Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls

Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls are crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, and packed with all that classic herb-and-celery flavor you crave! They’re easier to serve than traditional stuffing, they look gorgeous on the plate, and honestly? They taste like little bites of Thanksgiving heaven. Plus, everyone gets their own perfectly portioned serving with EXTRA crispy edges

Love More Stuffing Balls? Try My Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls or this Easy Donkey Balls Recipe next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The texture is absolutely magical — golden and crunchy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside. And here’s the best part: you can make them ahead! Shape them the day before, pop them in the fridge, and bake them fresh on Thanksgiving Day. Less stress, more time with family, and a stunning side dish that always gets rave reviews.

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Ingredient List

For the Stuffing Balls:

• 1 loaf white bread, cut into bite-sized pieces (left to dry under a towel for 1–3 days)
• ½ lb (about 226 g) butter (that’s 2 sticks)
• 1 cup chicken broth (you may not use all of it)
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1–2 tablespoons minced parsley (fresh or dried)

Substitution Notes:

• Sourdough tastes good if you have it
• Vegetable broth works
• Add sage or thyme if you feel like it
• Vegan butter is fine

Why These Ingredients Work

Dried bread is the only thing that matters here. I wasted an entire loaf of fresh bread once and it turned into wallpaper paste. Stale bread soaks everything up without getting gross and mushy.

Two sticks of butter sounds crazy but it’s feeding 8-10 people and that’s what makes them actually crispy and golden. Don’t be weird about it.

Celery and onion cooked in butter smells like Thanksgiving. That’s it. That’s the whole vibe.

Chicken broth is where everyone screws up. You need barely any. Just enough so it sticks together when you squeeze it. Too much and it’s game over.

Parsley keeps it from tasting like straight butter. Throw in whatever herbs you have around.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Large skillet
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Aluminum foil
• Knife
• Kitchen towel

How To Make Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls

Step 1: Dry the Bread Ahead of Time

Chop up the bread into chunks. Not massive, not crumbs. Spread them out and cover with a towel. Leave them sitting on your counter for one to three days. Yeah it’s a long time but that’s the whole trick. The bread gets hard.

If you forgot, stick them in a 200°F oven for 30-45 minutes and stir them around sometimes. Not as good but whatever, it works when you’re desperate.

Step 2: Preheat and Cook the Vegetables

Oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a pan, throw in the onion and celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they’re soft and smell right. Onion should be see-through.

Step 3: Combine the Ingredients

Dump the dried bread in a bowl. Sprinkle parsley on it. Pour all the butter and vegetables over everything and mix with your hands.

Now listen – pour in like a quarter cup of broth and mix. Grab some and squeeze it. Does it hold together? Cool. Falls apart? Add a tiny bit more. Feels wet? You messed up. I use maybe half to three-quarters of the cup. Stop when it barely sticks together.

Step 4: Shape the Stuffing Balls

Put parchment paper on your pan. Grab a handful and squeeze it really hard into a ball about baseball-sized. I mean really squeeze or it’s going to fall apart later. Put them on the pan with space between. Cover with foil.

They look rough at this stage, don’t worry about it.

Step 5: Bake and Brown to Perfection

Bake covered 30 minutes. Pull them out, flip each one carefully with a spatula. They’re kind of delicate so don’t throw them around. Cover again, bake 15 more minutes.

Take off the foil, flip them again, bake uncovered 10-15 minutes until they’re brown and crispy. That’s it.

You Must Know

Actually dry the bread. Like really dry. Not kind of dry. This is why everyone fails. If it’s still soft you’re getting mush. Give it a full day minimum, two or three is way better.

The broth thing will ruin you if you’re not careful. I’ve dumped entire batches in the trash because I got lazy and added too much. Once it’s wet you’re done, you can’t fix it. Start with way less than you think.

Personal Secret: I always make one ball first as a test. Squeeze it hard and see what happens. Falls apart? Add a splash more broth. Wet? I usually give up and order pizza. Has saved me so many times.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Be gentle the first time you flip them. They break easy before they’re done. Use a big spatula.
• Give them space on the pan or they won’t crisp up.
• Taste it before you make all the balls. Yeah the onion’s raw but you need to know about the salt now.
• Squeeze them tight when you shape them. This is where most people blow it. Really squeeze. Loose means broken.
• Just buy dried bread cubes if you don’t want to wait three days. Plain ones, not the seasoned mix.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Herb Lovers: Throw sage, thyme, rosemary in with the vegetables. More Thanksgiving-y.

Sausage Stuffing Balls: Brown some sausage and mix it in the bread. This is my go-to now.

Cranberry Twist: Toss in dried cranberries. Adds sweet bits.

Apple & Sage: Chop an apple tiny and add more sage.

Cheesy Upgrade: Mix in shredded cheese. Tastes insane.

Go Gourmet: Add mushrooms with the vegetables, splash of white wine in the broth.

Make-Ahead Options

Shape them all, put them on the pan, cover with plastic wrap, stick in the fridge up to a day. Bake when you want – add 5 minutes since they’re cold.

Freeze them? Shape the balls, freeze on the pan for a couple hours, move to a freezer bag. Keep 2 months. Bake from frozen, add 10-15 minutes.

Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. They get crispy again. Microwave works but no crunch.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Makes 8-10 depending how big you go. I do them around 3 inches.
• Best right out of the oven. Still fine the next day.
• If they’re getting too brown, throw foil over the tops.
• Crispy outside, soft inside. Not dry, not mushy.

Serving Suggestions

Throw them on a platter by the turkey. Put out gravy. People take one and pour gravy on it.

They’re fine with chicken or pork too, not just Thanksgiving.

I use a white platter and scatter some herbs around on holidays. Looks decent.

Nobody fights about portions with these. Just grab a ball and go.

How to Store Your Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls

Room temperature: Two hours max.

Refrigerator: Airtight container, 4 days.

Freezer: Container or bag, 2 months. Use parchment paper between them.

Reheating instructions: Oven 350°F for 10-15 minutes gets them crispy. Microwave 1-2 minutes if you’re rushed but no crisp. Add 5-10 minutes if frozen.

Allergy Information

Common allergens in this recipe:

• Gluten (bread)
• Dairy (butter)

Substitution suggestions:

• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread, dry it same way
• Dairy-free: Vegan butter or olive oil (different taste)
• Egg-free: No eggs here
• Vegetarian: Vegetable broth not chicken

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My stuffing balls fell apart when I flipped them – what did I do wrong?

Too dry so it didn’t stick, or you didn’t pack them tight. Squeeze them hard when you make them. Be gentle first time you flip them, they’re still setting.

Can I make these without butter?

Could use oil but butter’s the whole point. Vegan butter’s okay if you need dairy-free.

How do I know when I’ve added enough chicken broth?

Squeeze a handful. Sticks together? Good. Falls apart? More broth. Wet? Too much. Like meatballs. Start small, add slow.

Can I add sausage or other mix-ins?

Yeah. Sausage, mushrooms, cranberries, pecans, apples. Cook raw stuff first. Don’t go crazy, maybe a cup max or it gets too heavy.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! How’d they come out?