Dill Pickle Stuffing

Chopped dill pickles, a splash of their brine, and a good handful of fresh dill give this dill pickle stuffing a sharp, briny lift that cuts through a rich holiday plate. Underneath it is a classic baked bread stuffing: oven-dried sourdough or sturdy white bread, onion and celery softened in butter, poultry seasoning, and a broth-and-egg mixture to bind it. It bakes in a 9×13 dish, covered and then uncovered, so the inside stays moist and the top turns crisp. It serves about 10.

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Is This a Traditional Stuffing?

No. Pickles aren’t part of any regional American stuffing tradition. This dill pickle stuffing is a creative take for people who love dill pickles, built on a standard Thanksgiving-style bread stuffing so it still goes with turkey, gravy, and the usual sides. The pickle flavor is noticeable but not overpowering; the dill and pickle juice read as bright and tangy rather than sour. Because it bakes in a dish rather than inside a bird, some cooks would call it dressing. The recipe is the same either way.

Bread, Pickles, and Liquid

The bread

A 1-pound loaf of sturdy sourdough or a firm sandwich-style white bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes gives about 10 to 11 cups, which fills a 9×13 dish without heaping. Soft, squishy bread turns to paste. Cut the cubes by hand and don’t worry if they are uneven; the ragged edges brown nicely. Drying them in a 300°F oven for 25 to 35 minutes is more reliable than leaving them out overnight. They should feel dry and crisp all the way through but stay mostly pale.

The pickles

Use refrigerated or shelf-stable dill pickles (not sweet bread-and-butter pickles) and chop them finely, about 1/4 inch, so each spoonful gets a little rather than a big chunk. Drain the chopped pickles in a sieve and press lightly. Extra brine makes the bottom of the dish soggy, and the recipe already measures in 1/4 cup of pickle juice for flavor.

The liquid and the salt

Broth, pickle juice, and two eggs add up to a little over 2 cups of liquid for 10 cups of dry bread. That’s enough to moisten every cube without making the stuffing wet. Pour it in gradually and stop when the cubes look damp but there is no liquid pooling in the bowl. Pickles, pickle juice, broth, and salted butter all bring salt, so the 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe is optional. Taste the cooked vegetable mixture before the eggs go in and add it only if needed.

Putting It Together

1. Dry the bread cubes at 300°F, then raise the oven to 350°F and butter the baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion and celery until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the pickles, dill, parsley, poultry seasoning, thyme, and pepper.
3. Toss the vegetable mixture with the bread in your largest bowl so the butter coats the cubes.
4. Whisk the eggs, broth, and pickle juice and pour it over the bread in three additions, tossing gently after each one. Let it stand 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
5. Spread the mixture loosely in the dish without pressing it down. Packed stuffing bakes dense and gummy.

6. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is golden and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 165°F. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

Holiday Timeline

Counting the bread drying, the whole recipe takes about 1 hour 50 minutes, but most of that is hands-off oven time, and it can be split across days:

• Up to 2 days ahead: Dry the bread cubes, cool completely, and store them in a sealed bag at room temperature.
• Up to 1 day ahead: Assemble the stuffing in the buttered dish, cover, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the refrigerator, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the covered time, and still check for 165°F in the center.
• On the day: It bakes at 350°F, which fits alongside most side dishes. If the turkey is resting, slide the stuffing in then.

Food Safety

Bake this in a dish rather than inside the turkey. Stuffing inside a bird has to reach 165°F at its center too, and by the time it does, the breast meat is usually overcooked. The raw eggs in the mixture are another reason to check the center temperature rather than relying on a golden top.

What to Serve It With

It belongs with roast turkey or chicken and gravy, and it pairs well with other fall sides like these twice-baked sweet potatoes with sausage and sage. Start the meal with something from our list of fall soup recipes, or find more starters and sides among the appetizers.

Storing and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover dill pickle stuffing within 2 hours of baking, covered, for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a covered dish at 350°F with a few tablespoons of broth sprinkled over the top until hot in the center (165°F), about 20 minutes; uncover for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the top. Baked stuffing freezes for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Common Questions

Q: Can I use store-bought dried bread cubes?
A: Yes. Use about 10 cups of plain, unseasoned cubes and skip the drying step. Seasoned cubes add a lot of salt.

Q: Will it taste strongly of pickles?
A: It tastes clearly tangy and dill-forward, but the butter, onion, and poultry seasoning keep it recognizably stuffing. For a milder version, use 3/4 cup of pickles and skip the pickle juice, adding the same amount of broth instead.

Q: Can I make it vegetarian?
A: Yes. Use low-sodium vegetable broth. Most poultry seasoning is a blend of dried herbs with no poultry in it, but check the label.

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