Alton Brown’s Turkey Stuffing

Good Eats expert Alton Brown teaches us the right way to cook stuffing inside a Thanksgiving turkey.

Good Eats expert Alton Brown teaches us the right way to cook stuffing inside a Thanksgiving turkey.

To stuff or not to stuff? In this episode of Good Eats, Alton Brown shows us (the somewhat controversial) method to moist Thanksgiving stuffing cooked inside the bird.

Cooking Thanksgiving stuffing inside the turkey is an often-debated topic. There are some who think it is sacrilege to cook the stuffing within, and there are some die-hard enthusiasts to the stuffed-bird method.

So which is actually correct? The answer is: EITHER! It all depends on how you want to cook your bird and the flavor of stuffing you desire.

Alton Brown brings us closer to an answer by exploring the science behind cooking a moist, delicious stuffing, and showing us a technique that ensures that your stuffing won’t be dry.

The Good Eats expert shows us a simple, no-frills Thanksgiving stuffing recipe that is sure to please the hungry masses—as well as soak up all the delicious juices from the turkey.

Alton Brown uses an ingenious method to ensure a moist stuffing. He employs a reusable cotton bag to encase the stuffing and protect it from overcooking and drying out. The bag also makes for easy (and safe) removal of the stuffing for serving.

If you’re aiming for a Thanksgiving stuffing that has more frills, like the addition of sausage or bacon, you might want to consider cooking the stuffing outside the bird. The trickiest part of cooking stuffing within the Thanksgiving turkey is making sure that both are done at the same time, and the addition of meat into that mix can make it difficult.

Alton Brown’s Turkey Stuffing Ingredients:

  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 ounces dried mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 3 cups Challah bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 4 ounces unsweetened dried cherries (approx. 1 cup)
  • 2 ounces chopped pecans (approx. ½ cup)
  • 2 whole eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

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