Stuffing Recipe: Classic Sage and Onion Stuffing for Roast Dinners

A classic stuffing recipe is the heart of a British roast dinner. Sage and onion stuffing is soft in the middle, crisp at the edges and packed with herby, savoury flavour, and it soaks up gravy beautifully. It is also easy to make ahead, which takes some of the pressure off the big day.

This guide shows you how to make a reliable sage and onion stuffing with sausagemeat, how to keep it moist, how to add variations and how to store it. When you are done, serve it with our pigs in blankets and a rich cranberry sauce.

What is stuffing?

Stuffing is a savoury mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, onions and fat, traditionally cooked inside a bird, hence the name. Today, many cooks bake it separately in a tin or dish, which gives crisp edges and makes it easier to serve.

Sage and onion is the classic British flavour combination, usually served with turkey, chicken or pork. Adding sausagemeat makes it richer and more satisfying.

Ingredients for this stuffing recipe

This stuffing recipe serves eight people as a side and fits a 20 cm square tin.

• 50 g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300 g sausagemeat (or 6 sausages, skins removed)
• 150 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt and black pepper

How to make stuffing step by step

1. Soften the onions. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onions gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Cool completely.
2. Mix. In a large bowl, combine the onions, sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, sage, thyme and lemon zest. Season generously.
3. Bind. Add the egg and enough stock to bind the mixture so it holds together without being wet.
4. Shape. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5). Grease the tin, press in the mixture and smooth the top.
5. Bake. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges and cooked through in the centre. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.

Making your own breadcrumbs

Fresh breadcrumbs are easy to make. Take a few slices of day-old white bread, remove the crusts if you like a softer stuffing, and blitz them in a food processor until fine. Bread that is a day or two old gives a better texture than a fresh, soft loaf.

For a crisper stuffing, spread the crumbs on a tray and dry them in a low oven for 10 minutes before mixing. Packet breadcrumbs work in an emergency, but use a little more stock, since they absorb more liquid.

Tips for the best stuffing recipe

• Cool the onions before mixing. Hot onions cook the egg and make the stuffing grainy.
• Use fresh breadcrumbs for a soft stuffing, or dry them out in a low oven for a firmer one.
• Use fresh herbs if you can. Sage is the star, and fresh sage has a more rounded flavour.
• Do not overmix. Combine just until everything holds together.
• Use a shallow tin so more surface can crisp up.

Cooking stuffing inside the bird or separately

Traditionally, stuffing goes inside the cavity of the bird. This infuses the stuffing with the cooking juices, but it can slow the cooking and make it harder to cook the bird evenly. Cooking stuffing separately is safer and gives a crisper result.

If you do stuff the bird, do not pack it tightly, and make sure everything is piping hot all the way through before serving. Many cooks do both, stuffing the neck end of the bird and baking the rest in a tin.

Getting the seasoning right

Stuffing needs generous seasoning, because breadcrumbs soften salt and pepper. If you are worried, fry a small spoonful of the mixture in a pan, taste it and adjust before baking. Remember that sausagemeat is already salted, so go easy at first and add more after tasting.

Common stuffing problems and fixes

The stuffing is dry. Add a little more stock or melted butter next time, and cover the tin with foil for the first 20 minutes.

It is soggy. The mixture had too much liquid. Use less stock, and cool the onions fully before adding.

It falls apart. It needs more binder. Add an extra beaten egg or a spoonful more stock.

The top burns. Cover loosely with foil and move the tin down a shelf.

Stuffing variations

• Chestnut: add 100 g chopped cooked chestnuts.
• Apple and cranberry: stir in a grated apple and 50 g dried cranberries.
• Bacon: add 100 g chopped crispy bacon.
• Vegetarian: replace the sausagemeat with sautéed mushrooms and walnuts.
• Gluten-free: use gluten-free bread for the crumbs.

Make ahead, storing and freezing

Make the mixture up to a day ahead, cover it and keep it in the fridge, then bake on the day. You can also bake it completely and reheat it in a hot oven for 15 minutes.

To freeze, shape the mixture into a tin, wrap it well and freeze for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before baking. Cooked stuffing keeps in the fridge for three days.

What to serve with stuffing

Stuffing is a natural partner for roast turkey, chicken, pork or gammon. Serve it with roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and cranberry sauce. Leftover stuffing is also excellent in a sandwich with cold meat, or crumbled over a leftover chicken pie.

Final thoughts

This stuffing recipe is simple, reliable and endlessly adaptable. Cook the onions gently, bind the mixture carefully and bake it until golden, and it will be a star of any roast. For the history of the dish, see this overview of stuffing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make stuffing ahead of time?

Yes. Prepare the mixture a day ahead and bake it on the day, or freeze it unbaked for up to a month.

Should stuffing be cooked inside the turkey?

It is safer and crispier to cook it separately. If you stuff the bird, make sure the stuffing is piping hot throughout.

Can I use dried herbs in stuffing?

Yes. Use about a third of the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh, such as 2 tsp dried sage.

How do I make stuffing vegetarian?

Replace the sausagemeat with mushrooms, chestnuts or walnuts and use vegetable stock.