This easy crock pot stuffing recipe is perfect for busy holidays; you can make it ahead of time and keep it warm while the rest of the meal cooks. And, making stuffing in the slow cooker frees up precious oven space! This delicious stuffing recipe is seasoned with thyme, sage, and mushrooms.
Note: this post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2025 with new photos and improved instructions.
One of the hardest parts of planning a large holiday meal is sharing oven space. What if you have two dishes that need to be cooked at the same time, at different temperatures? This easy crock pot stuffing recipe can help with that! And, by using the crock pot to cook the stuffing, you can make it ahead of time and keep it warm until everything else is ready.
This crockpot stuffing is so delicious I would make it every time, even if oven space was no concern (served alongside red skin mashed potatoes of course). By cooking on high, the stuffing develops the most amazing browned crispy edges that your family will be fighting over, while the center stays soft and moist!
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Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Bread: ideally you will use a slightly denser bread, not something that's super airy and pillowy (such as sliced white sandwich bread). We want the bread to hold up during cooking rather than turning to mush. You need 12 cups of bread chunks, from about 1 - 1 ¼ loaves of bread (depending on the loaf size).
- Dried rubbed sage: I like this better than the powdered kind because I think the little flecks of herbs look nice. But if you only have powdered sage, use half the amount called for in the recipe.
Step by step photos
Here's a step by step breakdown on how to make stuffing in the crockpot. (For the full recipe, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post!)
- Step 1: Combine the melted butter, vegetables, eggs, and seasonings.
- Step 2: Add the dried bread chunks and mix.
- Step 3: Add broth to the bread and vegetables.
- Step 4: Add enough so that the bread is fully moistened, but not falling apart.
- Step 5: Place the stuffing into a greased crockpot and even out the top.
- Step 6: Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the edges are nice and crispy!
How to dry bread out for stuffing
For this crock pot stuffing recipe, you will need to first dry out the bread. Here's two easy ways to do that:
- After tearing the bread into bite-sized chunks, spread the bread pieces out on a tray, uncovered. Let it dry out overnight.
- If you need a quicker method, place the chunks of bread on a baking sheet. Cook the bread in a 250 degree F oven for 20 minutes, or until dry.
For either method, the outside of the bread should be quite dry, but the inside should still have a little moisture left.
Prepping stuffing ahead of time
- For the tastiest stuffing, I recommend making the recipe on the day you want to serve it, rather than cooking it ahead and re-heating it.
- You can easily make the stuffing a couple hours ahead of time. When the stuffing is cooked, switch the crock pot to the "warm" setting until ready to eat.
- Although I recommend cooking the stuffing day-of, you can still do some prep the day before. You can tear the bread and let it dry out the day before. You can also chop the veggies the day before and store them covered in the fridge.
Tips and tricks
How much broth to add
This is a bit subjective. I found that about 2 ¼ cups of broth worked well for me. But, the amount of broth you will need depends on how dry your bread is, how dense the bread is, how large the chunks are, and your personal tastes! Do you like really soft, moist stuffing, or do you prefer it a bit on the drier side?
Here are some additional tips:
- Add about 1 ½ cups (355 ml) broth and stir well, until all the broth is absorbed.
- Now check a chunk of the bread. Is it still dry in some places? Is the bread still holding most of its shape? Has the liquid not absorbed much into the center of the piece? If yes, drizzle in a little more broth.
- Stop adding liquid when the chunks start to slump down in the bowl and the pieces are evenly moistened throughout, but before the bread chunks start to totally lose their shape.
What if you've added too much liquid? Just add in a few more chunks of bread to absorb the excess moisture.
Other tips and tricks
- Want nice and crispy edges on your stuffing? Spread the stuffing all the way to the sides of the crock pot, make sure not to overly saturate the stuffing with broth, and grease the crock pot very well.
- If you happen to not like one of the vegetables, that's no problem! Just add in 1 ½ cups each of the remaining two vegetables to replace the one you don't like. For example, if you don't like mushrooms, just use 1 ½ cups celery and 1 ½ cups onions instead.
Storing leftovers
You can keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. The crock pot stuffing re-heats very well in the microwave, drizzled with a bit of extra broth if needed. Check out this awesome guide on several ways to reheat stuffing!
Stuffing can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just store it in an airtight container or gallon zip-top bag (with as much of the air removed as possible).
Recipe FAQs
Any crock pot or slow cooker that is 3 ½ quarts (3.3 L) or slightly larger will work well for this recipe.
For best results, I recommend using a bread that has some texture to it, rather than bread that is super light and pillowy. By using firmer bread, the stuffing won't be too mushy when cooked. That being said, if you really enjoy a softer, more tender texture for your stuffing, feel free to use softer bread!
What makes this crock pot stuffing so special (in my opinion!) is the larger, more texture-rich chunks of real bread. This really gives the stuffing a more interesting look and feel.
However, if you want to save some time, I am all for that. You can replace the bread in the recipe with an equal amount of unseasoned pre-cut stuffing cubes. You may need to add more liquid, however, because the store-bought bread cubs are drier. Take a look at the Tips and tricks section for a description of how much liquid to add to the stuffing.
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Print📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Stuffing
You can make amazing stuffing in the slow cooker! This crockpot stuffing features torn chunks of crusty bread, seasoned with sage and thyme.
Ingredients
- 12 cups torn bread chunks, about 1 - 1 ½ inch pieces (preferably from a crusty, dense loaf, see note 1)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped onion
- 1 cup (125 g) chopped celery
- 1 cup (87 g) chopped white button mushrooms
- 2 - 3 cups (473 - 710 ml) chicken or turkey broth/stock (can substitute vegetable broth)
- nonstick spray, butter or oil for greasing the crock pot
Instructions
**Do ahead step** Tear bread into about 1 - 1 ½ inch (2.5 - 3.8 cm) pieces. Spread out onto a baking tray and allow to dry out, uncovered, overnight. Or, if you don't have time, place the baking tray of torn bread chunks into a preheated 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. The outsides should be very dry, but the interior should still have some softness remaining.
- Generously spray the interior of a crock pot or slow cooker with nonstick spray (or grease well with butter or oil). (See note 2.)
- Cut the butter into chunks and place into a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave again in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until just melted.
- Add the salt, thyme, sage, eggs, and chopped vegetables to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the dried bread chunks and toss together using hands or a wooden spoon until evenly mixed.
- Drizzle about 1 ½ cups (355 ml) broth over the top of the bread chunks and toss again until absorbed. Add additional broth in small amounts until the bread starts to slump in the bowl but before the bread chunks are completely saturated with broth, tossing as you add. The bread chunks should look softened but should still hold most of their shape. You will likely need about 2 - 2 ¾ cups (473 - 651 ml) broth, but the exact amount will vary based on how dry and dense the bread is and your personal preference.
- Place the stuffing into the greased crock pot, spreading the top out evenly. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. After 2 hours, check the stuffing; the internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F. If you want the sides of the stuffing to be more crunchy, replace the lid and cook for an additional 15 - 30 minutes on high.
- Serve immediately or set the crock pot to the "keep warm" setting until ready to serve (recommended only keeping 1 - 3 hours on warm before serving).
Notes
You will need about 1 to 1 ¼ loaves of bread to get the 12 cups of bread chunks, depending on the size of the loaves.
A crock pot or slow cooker that is 3.5 - 4 quarts (3.3 L - 3.79 L) in size will work best for this recipe.
If you would like to garnish the stuffing before serving, a sprinkle of chopped parsley on top or springs of fresh thyme on the side would work well.
The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 842 mg
- Fat: 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
JANE says
Love to try this. Can I do this without eggs?
Kate says
Hi Jane, thank you for your question! I've never made this stuffing without the eggs, so I can't say for sure - the eggs do help to bind the stuffing together, so the texture would likely be slightly different. The flavors would still be delicious though, so you could try it and see how it goes! If I was making this recipe without the eggs, I would add a tad more butter and an extra splash of broth to compensate for the fat and moisture the egg provides. If you try the recipe please let me know how it goes!