Thanksgiving Stuffing with Bacon

5 from 29 votes
28 Comments

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Bacon Stuffing is the perfect side dish that will quickly become a Thanksgiving tradition! The secret is frying the bacon first so you can cook the veggies in the bacon grease.

Hand holding a wooden spoon with scoop on Bacon Stuffing.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Bacon Stuffing
  2. What kind of bread is best for stuffing?
  3. Ingredients in this Bacon Stuffing Recipe
  4. Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
  5. Recipe Tip – Cook Bacon Ahead
  6. Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Stuffing with Bacon
  7. More Thanksgiving Recipes
  8. How to Make Bacon Stuffing
  9. Thanksgiving Stuffing with Bacon Recipe

Bacon Stuffing

Forget about the stuff you buy in the box, this should be a new holiday tradition. I have used sausage in dressings and stuffings before, but this is the first time I’ve tried bacon. It took me about 30 minutes to prep, and then it went right in the oven. It made the whole house smell incredible. If you like to stuff your Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing, this is the perfect stuffing to use! The bacon will add so much flavor to your turkey!

A big thanks to Katelyn Walker, Emily’s sister-in-law, for this homemade stuffing recipe. It is a family recipe handed down to her from her Grandma Jolly.



What kind of bread is best for stuffing?

You can use pre-made bread cubes, but fresh french bread just tastes so good, and you can get it really cheap at the grocery store. It only took me a few minutes to cube it myself. What makes this recipe so flavorful is sautéing the celery and onions in the leftover bacon grease, so make sure you don’t throw it away. If you are crunched for time on Thanksgiving Day, you can make this the night before. Cover the cooled dressing with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. You can also store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Ingredients in this Bacon Stuffing Recipe

  • Loaf of French bread
  • Bacon
  • Celery Stalks – chopped
  • Onion – chopped
  • Sage
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chicken Broth (or Chicken Stock or low-sodium Chicken Broth)

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions

  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Poultry Seasoning
Ingredients to make Bacon Stuffing including bacon, celery, French bread, chicken broth, onion and sage.

Recipe Tip – Cook Bacon Ahead

A little bacon tip is to make the bacon ahead of time and freeze it until ready to add to the stuffing, but make sure to save some bacon grease for sautéing the vegetables. You can fry the bacon in a large skillet or bake it in the oven. Spread a sheet of tin foil over a cookie sheet and add the slices of bacon. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Let the bacon cool, and place it in a resealable freezer bag.

Wooden spoon resting in a casserole dish of Bacon Stuffing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Stuffing with Bacon

Is Bacon Good in Stuffing?

Yes! It gives the stuffing so much flavor! You have to put this Bacon Stuffing on your Thanksgiving menu this year. It is unbelievably good!

What is traditional stuffing made of?

Traditional or original stuffing is made of bread or bread cubes, celery, onion, butter, and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme.

What can I add to stuffing?

Stuffing is a mixture that serves as the perfect base for getting a little innovative in the kitchen and adjusting to your liking. In our recipe, we use bacon and bacon drippings. Some people may go a different route, dicing granny smith apples and putting them in the stuffing, or adding garlic cloves. Stuffing is basic yet versatile, get creative!

Large bowl with Bacon Stuffing and serving spoon.

Read More: 25+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Complement Your Turkey

More Thanksgiving Recipes

What’s Thanksgiving without the stuffing? And what goes better with stuffing than cranberry sauce? Check out some of our favorite stuffing and cranberry sauce recipes below.

If you are serving anyone with a gluten allergy for Thanksgiving dinner, we also have a Gluten-Free Stuffing recipe that is delicious. Be sure to see more of our favorite Thanksgiving Recipes, including appetizers, salads, more side dishes, and, of course, turkey, and gravy.

How to Make Bacon Stuffing

Hand holding a wooden spoon with scoop on Bacon Stuffing.

Thanksgiving Stuffing with Bacon

5 from 29 votes
Bacon Stuffing is the perfect side dish that will quickly become a Thanksgiving tradition! The secret is frying the bacon first so you can cook the veggies in the bacon grease.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Video

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Casserole dish

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cut the french bread into 1-inch cubes and put in a large bowl.
    Cutting board with cubed pieces of French bread.
  • Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook in a skillet. Drain the bacon, but DO NOT throw away the grease. Add the bacon to the bread pieces.
    Paper towel with chopped cooked bacon with tongs next to skillet with bacon grease.
  • Sauté the celery and onions in the leftover bacon grease. Drain excess grease.
    Skillet with diced celery and onion. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Mix the celery and onions into the bacon and bread.
    Mixing bowl with cubed bread, bacon, cooked celery and onion.
  • Add sage, salt and pepper.
    Seasoning on top of mixing bowl of bread, celery, onion and bacon.
  • Add 1-2 cups of chicken broth, depending on how moist you like the stuffing. Stir until well combined.
    Pouring chicken broth on top of bowl of cubed bread, bacon, celery and onion mixture.
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 dish and bake covered for 30 minutes.
    Baking dish with unbaked bacon stuffing. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes.
    Baking dish with Bacon Stuffing.

Notes

Cooked stuffing will last 3-4 days, covered, in the fridge. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 262.52kcalCarbohydrates: 20.85gProtein: 9.08gFat: 15.74gSaturated Fat: 5.22gCholesterol: 24.95mgSodium: 578.42mgPotassium: 205.99mgFiber: 1.22gSugar: 1.55gVitamin A: 89.57IUVitamin C: 3.94mgCalcium: 28.84mgIron: 1.51mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Spanish Fork, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising. She has four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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5 from 29 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Though i haven’t made it yet (have to buy ingredients) i want to make it for my husband because this dish is a bit different from the regular stuffing we occasionally have during Thanksgiving and it’s almost that time. And for some sweet/sour dish i will also make some of the cranberry/raspberry/orange, etc. i saw. Yum yum!

  2. Once everything is combined, can it be cooked in a crock pot? And if so, for how long and on what temperature? Thank you

  3. 5 stars
    Our family has done our Thanksgiving stuffing for 4 generations with bacon. We also add black olives to it. I have used toasted white and wheat bread as well as seasoned bread crumbs. Cornbread is another option, but I prefer the bread. It is always a hit.

  4. 5 stars
    Bacon is seriously the best thing ever and I love the sound of this bacon stuffing with a little sage! The ingredients all seem really simple which is great!! I can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks

  5. 5 stars
    Bacon in stuffing? Yes please! This looks so delicious and flavorful. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving now.

  6. I need to make this the night before. Do I complete the full cooking before cooling and refrigerating or do I complete prep up to #8 (blend ingredients), refrigerate and cook the next day? Thank you for your time.

    1. I would combine everything except the chicken broth and refrigerate it overnight. Add the chicken broth right before you put it in the oven the next day. Hope this helps!

      1. This is my first time hosting Thanksgiving and I’m excited to try this recipe! I have one question that may be a little silly: do you put the stuffing already made inside the turkey when cooking the turkey? If so, do you cook the bacon completely or do you cook it half way and let it cook completely on e inside the turkey?

        1. In my experience you want to prepare the stuffing completely before putting it inside the turkey. Since it will be covered by the turkey the bacon shouldn’t burn or anything, so cook it all the way before.