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This crockpot stuffing recipe takes a simple boxed stuffing mix and turns it into something that tastes completely homemade. Savory sausage, buttery sautéed onion and celery, rich broth, milk and egg make it moist, flavorful and worthy of the Thanksgiving table—all without taking up precious oven space.
This is basically the ultimate doctored-up boxed stuffing: all the ease of a shortcut with the rich, savory flavor of homemade. Browning the sausage and sautéing the vegetables in butter before they hit the slow cooker makes all the difference. Then everything cooks low and slow while you focus on the turkey, rolls and everything else fighting for oven space.
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Stuffing
- Boxed stuffing that tastes homemade: Sausage, buttery vegetables, broth, milk and egg completely transform a simple stuffing mix.
- No dried bread required: You get the flavor and texture of homemade stuffing without cubing and drying loaves of bread.
- Rich and savory: Browning the sausage and sautéing the onion and celery in butter builds flavor before anything hits the slow cooker.
- Saves precious oven space: The entire stuffing cooks in the crockpot while your turkey, rolls and casseroles take over the oven.
- Perfect for the holidays: Make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then keep it warm right in the slow cooker until dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This stuffing comes together with simple, familiar ingredients that work together to create something special.
- Ground sausage: Adds savory flavor, richness and plenty of seasoning. We love it for making boxed stuffing taste homemade.
- Celery: Adds a little texture and that classic savory stuffing flavor.
- Onion: Sautéed in butter until tender to create a sweet, flavorful base.
- Butter: Adds richness and gives the vegetables and stuffing that essential buttery flavor.
- Better Than Bouillon + hot water: Creates a deeply flavored chicken broth without opening a carton. Regular chicken broth works too.
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness for a softer, more luxurious stuffing.
- Egg: Binds everything together and gives the stuffing structure as it cooks.
- Stuffing mix: The shortcut that makes this recipe so easy. We love Kinder’s stuffing mix for its seasoning and texture, but another similar dry stuffing mix will work.
Simple ingredients, big results. Measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Crockpot Stuffing
This recipe is as easy as it gets, and after browning the sausage and sautéing the vegetables, the slow cooker takes over. That leaves you free to focus on the turkey and homemade rolls.
- Prep: Grease a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker well and set aside.
- Brown: Cook the ground sausage in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, then drain the grease and transfer to a plate.
- Sauté: Melt the butter in the same skillet, add the celery and onion, and cook until tender and the onion is translucent.
- Combine: Add the vegetables, sausage, broth, milk and egg to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Fold: Gently fold in the stuffing mix until evenly moistened, then cover with the lid.
- Cook: Cook on high for 30 minutes, then reduce to low and cook for an additional 3 to 4 hours until hot and cooked through.
- Hold: If the stuffing finishes before your meal is ready, switch the slow cooker to the warm setting until it is time to serve.
With the slow cooker doing the cooking, the result is a stuffing that is moist, flavorful, and ready right when you need it.
How to Keep Crockpot Stuffing From Getting Soggy
The key to stuffing that is moist but not soggy is to use the exact amount of liquid called for and gently fold in the stuffing mix without overmixing. It may look slightly dry at first, but resist adding more broth—the bread continues absorbing liquid as it cooks.
Remember that slow cookers trap steam, so avoid leaving the finished stuffing covered on warm for hours. That trapped condensation can eventually make the stuffing too soft.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms with the onion and celery for an earthy, savory addition.
- Cranberries: Add chopped fresh cranberries for tartness and a sweet-savory contrast. Dried cranberries also work great!
- Nuts: Pecans or walnuts add great crunch.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley, sage, thyme or rosemary can boost the traditional Thanksgiving flavor.
- Water chestnuts: Add them for extra crunch.
What to Serve with Crockpot Stuffing
This stuffing was made to share the table with all your favorite holiday classics. Pair it with The Best Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Turkey Gravy, Glazed Carrots, or Classic Green Bean Casserole for a spread that has everything you need.
Can I Make Crockpot Stuffing Ahead of Time?
If you’ve actually tested assembling this ahead, I’d include your tested method. If you haven’t, I’d be conservative: brown the sausage and sauté the vegetables a day ahead, refrigerate them, then assemble and cook the stuffing on Thanksgiving Day.
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers store beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm it in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between. Alternatively heat it back up in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of turkey or chicken stock to bring back the moisture.
This stuffing also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Crockpot Stuffing Troubleshooting
Your slow cooker may be holding more moisture than ours. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15–30 minutes so some of the excess moisture can evaporate. Gently fluff the stuffing rather than stirring aggressively.
Slow cookers vary, and yours may cook hotter. Add warm chicken or turkey broth a few tablespoons at a time, gently folding it in until the stuffing reaches your preferred consistency.
Your slow cooker is probably running hot. Reduce the heat to low sooner, and check the stuffing before the full cooking time has elapsed. Make sure the crockpot was well greased before adding the stuffing.
Too much liquid or overmixing can break down the stuffing mix. Fold everything together gently and stop as soon as the bread is evenly moistened.
Switch the slow cooker to warm. If you’re holding it for more than a short time, check it occasionally and add a splash of warm broth if it begins to dry out.
The stuffing should be hot throughout and the liquid should be absorbed. Because this recipe contains egg and sausage, the center should reach 165°F before serving.
If there is one thing I do not need on Thanksgiving, it’s another dish fighting for oven space! This crockpot stuffing recipe has become one of my favorite holiday shortcuts because it starts with a simple stuffing mix but tastes so much more homemade. It’s buttery, loaded with sausage and packed with all those classic holiday flavors, and everyone goes back for seconds. Easy, delicious, and one less thing to worry about on the big day—that’s a win!
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Watch How This Recipe is Made
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