I Tried 5 Popular Stuffing Mixes—This Is the One I'll Be Buying From Now On

At some point this holiday season, you will think about stuffing. Whether it’s eating it or making it, that notable side dish made of nearly 100 percent bread will enter your consciousness. And like a commercial with a good jingle, you won’t be able to get it out of your head. The only thing to do then will be to make some. You could make your own—we’ve got plenty of great recipes—or you can save yourself some time and grab a premade mix. Not sure which one is the best? We weren’t either, so we set out to try a few. Here are the results.

How We Chose the Stuffing Mixes

We selected only stuffing mixes available nationwide, and in the spirit of fairness, we skipped anything labeled “cornbread.” We also chose stuffing mixes of the “herb” variety to compare brands on a level playing field.

How We Tested the Stuffing Mixes

All of the mixes were prepared following package directions. If other ingredients were listed, we used the same brand/type throughout. For example, many called for butter, so we used the same brand of unsalted butter in each recipe. The stuffings were portioned into bowls and sampled blindly to prevent any bias. We judged stuffings by flavor, texture, and visual appeal.

The Best Store-Bought Stuffing Mixes, Ranked

5th Place: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Stuffing Mix

Sara Haas

The Trader Joe’s stuffing was easy enough to make, but the results were sub-par. Not only was the texture extremely soft to the point of mushy, but the flavor was so intensely “not good” and “unidentifiable” that taking a second bite was barely tolerable. While I normally love Trader Joe’s products, this one was a big miss, but I’m open to trying their cornbread version, which I hear is quite delicious.

4th Place: Stove Top Savory Herbs Stuffing Mix

Sara Haas

Stove Top is the classic stuffing mix of everyone’s childhood. It looks pretty—probably the best-looking of the bunch—and the texture is light and soft, not wet or mushy. This version was flavorful, perhaps from the 500 milligrams of sodium per half-cup serving, but the herbs felt subtle and somewhat unidentifiable. It was a fine stuffing mix but not as good as others on the list.

3rd Place: Whole Food’s 365 Organic Traditional Stuffing Mix

Sara Haas

This was perhaps the least attractive of all of the stuffing mixes. The shredded appearance wasn’t much to look at but the texture was nice. Overall, the mix needed some help with flavor. It was salty, but also bland, perhaps designed for a full turkey meal versus eating as a stand-alone dish. I don’t think all hope is lost here though. Adding some sautéed garlic, onions and celery along with some chopped parsley may be just enough to save it.

2nd Place: Brownberry Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing

Sara Haas

This stuffing mix barely landed in the second spot since it was nearly just as enjoyable as the winner. The cubes were perfectly bite-sized and maintained their texture even after a good soaking in broth and butter. I loved the addition of celery and onion, which made the dish feel more homemade than the bottom three on this list. It was a bit on the salty side, which is the only reason it landed in second, not first, place.

1st Place Winner: Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing

Sara Haas

It was almost impossible to choose the winner, but Pepperidge Farm eked out the first place ranking thanks to perfect scores for texture, flavor and appearance. I loved the cubed bread pieces that held their shape once combined with liquid – remaining fluffy and perfectly moist, even after baking. The stuffing also delivered big flavor, but sans excessive salt. The sauteed onion and celery, along with chicken broth pulled it all together, creating a side dish worthy of a spot on your holiday table or really, any weeknight meal.

How to Level Up Your Store-Bought Stuffing Mix

Cook It in Stock Instead of Water

The instructions on most packages of stuffing mix will tell you to cook the bread cubes and seasonings with water as the moisture element. While that tactic works in a practical sense, it also deprives you of the opportunity to add extra flavor. Instead, we recommend replacing the water (or doing a 50/50 split) with chicken stock, turkey stock, or vegetable stock. These cooking liquids will result in a richer, bolder, and all-around better stuffing.

Mix in Sautéed Vegetables and Protein

The seasoning packets included with stuffing mixes will give you a mixture of dried spices, but they won’t contain anything that adds more textural intrigue to your stuffing. That’s why it’s smart to sauté some onions and celery (along with any other vegetables you enjoy, like mushrooms) in butter and stir the cooked vegetables into the stuffing mix. To make your stuffing even heartier, also consider cooking up some sweet Italian sausage (whether meat-based or plant-based) and mixing that in.

Bake It in the Oven (Or Inside the Bird)

A common complaint about store-bought stuffing mix involves its texture; some detractors claim that this product can feel mushy after it’s cooked. Scooping the stuffing into a baking dish and letting it crisp up in the oven will eliminate that issue and create a side dish with top-notch textural contrast. Or use it to stuff your turkey.

Add Some Fresh Herbs

Dried herbs can certainly be useful when you need to add concentrated flavor to a recipe, but fresh herbs bring a clean and lively presence to store-bought stuffing mixes that can’t be replaced. A light dusting of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme before serving your stovetop stuffing or placing your baking dish of stuffing in the oven will take said stuffing to the next level for very little expense and effort.

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