Making boxed stuffing in the Instant Pot is super simple, and you can dress it up with some delicious add-ins!

Add this Instant Pot stuffing to your holiday dinner menu this year–it’s easy and delicious!

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When it comes to Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners, the meat often takes second stage to the sides, in my opinion.

Sure, I enjoy turkey and ham, but what I really enjoy are the multitude of side dishes to choose from (and the desserts, of course!).

Over the years, I’ve been working on converting many of our traditional holiday favorites into Instant Pot recipes, and that’s how this Instant Pot stuffing was born! It’s now one of my favorite Instant Pot Thanksgiving recipes!

More Instant Pot Holiday Recipes:

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Southern Style Instant Pot Green Beans
• Instant Pot Dinner Rolls
• Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
• Decadent Instant Pot Pecan Pie
• Instant Pot Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Using Packaged Stuffing Mix in the Instant Pot

Growing up, my family never made stuffing from scratch. We always used boxes of Stove Top stuffing or sometimes packages of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.

And that’s what I still do, to this day! It’s super easy, and you can “doctor up” a package of stuffing so it feels more homemade, but without all of the work of cubing and drying bread, measuring herbs, etc.

There are some things I think are worth making from scratch for the holidays, but stuffing isn’t one of them.

Making packaged convenience items in the Instant Pot is a great way to save time, which is important around this time of year!

In fact, I make boxed au gratin potatoes in the Instant Pot, Rice-a-Roni in the Instant Pot, and even Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot!

How to Make Instant Pot Stuffing the Easy Way

It’s really easy to make this simple side dish! Feel free to double the recipe if you’re feeding extended family or a larger crowd.

You can also easily tweak this to suit your preferences–leave out the add-ins if you want, and just make the box of stuffing with butter and water.

Using add-ins is a great way to make boxed stuffing taste homemade!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Butter
• Celery
• Dried Cranberries
• Diced Apples
• Water
• Stuffing Mix (such as StoveTop stuffing)

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Melt butter. First, you’ll use the Saute function to melt the butter in the bottom of the insert pot. Add in the diced celery and stir for a couple of minutes, allowing it to soften slightly.

Add cranberries and apples. Next, you’ll add the cranberries and apples, stirring for just a moment, then add the water.

Pressure cook. Next, you’ll pressure cook on high pressure for just 1 minute. This allows the flavors to meld, and it softens the cranberries and apples. When the cook time is complete, press Cancel and perform a quick release of pressure.

Add stuffing mix. Last, you’ll add the stuffing mix to the hot liquid. Use a fork to mix it in so no dry spots remain, then close the lid and let set for about 5 minutes, so the stuffing mix can absorb the liquid.

Optional: I like to transfer everything to a pretty dish for serving. If desired, you can also pop this dish into the oven for a few minutes to brown the top a little bit. I personally don’t brown the top, but I know some people prefer it that way.

Notes and Adaptations:

• You can definitely adjust the recipe to suit your preferences. If you don’t want celery, apples and cranberries in your stuffing, leave them out! Some people like to add chestnuts, water chestnuts, or mushrooms.
• You can also add in Italian sausage or bacon if you’d like (use the Saute function to cook the sausage/bacon first, then use the grease instead of butter).
• If needed, you can double the recipe for a larger crowd.