Sure, Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. But in some households, its bready BFF is just as important. Yeah, we’re talking about stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer). You could go the route of baking, cubing and toasting your famous cornbread to make dressing from scratch…or you could use a store-bought stuffing mix to make your life easier. (Come on, you’re already cooking a whole bird, mashed potatoes and two types of pie—why torture yourself?) Read on for ten of the best boxed stuffings you can buy, whether you’re looking for one that’s gluten-free or one that comes together in minutes on the stove.
The 10 Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes to Serve for the Holidays
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Published Oct 24, 2022
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Taryn Pire
The Best Boxed Stuffing Mixes, at a Glance:
Scroll down for in-depth reviews of each.
- Best Boxed Stuffing Mix Overall: Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
- Best Flavor: Williams-Sonoma Organic Classic French Bread Stuffing Mix
- Best Boxed Stuffing Mix to Dress Up: Arnold Premium Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
- Best Boxed Stuffing Mix for In-Bird Roasting: Martin’s Potatobred Stuffing
- Best Stovetop Boxed Stuffing Mix: Kraft Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix
- Best Whole-Grain Boxed Stuffing Mix: Thrive Market Organic Whole-Grain Savory Herb Stuffing Mix
- Best Boxed Cornbread Stuffing Mix: Trader Joe's Cornbread Stuffing Mix
- Best Gluten-Free Boxed Stuffing Mix: Aleia’s Gluten-Free Plain Stuffing
- Best Boxed Stuffing Mix for Serving a Crowd: Bell’s Traditional Stuffing
- Best Value Boxed Stuffing Mix: ALDI Chef’s Cupboard Cornbread Stuffing Mix
The Methodology
Before we get into our top picks, here’s how we determined the best boxed stuffing for every need:
- Value: Is it worth the money for how it tastes and what’s in it?
- Ease of Use: How easy is it to prepare? Are there any fussy ingredients or instructions compared to other boxed stuffings?
- Quality: Are the ingredients high quality? Is the stuffing loaded with any weird preservatives or high fructose corn syrup?
- Texture: Is the stuffing soft on the inside and crispy on the outside? Did the bread maintain its shape or turn to mush? Was half the box crumbs?
- Flavor: Does it taste bready and herbaceous? Is the flavor balanced? Could it accommodate add-ins, like sausage or cranberries?
1. Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
Best boxed stuffing mix overall
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 20/20
- Flavor: 19/20
TOTAL: 94/100
We were truly shook by how crispy this stuffing mix turned out. The texture is straight-up drool worthy—think a golden-brown exterior atop a soft, comforting interior. This Pepperidge Farm pick is borderline crumbly in some places, so we do wish it stayed together a bit better for slicing purposes, but we wouldn’t trade that crunch for anything. Its flavor is comforting, wholesome and oniony, plus a bit earthy due to malted barley and whole wheat flours in the bread. There are herbs and spices in it already, but a few additional shakes of dried thyme and sage couldn’t hurt.
2. Williams-Sonoma Organic Classic French Bread Stuffing Mix
Best flavor
- Value: 17/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 20/20
TOTAL: 93/100
This beauty from Williams-Sonoma was a very close second in our book. Its crispiness was strong, but more sporadic than our top pick. But what *really* won us over was the flavor. Buckle up for an intense burst of anise-like fennel, aromatic rosemary, earthy thyme and peppery basil, along with organic herbs de Provence (the mix does star French bread, after all). The stuffing bakes to the ideal texture—crisp, fluffy and doughy all at once. It’s cubed into large pieces that hold their shape beautifully after a stint in the oven, so it’ll look just as good as it tastes to your holiday guests. (BTW, Williams-Sonoma’s Southern-style cornbread stuffing is also a total stunner, and the bestselling focaccia stuffing tastes legitimately homemade.)
3. Arnold Premium Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
Best boxed stuffing mix to dress up
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 90/100
You know how far too many bagged or boxed stuffing mixes are mostly crumbs before they even reach the veggies and broth? Not this gem from Arnold. The white bread pieces retain their shape and crunch like a charm instead of turning into mush. But most importantly, the mix would be a breeze to doctor up, in case you want to use it as a shortcut for homemade stuffing. Its savory, herby flavor comes through without being overpowering, meaning this mix can accommodate bold add-ins like spicy chorizo, fennel-laced Italian sausage and juicy cranberries with no issues. But be warned: Your relatives will ask you for your bread recipe once they taste it.
4. Martin’s Potatobred Stuffing
Best boxed stuffing mix for in-bird roasting
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 19/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
You already love Martin’s famously soft potato bread, so you’re bound to enjoy their stuffing. It’s pretty neutral in flavor, so it can pair with just about any salty or savory main you’d like. But we think it’s especially great for stuffing into a chicken or turkey, since the stuffing doesn’t call for any broth. Leaving it dry (besides butter and sautéed celery and onions) not only allows the bread pieces to maintain their shape and texture, but they’ll also get to soak up any fat and juices that the poultry releases while it cooks, making it ten times as flavorful without turning it mushy. Its flavor is basically buttery dinner roll meets herb-spiked stuffing—what’s not to like?
5. Kraft Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix
Best stovetop boxed stuffing mix
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Quality: 16/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 17/20
TOTAL: 89/100
Kraft has a bit of a monopoly on stovetop stuffing (heck, it’s in the name), and after tasting it, we understood why. For a side that comes together in a flash with nothing but butter and water, its flavor and texture are both pretty impressive. It’s well-seasoned (onion! turkey broth! celery! parsley!) and offers that meaty, gravy-like, nostalgic flavor that comes to mind when most of us think of stuffing. While cooking stuffing on the stove results in a softer final dish rather than crispy, it wasn’t pure mush either. In fact, there were plenty of hearty pieces of bread to sink our teeth into.
6. Thrive Market Organic Whole-Grain Savory Herb Stuffing Mix
Best whole-grain boxed stuffing mix
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 19/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 90/100
Organic whole-wheat flour not only makes this stuffing a bit more nutritious, but it also imparts a nutty, earthy flavor to the dish. There are nice crispy bits throughout, but it turned out pretty wet for a baked stuffing in our opinion; we also wish it held together a bit better after being baked. The flavor was herb-forward, classic and comforting. This seasonal beauty from Thrive Market is vegan as is, and can be kept as such if you use vegan butter to prepare it. It bakes up in just 18 minutes, so it can be the last side you prepare before sitting down, especially if you slice the celery, carrot and onion ahead of time. (Oh, and it's also currently 44 percent off.)
7. Trader Joe's Cornbread Stuffing Mix
Best boxed cornbread stuffing mix
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 19/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 91/100
Stuff it in the bird, layer it in a casserole dish or cook it on the stovetop—no matter what, this autumn gem from Trader Joe's will not disappoint. We're partial to the lightning fast stovetop method, which calls for boiling water, butter and the seasoning pouch (no broth required) in a saucepan for a few minutes, then folding in the bread. The stuffing is a mix of toasted white bread and cornbread croutons, along with a slew of poultry spices and dried herbs (think mushrooms, sage, oregano and the like). The flavor is buttery, salty and savory, a great foil for mild turkey.
8. Aleia’s Gluten-Free Plain Stuffing
Best gluten-free boxed stuffing mix
- Value: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 18/20
- Quality: 20/20
- Texture: 18/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 92/100
Are you cooking for someone with a wheat allergy this Thanksgiving? No worries—everyone at the table can get behind Aleia’s gluten-free stuffing. It calls on nutty, wholesome bread made with brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour. It tastes sort of like a really mild, slightly sweet pumpernickel when eaten dry. Cooked, it boasts vegetal notes and an impressively rich, buttery aftertaste. It baked with some mushy spots throughout, but the top still developed a nice crust. (We’ll also say that it blew the other GF option we tasted out of the water, considering it had a weird chemical-like, metallic quality to it.) Order it online or find it at your local Whole Foods Market.
9. Bell’s Traditional Stuffing
Best boxed stuffing mix for serving a crowd
- Value: 19/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Quality: 17/20
- Texture: 16/20
- Flavor: 17/20
TOTAL: 89/100
As far as stovetop stuffings go, you already know our favorite. But you’ll have to use multiple boxes of Kraft Stove Top to feed more than four to six people. Enter Bell’s, an option that’s twice as large and nearly half the cost, making it the optimal choice if you’re serving a crowd. It comes in a massive box that can be whipped up in five minutes flat. Despite how simple it is to make, it still boasts solid seasoning (we’re looking at you, garlic, onion and celery), uber-comforting buttery flavor and a pillowy soft texture. There’s also a casserole option if you’d rather bake it than cook it on the stove. Feel free to dress it up with mix-ins like nuts, cranberries or meat.
10. Aldi Chef’s Cupboard Cornbread Stuffing Mix
Best value boxed stuffing mix
- Value: 20/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Quality: 16/20
- Texture: 17/20
- Flavor: 18/20
TOTAL: 91/100
Leave it to ALDI to nail the best bargain on this list. It turned out on the soft side since it’s cooked on the stove instead of baked, but that’s to be expected. What we didn’t expect was how solid its flavor would be, akin to chicken noodle soup-soaked bread. It’s savory, just salty enough and peppered with visible herbs and spices (like dried parsley and onions). Most importantly, it’s ready to eat in five minutes. You can try Chef’s Cupboard’s chicken-flavored option instead, but the cornbread version was our favorite. Either way, it’ll cost you a less than $1 to feed six people a side of stuffing—now that’s a Thanksgiving miracle.
The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what’s worth the spend—and what’s total hype. Learn more about our process here.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
