Who Makes the Best Stuffing Mix? We Tried Stove Top, Trader Joe’s, Pepperidge Farm, and More

I have always been a boxed-stuffing boy. I was an embarrassing number of years into my alleged adulthood when I learned there are people out there who actually make stuffing from scratch. Those people, I learned, spend hours tearing, dicing, preheating, melting, mixing, and baking. The first time I tried it, I was struck by how delicious homemade stuffing could be.

Delicious, yes, but different from my beloved boxed version. Homemade stuffing is decidedly not boxed stuffing mix, and sometimes I find myself craving that very specific flavor I grew up on. I always look forward to the occasions when it might appear under roast chickens, and of course, in a big baking dish on Thanksgiving.

Premade stuffing mix is more convenient than homemade, and when you’re fretting over the rest of an extensive meal, convenience goes a long way. To make sure we found the best boxed stuffing on the market, we tried seven mixes. The highs were high, the lows low, but in the end, one stuffing mix came out on top.

We prepared each contender according to its package instructions. While most mixes required adding some liquid (water or chicken broth) and butter during the cooking process, others called for additional mix-ins (more on that in a minute) to enhance flavor and texture.

A good stuffing should share the hallmarks of a comforting casserole: soft interior, crispy bronzed top, and savory flavor that tastes like the food equivalent to your favorite knit sweater. We assessed our contenders for texture and flavor. High marks went to discernible bread cubes or croutons—especially if they sported a rustic, hand-torn look. They had to absorb moisture without turning stodgy. Flavor-wise, we wanted our stuffing aromatic and buttery with a distinct presence of herbs like parsley, sage, and rosemary.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

Senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic described this ingredients list as basic, with “no bits and bobs that might bring texture.” That’s because Pepperidge Farm stuffing mixes ask home cooks to add their own onions, celery, and chicken stock. It makes the prep more involved than other boxed stuffings’, which usually don’t ask for extra ingredients, but your effort is rewarded by a far superior texture in each bite.

Why it won us over: The bring-your-own veggies element of this stuffing mix added a welcome crunch (thanks, celery). Those fresh flavors gave this boxed stuffing the boost it needed to stand out from its peers, including Pepperidge Farm’s cornbread stuffing mix.

Contributor Antara Sinha appreciated the flavors of dried rosemary and thyme, as well as “a little sweetness.” For contributor Zoe Denenberg, though, the texture was simply too soft and gummy. In the end, it was the mush factor that everyone agreed disqualified Pepperidge Farm’s Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing Mix from taking the top spot.

We’d love it in: Skip adding the celery and onions and use this as a binder for turkey and stuffing meatballs or use it as a crispy breading for fried fish.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

The ingredients list here, per Shilpa, “really be doing the most.” She noted many texture elements like carrots and celery, and not just one but three dried herbs: parsley, sage, and rosemary. The often maligned high fructose corn syrup also appears.

Why it won us over: It’s often said we eat with our eyes first, and Stove Top’s Traditional Sage Stuffing Mix was far and away the most visually appealing boxed stuffing we tried that day. Tasters relished the crunch that came with each bite, but we were even more impressed by its seasoning. While recipe developer Rachel Gurjar found other options too mild, she said this one had a “defined flavor.” Each bite was rich with the earthy, camphorous flavor of sage, backed by something less expected: a flavor reminiscent of movie-theater popcorn.

We’d love it in: This alone makes a respectable side dish. But the flavor can stand up to more involved preparations. Use it to stuff (duh) mushroom caps for a Thanksgiving appetizer or crush and toast the dry mix into a stuffing-flavored breadcrumb topping for pasta.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

Unsurprisingly, both Stove Top stuffing mixes on our list had similar ingredient lists, although MSG is only present in this version.

Why it won us over: Stove Top Savory Herbs Stuffing Mix outperformed most of its competitors by miles. The cooked stuffing was redolent with comforting, herby notes, deeply savory, and while well seasoned, it wasn’t so salty you’d need to immediately reach for your water glass.

Antara especially liked that she could see the “distinct chunks” of the white bread used here, which made this mix feel a little more homey and rustic than other. Tasters also loved the springy texture of this stuffing and said it was one of the most visually appealing options, with its nicely browned and crispy top.

We’d love it in: Hand over the spoon and leave us in peace. Kidding … sorta. When it comes to which stuffing you’ll serve your Thanksgiving dinner guests, this one is worthy to serve alongside roast turkey and mashed potatoes.

Many grocery store stuffing mixes require only water, unsalted butter, and heat to transform their contents into a steaming side dish. But if you feel like going the extra mile—which, on occasions like Thanksgiving, is certainly a possibility—you can treat those dried bread bits as a blank canvas to trim with whatever embellishments you like. Swap in chicken or turkey stock for the water. Add cooked ground sausage, sautéed carrots, celery, and onions, or toasted nuts for texture. Or, for a pop of sweetness, raisins or dried cranberries. Mix in a couple of beaten eggs to bind it together and bake for a fluffy, soufflé-like outcome and then top the dish with a scattering of fresh herbs. For more inspiration, check out our favorite stuffing recipes:

27 Stuffing Recipes That Make Thanksgiving Thanksgiving

• Kroger Chicken-Flavored Stuffing Mix: This chicken stuffing held up well and had a light, airy texture. Unfortunately, it fell short on the herbaceous flavor we expected.
• Trader Joe’s Corn Bread Stuffing Mix: This soggy, mustard-yellow stuffing bordered on liquidy, veering too close to bread soup. And the first bites didn’t impress us for flavor.
• Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Classic Stuffing: This store-bought stuffing mix was both gummy and grainy. It also lacked flavor and would require some serious doctoring to make us want to give it a second chance.
• Whole Foods Traditional Stuffing Mix: This mushy stuffing was rife with tiny cracked rye seeds that stuck in our teeth—definitely not the vibe we want for Thanksgiving (or, ever, for that matter)—and featured a powerfully peppery seasoning instead of more traditional herbs.

Editor’s note: This review of stuffing mixes was first printed online in November 2023; it has been updated for style and content.