Crock Pot Stuffing Recipe

Get ready to revolutionize your holiday feast with my Crock Pot stuffing! This recipe achieves the perfect balance of moistness and golden crispness with a flavorful mix of herbs and spices.

This vessel is so versatile. For more holiday meals, try my Crockpot turkey breast, slow cooker cranberry sauce, and Crockpot sweet potato casserole.

Delicious crock pot stuffing side dish for Thanksgiving.

Recipe Science

Slow cooking stuffing in a Crock Pot allows the bread to absorb the flavors of the broth and seasonings gradually, resulting in a moist and flavorful dish.
The consistent low heat prevents the stuffing from drying out while allowing the ingredients to meld together, creating a well-balanced and cohesive flavor profile.
The slow cooker’s controlled environment ensures the stuffing maintains a tender texture, with the bread cubes softening without becoming mushy or overly soggy.

Why It Works

A Thanksgiving Day dinner is not complete without delicious stuffing on the menu. The best thing about this vegetarian crock pot stuffing recipe is that with just a press of a button, you’ll have a delicious dish ready in 3 hours with little hands-on cooking. This method frees up real estate in the oven for the star of the table, a juicy roasted turkey.

For maximum flavor, this version includes cutting up a big loaf of bread and toasting the cubes to control the size of the pieces. Don’t worry; if you’d prefer to use pre-made stuffing mix or croutons, that works too! Combine the bread with sauteed vegetables, herbs, seasonings, eggs, and stock in the slow cooker.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make this stuffing in a crock pot.

Bread: Use a large 1-pound French or sourdough bread loaf. Sliced bread can be used as well. You’ll need 16 cups of fresh bread cubes. If the bread is dense and heavy, cut up two loaves to make up the volume.
Vegetables: Diced celery, red onions, and garlic adds color, earthiness, and natural sweetness to the dish. They are sauteed in butter to soften the pieces and enhance their flavor.
Herbs: A trio of fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary is added to the stuffing. Dried herbs can be swapped with fresh by adding half the amount. Fresh chopped parsley adds a pop of color and herbaceous note.
Seasoning: Salt and black pepper bump up the savory taste. Garlic powder intensifies the allium flavor with a more roasted taste.
Eggs: Whisked eggs create an airy consistency inside the bread cubes. It also helps to bind the stuffing together when scooped.
Stock: Use unsalted vegetable stock or broth to moisten the bread. If using salted broth, reduce the added kosher salt to 1 teaspoon.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

It’s easy to switch up the flavor of this crock pot stuffing! Try these tasty variations:

Bread: Use gluten-free, whole wheat bread, sourdough, cornbread dressing, artisan loaves, or homemade white bread. If using pre-dried stuffing mix or croutons, you’ll need 12 cups.
Herbs: Add tarragon, rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, sage, or oregano. Use ⅓ to ½ the amount of fresh when using dried herbs.
Seasoning: Poultry seasoning has added marjoram and nutmeg for a slightly sweeter taste. Make it spicy with cajun seasoning.
Vegetables: Saute mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, onions, celery, butternut squash, pumpkin, or sweet potatoes.
Fruit: Add diced red or green apples or pears. Add in dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, or raisins.
Nut: For extra crunch, add chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans.
Protein: Add cooked sausage, bacon, chicken, or ground beef.

How to Make Crock Pot Stuffing

Bread loaf cut into cubes on a cutting board.

Step 1: Cut the Bread

This slow cooker stuffing is made from scratch and is a great way to use day-old bread or fresh loaves from the market. Grab a 1-pound loaf; if they are skinny like baguettes, purchase two. Slice the bread into 3/4-inch thick pieces, then cut into cubes. This should yield about 16 cups of diced bread.

Toasted cubes of bread cooling on a baking sheet.

Step 2: Toast the Pieces

Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Dry the bread cubes for 10 minutes in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven. Toss them halfway through for even toasting and let them completely dry on the warm sheet pan afterward. This is the same technique for making homemade croutons.

The bread will reduce in volume as the moisture evaporates, yielding about 12 cups of dried cubes. From here, you can make the stuffing in a crock pot immediately or store the bread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This is a great recipe to prepare in advance.

Diced celery, minced garlic, and fresh herbs sauteing in a skillet.

Step 3: Saute the Vegetables and Herbs

To make the most flavorful stuffing, I take a few extra minutes to saute the aromatics. Melt butter in a large pan oven on medium heat. Add the diced celery and onions, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

This gives the onions a chance to concentrate the sweetness and take out the sulfurous taste. Saute the finely chopped garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cooking the herbs in hot fat will extract more fat-soluble flavor compounds and aromas.

Sauteed vegetables and bread cubes in a slow cooker.

Step 4: Combine the Bread and Aromatics

A classic stuffing is baked in a casserole dish, but instead, grab a 6-quart Crock-Pot or slow cooker. Lightly grease the pot insert to prevent sticking and burning of the bread on the sides.

Add the dried bread cubes, the sauteed vegetable mixture, fresh parsley, and garlic powder to the pot. Stir it to coat the bread with the vegetables and herbs.

Measuring cup of egg and broth liquid being poured into a crock pot.

Step 5: Soak the Bread

To make a savory and fluffy stuffing in the crock pot, combine eggs and vegetable stock. Alternatively, chicken broth or stock is recommended for not making vegetarian stuffing.

Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. The goal is to get them soaked with the flavorful broth. Gently stir until no liquid is left on the bottom of the vessel. Spread the stuffing out into an even layer.

Crock pot stuffing with dried golden surface.

Step 6: Slow-cook the Stuffing

I use two settings to cook the stuffing. Initially, ramp up the heat using the high setting for 30 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to low for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours of cooking time. You can do just the low setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours if you need a set it and forget it option.

The crock pot stuffing is cooked when it reaches at least 144ºF (62ºC), at which point the eggs are no longer raw. However, after several hours, the stuffing temperature will be closer to around 180ºF (82ºC) or above. The surface will be nice and dry, just like baking stuffing. If you are not serving the stuffing right away, keep it covered and on the warm setting.

Wooden spoon scooping stuffing out of a slow cooker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-seasoned bread cubes, or must I make my own?

This recipe uses homemade bread cubes, but pre-seasoned can be used. I recommend reducing the added kosher salt to ½ to 1 teaspoon instead of 1 ½ teaspoons if using pre-seasoned bread. You’ll need 12 cups.

Can I make the stuffing without eggs?

Eggs can be omitted, but the texture will be denser, and the pieces of bread won’t bind together as well. If needed, add more broth or stock to moisten the bread before slow cooking.

How do I prevent the stuffing from drying out in the crock pot?

Make sure that the bread cubes soak up all of the egg and broth mixture before cooking. The eggs help to solidify and lock in the moisture. If the pieces still feel very dry, gradually add more broth. The stuffing should not be soggy before slow cooking, or it will have a mushy texture.

Do I need to stir the stuffing occasionally while cooking in the crock pot?

No! Keep the cover on to ensure proper cooking. Do not stir, or the bread will break down and not have as nice of a chew.

Can I prepare the stuffing ahead of time and then cook it in the crock pot later?

Yes, the stuffing ingredients can be assembled directly in the vessel, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add another 1 to 2 hours of cooking time on the low setting since the vessel and ingredients will be cold.

What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

The main difference between stuffing vs dressing is to classify it by how it’s cooked. Technically, stuffing is cooked inside of a turkey, whereas dressing is cooked outside. Each region may call it something different, which can add to the confusion.

Do I need to pre-cook ingredients before slow-cooking?

Fresh bread must be dried out to absorb the flavorful liquid. To maximize the flavor, it’s best to saute any vegetables or meat before slow cooking. Onions and garlic have a robust sulfurous note and would benefit from pre-cooking to mellow the raw taste while enhancing the allium’s sweetness. Vegetables and proteins also contain a lot of moisture, which could make the stuffing mushy.