The Best Gluten-Free Stuffing! This easy classic gluten-free stuffing recipe is full of flavor and perfect for the holidays!
It's not Thanksgiving dinner without a plate of homemade stuffing and this recipe is the best! This easy homemade gluten-free stuffing has a buttery crisp texture with savory sauteed veggies and fresh herbs. You will never have to opt for a boxed stuffing mix again!
Looking for more delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving side dishes to serve on your holiday table? Check out my savory delicata squash, corn casserole, rosemary roasted potatoes, green bean casserole, and honey-roasted carrots.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Flavored with fresh herbs, giving this stuffing the best flavor.
- Perfectly crisp - never soggy!
- Super easy to make.
- Perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Bread: My favorite brand to use is Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White bread. It doesn't matter what type of bread you use, just as long as you have 18-24 ounces.
- Oil: A little olive on the bread helps toast the bread cubes and gives them a great flavor. I love using garlic-infused olive oil.
- Butter: Melted butter helps saute' the vegetables. It may seem like a lot of butter, but trust me, it's necessary. ! It gives this recipe a ton of flavor and helps crisp the bread.
- Onion and Celery: Keeping this recipe classic, onion and celery add texture and flavor.
- Coconut Aminos: Although optional, this adds a delicious flavor and is highly recommended.
- Minced Garlic: Adding minced garlic helps elevate the flavor of the sau·téd vegetables.
- Eggs: The eggs serve as a binder in the stuffing, giving it a custard-like texture.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth helps moisten the bread cubes to the perfect consistency. Make sure to add the broth slowly, and look for a low-sodium option.
- Salt, Pepper: The salt can be customized to your liking.
- Dried Basil: You can use fresh or dried for convenience.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage are what give this holiday stuffing the best flavor!
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F. Cut the loaf of bread into ½-inch cubes. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and toss to evenly combine.
Make sure the bread cubes are spread out evenly in a single layer for even baking. Bake, stirring halfway through, for 30 minutes until dry and slightly toasted.
Remove the toasted bread cubes from the oven and set the pan aside. Allow the cubes to cool while preparing the vegetables.
Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
Brush a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter or olive oil.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat melt 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once melted, stir in the diced onion and celery with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 12-15 minutes.
Once the vegetables have softened, add in the garlic, coconut aminos, fresh herbs, basil, remaining salt, and black pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Stir in 1 cup of room temperature chicken stock into the skillet with the vegetables.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dried bread cubes. Pour the onion-celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
In a separate bowl, whisk together two large eggs. Pour the egg mixture over the bread stirring with a large spatula until the bread is coated and everything is thoroughly combined. Add more broth if needed.
Transfer the mixture to the large baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Cover the dish with tin foil.
Bake covered for 50 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown and toasted on top.
Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Dried Verses Fresh Herbs
If you are not able to find fresh herbs, use the conversion of 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
Dried herbs tend to have a deeper, spicier flavor than fresh herbs. For that reason, you can not add equal amounts of dried to fresh herbs.
Storage/Make Ahead Instructions
Make-Ahead:
You can prepare part of the recipe one day ahead. Follow the instructions for toasting the gluten-free bread cubes, and sauteeing the vegetables with the herbs. Do not add the chicken stock to the vegetable mixture at this point.
Keep the toasted bread at room temperature and store the celery/onion mixture in the refrigerator until the next day.
When ready to use, pull the vegetables out of the refrigerator, and add the chicken stock. Continue following the recipe as directed and bake.
Storage:
Place aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish or transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Expert Tips and Variations
- Add the chicken stock slowly - Avoid soggy bread cubes start by first making sure you have at least 18 ounces of bread. After the initial 1 cup of broth, add only a ¼ cup of stock at a time until the stuffing reaches your desired texture. You want the bread cubes to be somewhat moist but not drowning in chicken stock.
- Customize: We like to keep this classic stuffing recipe minimal, but you can certainly customize it to your liking. Add ½ pound of cooked Italian sausage, sauteed mushrooms, leeks, or even sweet apples.
- Dairy-Free: You can easily swap out regular butter for dairy-free butter.
- Vegan: For a vegan option, use vegan butter, no eggs, vegan-friendly bread, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
FAQ
No. Unfortunately, Stove Top stuffing is not gluten-free.
Yes! Feel free to leave out the eggs, and add a bit more chicken stock until you reach the desired texture. The end result with not be as custard-like.
This stuffing gets rather mushy inside a turkey and would not be recommended.
Recipe
The Best Gluten-Free Stuffing
Ingredients
Toasted Bread
Stuffing Mixture
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large onions, diced (3 cups)
- 6 large celery ribs, diced (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons coconut aminos, optional
- 2 large eggs, whisked, at room temperature
- 2½ tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
- 2½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons salt, adjust more or less to liking
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 cups chicken broth (start with 1 cup and add more as needed)
Instructions
Toast The Bread
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Cut the loaf of bread into ½-inch cubes. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and toss to evenly combine. Make sure the bread cubes are spread out evenly for even baking. Bake for 15 minutes and then stir the bread. Continue baking for another 15 minutes for a total of 30 minutes, or until the cubes are dry and slightly toasted.
- Remove the toasted bread cubes from the oven and set the pan aside. Allow the cubes to cool while preparing the vegetables.Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.Brush a 9x13 baking dish with melted butter or olive oil.
Make The Stuffing
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once melted, stir in the diced onion and celery with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 12-15 minutes.
- Once the vegetables have softened, add the minced garlic, coconut aminos, fresh herbs, dried basil, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt (adjusting to taste), and black pepper. Cook for another 1–2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of chicken broth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the dried bread cubes. Pour the onion-celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together two large eggs. Pour the egg mixture over the toasted bread, stirring with a large spatula until the bread is coated and everything is thoroughly combined. Add more broth if needed, only a quarter of a cup at a time. Each piece of bread should be coated with the egg and broth liquid, but not soaked.
- Transfer the mixture to the large prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Cover the dish with tin foil.
- Bake covered for 50 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and toasted. (Optionally, broil for 1-2 minutes for extra color). Garnish with fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Add the chicken stock slowly - Avoid soggy bread cubes start by first making sure you have at least 18 ounces of bread. Start with 1 cup of stock, then add ¼ cup of stock at a time until the stuffing reaches your desired texture. You want the bread cubes to be somewhat moist but not drowning in chicken stock.
- Customize: We like to keep this classic stuffing recipe minimal, but you can certainly customize it to your liking. Add ½ pound of cooked Italian sausage, sauteed mushrooms, leeks, or even sweet apples.
- Dairy-Free: You can easily swap out regular butter for dairy-free butter.
- Vegan: For a vegan option, use vegan butter, no eggs, vegan-friendly bread, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare part of the recipe one day ahead. Follow the instructions for toasting the gluten-free bread cubes and sauteeing the vegetables with the herbs. Do not add the chicken stock to the vegetable mixture at this point. Keep the toasted bread at room temperature and store the celery/onion mixture in the refrigerator until the next day. When ready to use, pull the vegetables out of the refrigerator and add the chicken stock. Continue following the recipe as directed and bake.
Alayah says
May I ask why dried basil? Very curious to try.
Rebecca Taig says
The dried basil adds a concentrated, herbaceous flavor that infuses the dish during the baking process.
Robin Lin Troutman says
This stuffing is amazing! I practiced it today for a big thanksgiving get together and know people are going to love it. It tastes so much like my late grandma’s recipe, but is also gf. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Rebecca Taig says
Robin, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. I'm genuinely touched that it reminds you of your late grandma's recipe while still being gluten-free. I hope your Thanksgiving gathering is wonderful!
Tracie Christensen says
This is the best recipe ever! I’ve tried other GF stuffings before and they always start out from the oven good but then dry out as leftovers. I had some today, day after Thanksgiving and it was not dry at all and tasted even better as the flavors blended together more. Thank you so much for this. I used Aldi GF white bread for my recipe and it was perfect.
Rebecca Taig says
Thank you for such an amazing review, I really appreciate it and the time you took to make the recipe.
We always enjoy how flavorful the leftovers are on day two as well. 🙂
Joey Sundvall says
I have a really dumb question. If I am using a gluten free herb stuffing mix (Aleias's) that comes with a seasoning packet, should I still add the fresh herbs to the mix? I could also not use the seasoning packet and prepare your stuffing as directed but with my "herbed bread cubes" ( your seasonings). What do you think? Thank you so much!
Rebecca Taig says
Hi Joey!
If using the Aleias stuffing mix I would not use their seasoning packet, but instead, use the fresh herbs in my recipe. Essentially you would just be using the dried bread cubes from the box. I did check the serving size of the Aleia's box, and it looks like it's ten ounces. My recipe calls for 18-24 ounces of bread so just make sure you have enough. If you do decide to follow the recipe and toast the bread cubes yourself, I promise the taste and quality will be much more fresh, but I completely understand convenience. You can actually toast the bread cubes a few days in advance and store the cubes in a ziplock bag, so that it's ready to go when you decide to make the stuffing. 🙂
I hope this helps, and happy holidays!
Joey Sundvall says
Thank you so much for your help! In the name of convenience and the fact that I have 2 boxes of Aleia's, I will ditch the seasoning packet and use fresh herbs/seasonings and mushrooms for a little depth as I also have to use vegetable stock. (Vegetarian and Celiac). Thank you again for the help! Happy Holidays to you!
Rebecca Taig says
That all sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂