Here's How To Fix Horribly Soggy Thanksgiving Stuffing

Stuffing is a Thanksgiving spread staple that has come to encompass a diverse array of recipes. A common complaint with any stuffing recipe is that it's overly dry — a problem that you can retroactively correct with a few tablespoons of broth or melted butter. But what if you bring too much moisture to your stuffing? Tasting Table consulted Bryan Ogen, executive chef at Bourbon Steak New York, to help you fix horribly soggy Thanksgiving stuffing.

"Most of the time, your ratio is off. If you're adding too much liquid to your bread crumbs, you can try drying it out in a low temperature oven for minor errors. If your stuffing is very wet, add more bread crumbs, and you will have to adjust the seasoning too," Ogen explained.

Since stuffing uses bread crumbs or chunks as the binder for other wet ingredients, the ratio should entail a larger proportion of bread. We recommend a two-to-one ratio of bread to all other ingredients to ensure the perfect texture for your stuffing. For an overly moist stuffing, a 200 degrees Fahrenheit oven should slowly evaporate a surplus of liquid — just be sure that the stuffing isn't covered with foil so that the moisture can escape. Adding more bread crumbs to soak up a soupy stuffing will also reinvigorate its texture with much needed chew along with the crispy toasted bits on top. You can also throw extra bread chunks and proportionately more seasonings into the stuffing mixture, stirring to combine with a spoon or this Ayiaren wooden spatula.

Whether you're making a Southwestern-inspired chorizo and cornbread stuffing or a sourdough sausage stuffing, bread is a central theme. How you prepare the bread is important to its role as a binding and texture agent. You want the bread to be dry but not stale, as that could negatively affect the flavor of the stuffing. To dry out fresh bread, you can put slices or cubes of bread into a low-heat oven to maximize their absorption potential. For optimal texture, tear bread into variably sized pieces before adding them to the stuffing.

Some of chef Ogen's suggestions carry over into more general tips for the tastiest Thanksgiving stuffing — whether it's soggy or not. For example, augmenting the seasonings to accommodate more bread crumbs might not be necessary depending on the type of bread crumbs that you use, as well as other additions like broth and butter. If you're using packaged bread crumbs, like 365 from Whole Foods, and store-bought broth, like this Swanson chicken broth, these products may come pre seasoned. So while you can certainly augment herbal and aromatic seasonings, you should reserve judgment on adding extra salt. While you don't want to add too much liquid, the liquid you do add should be a blend of butter, stock, cream, and even eggs to make your stuffing extra rich and flavorful.