Holiday

Stuffing vs. Dressing: What’s the Difference?

Plus recipes and tips on how to make the best versions of both types of this Thanksgiving side dish.

By Published Nov. 27, 2019

Visit our comprehensive Thanksgiving Guide to find all the recipes, tips, videos, and reviews you’ll need for a successful, stress-free holiday.

What's Thanksgiving without a good-natured food debate? Some people swear by dark meat and others sit firmly in the white meat camp. Some people favor apple pie over pecan, or fluffy dinner rolls over cornbread. And then there’s the linguistic dispute, pitting those who call it “stuffing” against those who call it “dressing.” Here’s what you need to know before taking a side.

Stuffing

Where you find it: Across the United States
Traditionally made with: Sandwich bread, but Italian, French, and sourdoughs are also common, and sometimes cornbread

To many people, “stuffing” indicates it was cooked inside the turkey, but to those who grew up eating it, stuffing is the name of this bread-laden side dish no matter if it’s prepared inside or outside of the bird.

How to Make the Best Stuffing

Cook It Outside the Bird: We’ve found that you’re more likely to overcook the turkey by the time you bring the stuffing up to a food-safe temperature of 160 degrees.
Don’t Substitute Stale Bread for Oven-Dried: If your recipe calls for oven-dried bread, stale bread is not a good substitute: The stuffing will be too wet. (Read more about how we came to this conclusion.)
Brown the Butter for Richer Flavor: Butter cooked until the water evaporates and the solid milk proteins turn brown adds deep, nutty flavor to recipes.

Recipe

Dressing

Where you find it: Throughout the South, in parts of the Midwest, and in a few corners of New England
Traditionally made with: Crackers, biscuits, or cornbread

If you grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line, there’s a good chance you’re firmly in the “dressing” camp. You may think of oysters as an ingredient solely in Southern-style dressing, but historically, they were used in dishes all along the eastern coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine, which includes many states that refer to the side dish as stuffing.

How to Make the Best Dressing

Toast Crackers to Prevent Sogginess: Are you preparing a cracker-based dressing? We found that toasting the crackers in the oven before crushing them kept them from going soggy, leaving a solid base for aromatics and meat.
Start with Smaller Biscuits: Biscuit interiors are so fluffy that they practically dissolve when moistened. Making 1-inch biscuits—as opposed to full-size—creates firmer biscuits with browned edges, which can stand up better to the liquid.
Make Your Own Cornbread: Don’t be tempted by the convenience of prepared cornbread or boxed mixes. These sugary, cakey products often yield sweet, mushy dressing.