Instant Pot Stuffing

Made with sauteed celery and onions and cubed bread, this Instant Pot Stuffing is rich, buttery, and super easy to make.

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, you are going to love this recipe for what I call bread stuffing made in the Instant Pot.

This recipe has been inspired by my Papa's Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing, but instead of being baked in the oven, or stuffed into a turkey, this recipe is prepared in the Instant Pot and the results are spectacular.

Why You Will Love Instant Pot Stuffing

• Saves space in the oven. Even with two ovens, I have found myself running out of space to prepare a large Thanksgiving feast.
• Avoid food poisoning. When you stuff a turkey or chicken with stuffing, you must ensure that your stuffing reaches 165 degrees F, according to the USDA. By the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, the turkey will be WAY OVER cooked. And there is nothing much worse than an overcooked turkey.
• Incredibly moist. By using the moist heat of the instant pot, the stuffing turns out just as moist as if it were stuffed inside a bird.
• The flavor is incredible. This recipe for Instant Pot Stuffing may sacrifice oven space and is faster to prepare, but it is still is everything you want when it comes to bread stuffing. It is simple, yet perfect.

Notes on Ingredients & Equipment

• Bread: You can make stuffing with any bread you like, and this is a great time to use stale or dried out bread. I typically opt for white bread, as it reminds me of the stuffing served at my childhood Thanksgivings, and the mild flavor of the white bread does not overwhelm the delicate flavors in this recipe.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter, or a vegan butter substitute if you need your stuffing to be dairy-free. I don’t suggest using oil in place of the butter, as the results would be a bit greasy, and we want a rich, buttery stuffing.
• Celery & Onions: Not only will celery and onions add flavor to the stuffing, but they also will add texture to an otherwise softer dish.
• Seasonings: This recipe for stuffing is kept really simple and is only flavored with salt, pepper, and dried thyme leaves.
• Stock: Low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock is best for making stuffing. However, you can opt to use turkey stock if you have that on hand or even vegetable broth if you have vegetarians that will be enjoying this stuffing.
• 7-inch Heat-Safe Baking Dish: We are going to cook out stuffing using pot-in-pot, so you need to make sure you have either a 7-inch baking dish or bundt pan that fits inside your inner pot.

How to Make Stuffing in the Instant Pot

• Cube up your bread of choice into 1-inch cubes and place it onto a sheet pan.
• At this point, we need to dry out the bread so that it can absorb the butter and stock we will be adding the stuffing. To dry out the bread, you have two options. You can cover the sheet pan and with a clean kitchen towel and leave it out to dry overnight. Alternatively, you can toast the bread in a 350 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes to dry out.
• Once the bread is dried out, turn the Instant Pot to saute.
• Add in the butter to the inner pot and let it melt.
• Once the butter has melted, add in the diced celery and onion and saute the mixture until the onions begin to soften.
• Once the onion becomes slightly translucent, add in the salt, pepper, and dried thyme leaves and saute for just a minute or two longer to toast the spices. Then turn the saute function off.

• Add in 1 cup of stock into the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. Even though we are not cooking our stuffing directly in the inner pot, we want those browned bits off the bottom because they will add flavor to the overall stuffing and it will prevent a burn notice, that can happen even when cooking pot-in-pot with a dirty inner pot.
• Add in the cubed, dried bread and give everything a good stir, adding more liquid if needed until the cubed bread is fully moistened. How much stock you need will really depend on how your bread is dried out, you want your bread to be fully moist, but not soggy. I typically use 1 ½ to 2 cups of stock.

• Once combined, transfer the stuffing into a greased 7-inch baking dish.

• Cover the pan tightly with foil.
• Pour 1.5 cups of cold water into the inner pot of the instant pot. No need to wash out the inner pot at this time.
• Place the metal rack or trivet in the inner pot and then place the pan on the rack.
• Place the lid on the inner pot, and be sure the vent is sealed.
• Set the cooking time to 20 minutes on high pressure if using a cake pan, or 15 minutes on high pressure if using a bundt pan.
• Once the cooking time has elapsed, you can immediately release pressure by turning the vent knob from sealed to venting, or you can allow the pressure to release naturally on its own. This is one recipe it really doesn’t make much difference.
• Remove the stuffing from the Instant Pot and remove the foil.

• At this point, the stuffing is rather moist, which is exactly as it would be if it was stuffed in a turkey. However, if you like crispy, browned bits on your stuffing, pop the pan of stuffing under a preheated broiler for a few minutes, until golden. Alternatively, use an air fryer lid to brown the stuffing.

Storage Instructions

Before storing leftover stuffing, allow it to cool slightly. Cover your baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap or transfer the leftover stuffing to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.

Step-By-Step Video

If you learn better through video and visual presentation, be sure to check out my YouTube video for Instant Pot Stuffing.

More Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes

• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Green Beans
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

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If you made this recipe for Instant Pot Stuffing, be sure to leave a comment and review below.