits nicely in my 4-quart (3.8 L) covered casserole dish. Apparently, the same one is no longer available, so I've linked to this pretty red one.
If you have a 4-quart baking dish without a lid, you could cover it snugly with foil for baking.
If your stove-top Dutch oven is also oven-safe and pretty enough to serve in, you could bake the stuffing in the same container that you used to cook the butter, onions, and celery.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 loaf gluten-free sandwich bread cubed
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
- 1 medium yellow cooking onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon dried sage
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon dried savory
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (to taste, depending on the broth)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste, depending on the broth)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1½ cups chicken or turkey stock
- 1 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Melt the butter slowly at a medium-low temperature in a Dutch oven on the stovetop. Add the onion and cook until it is soft.¼ cup butter1 medium yellow cooking onion
- Add the celery. Mix it with the onion and cook it until it starts to soften.2 stalks celery
- Turn off the heat. Add the bread, parsley, seasonings, herbs, and dried cranberries if you're using them. Stir them in thoroughly with the melted butter, onions, and celery.1 loaf gluten-free sandwich bread3 tablespoons fresh parsley¾ teaspoon dried sage¾ teaspoon dried thyme¾ teaspoon dried savory½ teaspoon sea salt¼ teaspoon black pepper1 cup dried cranberries
- Beat the eggs and stock (broth) together and pour them over the bread mixture. Stir well to combine.2 large eggs1½ cups chicken or turkey stock
- Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 4-quart baking dish. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Bread that is two days old is ideal for stuffing.
- You can assemble the stuffing and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
- If your 4-quart (3.8 L) baking dish doesn't have a lid, cover it snugly with foil for the first 50 minutes of baking.
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