My Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing has stood the test of time. This buttery, savory, melt-in-your-mouth stuffing is the best stuffing recipe around!
Are you all so excited that Thanksgiving is almost here? I think I love Thanksgiving more than Christmas. And one reason why? The food, of course! It’s all about the corn casserole, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
Today we are sharing with you one of our classic family recipes that without fail, ends up on our Thanksgiving menu: Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing.
This recipe was my Grandma’s Thanksgiving stuffing recipe, passed down to my mom. I grew up enjoying this savory traditional stuffing recipe, and now my kids are enjoying the tradition, too!
As Thanksgiving approaches, one of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind is “how much stuffing do I need for my turkey?” When handling a large 20 lb bird, it can be tricky to figure out the right stuffing quantity You want enough to complement the turkey without overstuffing.
Through my many years of Thanksgiving turkey experience, I’ve nailed down the perfect stuffing amount for a 20 lb turkey. In this comprehensive guide I’ll share my tried-and-true method to help ensure your holiday turkey is stuffed just right.
Calculating the Right Stuffing Amount
When deciding how much stuffing to use, the general guideline is to allow around 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. For a 20 lb turkey, this equals approximately 10 to 12 cups of stuffing. However, you may want to adjust this amount slightly based on factors like:
- Number of guests – More guests means you may want extra stuffing.
- Density of stuffing – Fluffy stuffing takes up more space than dense, packed stuffing.
- Personal taste – Some people prefer more lightly stuffed turkeys.
It’s better to have a bit too much stuffing than not enough. Leftovers make great side dishes or casual sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving.
I recommend starting with 12 cups of stuffing, and adding more as needed if your recipe doesn’t completely fill the bird. It’s easy to cook extra stuffing in a casserole dish.
Preparing and Cooking the Stuffing
Safety comes first when preparing stuffed turkey. To avoid contamination and evenly cook the stuffing, follow these guidelines:
- Use fully cooked ingredients like roasted veggies, browned sausage and stock or broth. Avoid raw eggs.
- Prepare and refrigerate the stuffing in advance, and stuff the turkey just before roasting. Never stuff the night before.
- Loosely fill both the neck and body cavities, avoiding tight packing.
- Cook the stuffed turkey at 325°F and calculate roasting time based on the weight with stuffing. For a 20 lb stuffed turkey, roast for approximately 5 hours.
- Verify the stuffing’s internal temp reaches 165°F when finished cooking.
I like to combine textures like chunks of bread, sausage, apples and celery to give my stuffing more character. Fresh herbs and stock make it super flavorful.
Alternative Stuffing Methods
If you’re concerned about potential bacteria from cooking the stuffing inside the turkey, there are safer alternatives:
- Cook the stuffing completely separate in a casserole dish in the oven.
- Skip stuffing and fill the turkey with aromatic ingredients like onion, apple and herbs.
- Prepare an alternative side dish like wild rice pilaf or quinoa with veggies instead of traditional stuffing.
You can also bake your favorite stuffing into muffins as appetizers or shape it into waffle sandwiches for a creative leftover idea!
Key Tips for Stuffing Your Turkey
Here are some extra tips and answers to common questions about stuffing your Thanksgiving turkey:
- Calculate 10-12 cups of stuffing for a 20 lb turkey as a general guideline. Adjust as needed.
- For food safety, stuff right before roasting and cook thoroughly to 165°F.
- Loosely fill the body and neck cavities without overpacking.
- Considering roasting extra stuffing in a casserole dish as a backup.
- Calculate turkey roast times based on the total stuffed weight.
- Flavor your stuffing with sautéed veggies, broth, meat, herbs and spices.
- Skip raw eggs and use cooked ingredients and stock for food safety.
- You can prepare stuffing with premade mix for convenience. Follow package instructions.
- Let your stuffed turkey rest 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving the meat.
How to Make Turkey Stuffing
- Sauté the veggies. When it comes time to make the stuffing, sauté the onions and celery in butter over medium heat until the veggies are tender. This is the best aroma ever. Of all the smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, this is the one that always starts it all off. There’s just nothing better.
- Mix the stuffing. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Then add the butter mixture and the rest of the ingredients. You can also mix the stuffing right in the casserole dish.
- Bake the stuffing. Spread the stuffing evenly in a 9×13″ baking pan or a pretty 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Best Bread for Stuffing
If you’ve never made Thanksgiving turkey stuffing before, you may think it is difficult. Our recipe is very simple, though and starts with the bread.
I recommend a heavier white bread (such as French or Italian bread) for turkey stuffing. Even sourdough bread would be delicious!
You can also use dried hot dog or hamburger buns that you may have sitting in your freezer. Sometimes I throw in whole wheat bread. This recipe is versatile!
- You’ll want to start this recipe about two days beforehand. Cut fresh bread into 1″ cubes and put them in a big bowl.
- Leave the bread cubes sitting out for about 48 hours so they dry out. Stir them once or twice a day so all of the bread dries out evenly. If you run out of time, dry the bread cubes in the oven preheated to a low heat.
Old Fashioned STUFFED TURKEY! CLASSIC Roast Turkey and Stuffing Recipe From 1937!
FAQ
How many will a 20 pound turkey serve?
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Number of Guests
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Turkey Weight–
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12
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15lbs
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15
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20lbs
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20
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25lbs
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25
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32lbs
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