Need a simple side dish to pair with your turkey recipe this holiday? You'll love this easy Smoked Stuffing. It's a must-add to your Thanksgiving dinner, and just might be the best-tasting sausage stuffing you've ever tried.
It's no secret that stuffing is the star of most holiday dinners. But this year, it's time to take the homemade stuffing to a whole new level. Smoking it gives it extra smoky flavor, and it pairs perfectly with a smoked turkey, too.
With the holiday season approaching fast, now is the perfect time to add this smoked sausage stuffing to your holiday menu. Just be warned. It might even be more popular than the Thanksgiving turkey!
Be sure to try my Traeger Turkey Recipe and these Smoked Turkey Wings for a delicious pairing.
Ingredients
- Cornbread stuffing mix - Buy your favorite brand from the grocery store.
- Breakfast sausage - You can also use ground sausage.
- Celery - Clean and chop up before adding.
- Onion - I normally use yellow onions. Dice into similar-sized pieces as the celery.
- Fresh herbs - I like to add sage, rosemary, or thyme.
- Black pepper - For flavor.
- Salted butter - For richness.
- Chicken broth - Keeps the stuffing moist while adding flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Smoked Stuffing
Preheat the smoker to 325 degrees.
Step One: Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it into smaller pieces until browned and cooked through.
Step Two: Move the sausage to the edge of the pan. Add the onion and celery to the center.
Step Three: Cook until they are soft.
Step Four: Add the fresh herbs and seasonings. Mix well.
Step Five: In a bowl, combine the cornbread stuffing mix and the sausage mixture.
Step Six: Add the melted butter to the chicken broth and then pour over the stuffing. Stir until moistened.
Step Seven: Move everything to a greased smoker-safe baking dish.
Step Eight: Place in the smoker uncovered and cook until heated through and lightly browned on top.
Top tip
Keep an eye on the stuffing mixture in the Traeger grill. The top may brown quickly, and you may need to cover it with foil to stop it from browning too much. If it gets dry, simply drizzle with a little more chicken broth.
Substitutions
- Seasoning - You can season with anything that you want. You can use poultry seasoning or a mixture of fresh seasonings for added flavor.
- Chicken stock - If you don't have chicken broth for this stuffing recipe, you can use stock. If you don't have chicken broth, you can use chicken stock instead. They are interchangeable in most recipes.
Variations
- Onion - Use any type of onion you enjoy. Red onion, yellow onion, or white onion all work well.
- Meat - You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef for the sausage. You can also leave out the meat completely.
See this Cornbread Casserole for another great side dish option.
Equipment
To make this smoked stuffing, you'll need to have a mixing bowl, a smoker-safe dish, a spatula for stirring, a skillet for cooking the sausage and vegetables, and a smoker.
Storage
Once this smoked stuffing is done, let it cool slightly and refrigerate it in an airtight container within 2 hours. For the best results, reheat and eat within 2-3 days.
You can also freeze this mixture for later, but it may alter the texture a bit. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat, add a splash of chicken broth or a little butter to keep it moist. Warm it in the microwave or covered in the oven until heated through to 165°F.
Common Questions
You just need to keep an eye on it and not smoke it for longer than the recipe calls for. Adding the chicken broth should keep it from drying out as long as you follow the smoking time. If it looks dry, add a little more broth before serving.
You can, but for the best texture, I do think that fresh is best. If you are wanting to make this during the holiday season, cooking it in the smoker is a great way to free up oven space in the house for the other dishes. That way, you can cook it all at the same time to hopefully be ready for your holiday meal.
Turkey is my top pick, but a lot of people also really like to pair it with a little bit of cranberry sauce. That sweet and savory combination is a classic.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Smoked Stuffing
Ingredients
- 12 oz cornbread stuffing mix
- 12 oz breakfast sausage
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs sage, rosemary, or thyme, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups chicken broth plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 325°F.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.
- Add the celery, onion, and shallots. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the fresh herbs and black pepper.
- Place the cornbread stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Melt the butter and combine it with the chicken broth. Gradually pour over the stuffing, stirring gently until evenly moistened. Add more broth if needed.
- Transfer to a greased 3-quart smoker-safe baking dish.
- Place the dish on the smoker uncovered and cook for 35–45 minutes, until heated through and lightly golden on top.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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