One of the biggest challenges with putting together a Thanksgiving table is making sure everything is warm and ready at the same time. Learning how to make gluten-free stuffing in a slow cooker gives you more flexibility with timing your dishes, and this one stays warm for as long as needed, without competing for oven space.
In addition, there are several ingredients you can make or prepare ahead of the big day so that you can stress less and enjoy more over the holiday season!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This slow cooker stuffing recipe has been a favorite amongst guests regardless of whether they follow gluten-free diets. It has both tender and crispy parts but is never mushy.
The buttery herbal flavors in this stuffing are the perfect comfort food for a good holiday meal. If you happen to have any leftovers, it can easily be reheated in the microwave as an encore.
What is gluten-free stuffing made of?
This traditional gluten-free stuffing recipe is made of chopped vegetables, herbs, eggs, and your choice of bread. As you can see, all of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, except for the bread.
Fortunately, there are a lot of gluten-free bread options you can pick up at the grocery store. I recommend picking up two different types of bread, such as white bread and multi-grain bread, so that your stuffing will have a mix of taste and texture.
While many stuffing recipes will simply cube the bread to make stuffing, I recommend toasting them first to avoid mushy stuffing. For an easy way to do this, follow my recipe for how to make gluten-free croutons (a.k.a. dried bread cubes).
Is stuffing healthy?
This recipe is definitely healthier than a store-bought mix as it uses fresh vegetables, herbs, and other high-quality ingredients. The one ingredient that is not healthy is bread.
Bread is a processed food made with flour (gluten-free bread tends to be made with a rice flour blend), which converts to sugar very quickly after you eat it. Some breads also have a lot of added sugar.
For this reason, it's best to eat stuffing in moderation, after you've eaten a serving of green vegetables, as this helps to blunt glucose spikes.
Since stuffing tends to be eaten on special occasions only, don't stress about it not being the ideal food. Just be strategic about when you eat it and enjoy it!
If you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, you may decide it's best to skip eating stuffing entirely, so be sure you are making an informed decision about what to eat for Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredients
Fresh Ingredients
- White onion - if you don't have any white onions on hand, yellow onion can also work. To save time on the big day, I chop the onion a day or two in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Celery - I love the texture that celery adds to stuffing! I also chop the celery a day or two in advance.
- Curly leaf parsley - this has a stronger flavor than flat leaf parsley.
Dry Seasonings
To keep it simple, this recipe uses dried herbs instead of fresh herbs. Get some from a high-quality brand for maximum nutritional benefits.
- Dried sage
- Dried thyme
- Poultry seasoning
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Salt
Other Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - I recommend the Kerrygold Grass-Fed Pure Irish Butter that comes in paper-wrapped sticks. Each stick is equivalent to ½ cup of butter.
- Gluten-free croutons - the best gluten-free breads to use for croutons are your favorite ones. Whole grain breads tend to be much denser than white bread, so you may like using half and half for added variety and texture. You can either use store-bought croutons (which are dried bread cubes) or follow my recipe for how to make gluten-free croutons. I recommend making these croutons at least a day in advance. You will need 15 cups, which is approximately 2 loaves of bread.
- Chicken broth - I use the Kettle & Fire Classic Chicken Bone Broth because it has a higher protein content (10g), but you can use any low-sodium chicken broth.
- Large Eggs - I use the Vital Farms Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs for optimal nutrition content.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Chop the celery, onion, and parsley.
Step 2: Beat the eggs and combine the seasonings in a small container.
Step 3: In a large pot, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
Step 4: Sauté the vegetables until partially softened (about 10 minutes).
Step 5: Stir in seasonings.
Step 6: Add the breadcrumbs (½ at a time), then quickly toss to coat with the butter mixture.
Step 7: Add the beaten eggs and quickly toss before they cook.
Step 8: Add the chicken broth and toss again to evenly distribute.
Step 9: Make sure all of the ingredients are well combined. Do not over-mix as this can break up the bread cubes.
Step 10: Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Step 11: Place the lid on and set the timer for 4 hours on low heat setting. Gently stir after 1 hour and again after another 2 hours. This will ensure the moisture from the chicken broth remains evenly distributed.
You can leave the stuffing in the slow cooker for up to 4 hours in the "stay warm" setting before serving.
I hope you enjoy this homemade stuffing on Thanksgiving Day or any other special occasion you choose. Pair it with other cozy and simple side dishes such as my Crispy Tender Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower.
If you are also serving turkey, I highly recommend my Homemade Cranberry Sauce!
Substitutions
- If preferred, you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- If you want to skip the egg, go for it. The chicken broth will still help with binding the stuffing ingredients together, but the stuffing won't have as fluffy of a texture.
Equipment
For this recipe I used the KitchenAid KSC6223SS 6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid. You can easily find this on Amazon.
Storage
Leftover stuffing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes at a time.
Top tip
If you prefer a dryer stuffing, you can transfer the stuffing to a warming oven (170°F) and let it sit for 1-2 hours uncovered. This should create a slightly crispy texture on the bottom.
If your slow cooker pot is too big to fit into your oven space, transfer the stuffing into a large glass baking dish.
FAQ
Stuffing should have a combination of moist, tender, and somewhat crispy textures. If you prefer a softer stuffing, use more liquid, such as chicken broth.
Eggs are used as a binder to hold all of the stuffing ingredients together. It's the most effective binder for this type of recipe.
The main reason why stuffing can come out mushy is too much liquid. If this happens, you can dry out your cooked stuffing in the oven for 1-2 hours at 170°F. Depending on how wet your stuffing is, more time may be required. Alternatively, try increasing the temperature to 200°F.
Related
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with gluten-free stuffing:
Recipe
Gluten-Free Stuffing in a Slow Cooker
INGREDIENTS
Vegetables
- 2½ cups diced onion about 1 large onion
- 2½ cups diced celery
- ½ cup chopped curly leaf parsley
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon salt
Other Ingredients
- 3 sticks unsalted butter or 1½ cups
- 15 cups gluten-free croutons unseasoned
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, celery, and parsley, then sauté until partially softened (about 10 minutes).
- Stir in the seasonings.
- Add the breadcrumbs (½ at a time), then quickly toss to coat with the butter mixture.
- Add the beaten eggs and quickly toss before they cook.
- Add the chicken broth and toss again to evenly distribute. Make sure all of the ingredients are well combined. Tip: Do not over-mix as this can break up the bread cubes.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place the lid on and set the timer for 4 hours on low heat setting. Gently stir after 1 hour and again after another 2 hours. This will ensure the moisture from the chicken broth remains evenly distributed.Note: The stuffing can be left in the slow cooker using the "stay warm" setting for up to 4 hours before serving.
NOTES
- If you prefer a dryer stuffing, you can transfer the stuffing to a warming oven (170°F) and let it sit for 1-2 hours uncovered. This should create a slightly crispy texture on the bottom. If your slow cooker pot is too big to fit into your oven space, transfer the stuffing into a large glass baking dish.
- Leftover stuffing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
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