Easy Instant Pot Stuffing – Recipes From A Pantry

This Instant Pot Stuffing is incredibly easy and totally delicious! This is the fuss-free side dish recipe you need for the holidays and it’s so simple you’ll want to make it year-round!

Post includes Weight Watchers points.

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Nothing says the holidays like a homemade bread stuffing recipe, am I right?! So trust me when I say that this delicious and incredibly easy Instant Pot Stuffing recipe will become your new go-to stuffing recipe.

This is suuuuuch a great holiday table addition aka Christmas, wonderful Thanksgiving, or Friendsgiving recipe, because it doesn’t utilize the stovetop or oven, which is always in high demand during holiday meal preparation!

Yeap, using your pressure cooker to make Instant Pot dressing will not only free up that precious oven space, but it’s also a dish you don’t have to babysit while it cooks! #instantpotforthewin

And if you like this, then you might also want to try no-knead Instant Pot Dinner Rolls, delicious Instant Pot Cornbread, and you can serve it alongside Instant Pot Turkey Breast with gravy.

Plus, this Pressure Cooker Stuffing recipe is a great way to use up stale bread. Nothing is worse than wasted food, and this will turn something old into something new that your whole family will love!

Table of Contents

Why Make This Recipe

Quick. This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prep and sauté before it’s ready to pressure cook. It’s an excellent side dish to prepare last-minute or when you’re out of time!
Simple Ingredients. You don’t need a bunch of seasonings and ingredients to make this Instant Pot Stuffing. It’s full of simple, fresh ingredients that you likely have on hand.
Hands-Off. Thanks to the Instant Pot, you only need a few minutes of sautéing, and then you can just set it and forget it!
Crowd-Pleaser. This is one of those recipes people will RAVE about, and you’ll be happy to make it each year because it’s so quick and easy!
Leftovers. Leftover stuffing can be used to make delicious treats like savory stuffing muffins, stuffing balls, use to top casseroles and hash for breakfast.

a spoon removing a scoop of instant pot stuffing from a white serving bowl

Ingredient Notes

Butter – use regular or vegan butter.
Onion – red onion or white onion works in this recipe.
Celery – finely diced celery.
Garlic – either fresh minced garlic or garlic powder.
Seasoning – Italian seasoning and thyme sprigs add flavor.
Bread – use cubed bread for this. I love starting with stale French bread.
Broth – use vegetable broth, or swap in chicken broth or turkey broth, if not vegetarian.

Now that your mouth is watering, are you ready to learn how easy making stuffing in Instant Pot is? Let’s get started…

How To Make Instant Pot Stuffing

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Place butter in the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot, set to sauté function, and stir until melted.
Add in the onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Then add garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for another 30 seconds or so.
Turn off, add the bread cubes and broth mixture, stirring to combine until evenly coated. Top stuffing mixture with the thyme sprig.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing position, and set to high pressure / manual pressure cook for 2 minutes.
Pressure cook stuffing until done, then perform a complete quick pressure release to release the remaining pressure, open and fluff the stuffing, then serve.

image collage showing the steps for making instant pot stuffing

Recipe Tips

This recipe comes out best if you use stale bread. If you don’t have stale bread on hand, check out the section below for making ‘stale’ bread cubes.
Make sure to fluff your Instant Pot stuffing before serving, otherwise, it will be a solidified bread mass, and not fluffy and delicious as you’d expect from a great stuffing recipe.
If you want to crisp up your Thanksgiving stuffing, then broil for a few minutes or use an air fryer lid till it is golden brown.
You could cook this in an Instant Pot safe baking dish or cake pan, tightly covered with aluminum foil, on a trivet over some water in an electric pressure cooker.
The cooking time listed does not include time to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.

Recipe Variations

The best thing about this holiday stuffing recipe (well, besides the taste) is that it is so versatile. Here are some suggestions for changing it up:

Add nuts – Use chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
Add dried fruit – Toss in dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, sultanas, and even pineapple.
Vary the bread – I prefer using white bread, but you can mix in some brown bread too, cornbread, sourdough bread, croutons, etc.
Vary the seasonings – Try using poultry seasoning like this poultry seasoning, Creole seasoning, or Tuscan seasoning.
Add heat – with some black pepper, red pepper flakes, chipotle, etc.
Add some cooked meat – Mix in cooked bacon, cooked sausage, diced ham, or even turkey or chicken.
Change the shape – Cook in a bundt pan for a fun and festive presentation.

cooked instant pot stuffing inside the instant pot with herb garnish

Meal Prep and Prep Ahead

This delicious and moist stuffing recipe is perfect for prepping ahead.

Prep Ahead – Because this keeps so well, you can make it a few days in advance and store it as directed below.
Store – Leftover Stuffing should always be stored in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze. Let cool down and store in a Ziploc bag or another airtight container. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bag. Label the bag and then lay flat in the freezer. Store in the freezer for 3 months. To make reheating easier, freeze in the right portion sizes that you need for the future.
Thaw and reheat – Thaw by placing it on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Reheat for a couple of minutes in the microwave, mixing halfway through.

a bowl of Instant Pot dressing garnished with herbs on a table next to a blue cloth napkin

FAQs

Can I Use Chicken Stock?

Yes, you can use any type of stock that you want, just keep in mind it will alter the flavor of the stuffing.

Can I Use Fresh Bread?

This recipe comes out best if you use stale or crispy bread. If you don’t have stale bread, cut your bread into one-inch cubes and bake in the oven at 250 degrees F / 120 degrees C for about 25 minutes before using to make the stuffing.

Can I Use Dried Thyme?

If you don’t have a sprig of fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme in its place. Instead of using one sprig, use a quarter teaspoon of dried thyme instead.

What Is The Difference Between Stuffing and Dressing?

If it is cooked inside the bird, it is usually called stuffing. If cooked outside the bird, it is usually called dressing. I tend to use the term interchangeably.

top down view of the plated pressure cooker stuffing with herbs on a table

More Instant Pot Holiday Recipes

Looking for even more delicious and more Instant Pot recipes that are perfect for holiday meals? Try pairing it with these;

And be sure to check out this collection of my favorite Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes => Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 4 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

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Print Recipe

Instant Pot Stuffing

Make this quick and easy Instant Pot Stuffing for all your holiday meals!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time2 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Western

Servings: 8

Calories: 106kcal

Instructions

Place butter in the bottom of the Instant Pot insert, set to sauté mode, and stir until melted.
Add in the onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Then add garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté for another 30 seconds or so.
Turn off, add the bread cubes and vegetable stock, stirring to combine. Top with the thyme sprig.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing position, and set to high/manual pressure for 2 minutes.
Once done, perform a complete quick pressure release, open and fluff the stuffing, then serve.

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Notes

This recipe comes out best if you use stale bread. If you don’t have stale bread on hand, check out the section below for making ‘stale’ bread cubes.
Make sure to fluff your pressure cooker stuffing before serving, otherwise, it will be a solidified bread mass, and not fluffy and delicious as you’d expect from a great stuffing recipe.
The cooking time listed does not include time to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
Storage – Leftover stuffing should always be stored in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
There are 4 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

Nutrition