The holiday season is right around the corner, and if there's one thing you can depend on eating, it's dressing, or, err, stuffing. Dressing and stuffing have been engaged in a drawn out battle over which is a better word since the dawn of time. And while I'm sure you have your own preference for which to use on Thanksgiving, for some people, there's not even a difference between the two. After all, aren't they pretty much the same thing? The short answer is no. The long answer is below.
We chatted with Jason Goldstein of the cooking blog Chop Happy to find out what the real difference between stuffing and dressing is. We also asked a few chefs which they prefer and how they serve dressing and/or stuffing on Thanksgiving.
What Is Stuffing?
Stuffing, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a seasoned mixture (as of bread crumbs, vegetables, and butter) that is typically placed inside the cavity of a turkey, pepper, etc. and cooked." In other words, a mixture that is "stuffed" inside your poultry. Makes sense right?
What Is Dressing?
Dressing, on the other hand, is a little less obvious. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a seasoned mixture usually used as a stuffing (as for poultry)." So that makes them the same thing, right? No, not exactly.
The Differences Between Stuffing And Dressing
So what is the difference? "Technically, dressing and stuffing can have the same ingredients, but what makes them different is how they are cooked," Goldstein said. "Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful."
So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish. Additionally, dressing, especially in the American South, is often made with cornbread instead of pieces of a baguette or plain ol' white bread.
The Similarities Between Stuffing And Dressing
For the most part, the words dressing and stuffing are often used interchangeably, mainly because they include a majority of the same ingredients: an assortment of vegetables, herbs, some sort of starch, and spices.
Although dressing and stuffing are pretty much the same thing, if you wanted to win the Thanksgiving debate about which is better, you now have a little bit of ammo. Goldstein is team stuffing. Thomas Davis, executive chef at The Betty in Atlanta, however, is team dressing. “I have found that it is not possible to perfectly cook your turkey and the stuffing, so I have always preferred dressing," Davis said. "I like to drizzle the drippings from the cooked turkey over the dressing to enhance the flavor.”
And Michael Scelfo, chef at Boston-based restaurants Alden & Harlow, Waypoint, and The Longfellow Bar, likes dressing as a way to add surprising flavors. “I think that it’s great having a dressing on the side that can be more adventurous than a traditional stuffing flavor," he said. "I’ve made lots of dressings using everything from smoked oysters and cornbread to stewed broccoli and aged cheddar.”
Whether you choose to make your mixture inside the poultry or separate, just be sure that you cook it thoroughly so everyone can enjoy the meal.
FAQs
The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side. As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound.
Is there a difference between dressing and stuffing? ›
"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.
Why do southerners call it dressing? ›
But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.
Do Texans call it dressing or stuffing? ›
One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.
Who says stuffing and who says dressing? ›
People in the South say dressing, people in the North say stuffing. That's really the tall and short of it. I've heard some southerners decry the name stuffing, saying that the word itself is unpleasant.
When did stuffing become dressing? ›
Names for stuffing include "farce" (~1390), "stuffing" (1538), "forcemeat" (1688), and relatively more recently in the United States; "dressing" (1850).
Is stove top stuffing or dressing? ›
When Stove Top was introduced in 1972 it was the first stuffing mix containing all the ingredients needed to typical dressing in one box. The mixture of vegetables, seasonings, herbs, spices, and baked stuffing crumbs came together in 15 minutes.
Is stuffing the same as dressing black folks? ›
The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.
What do they call stuffing in Pennsylvania? ›
Here in the PA Dutch and Coal Region area, we (especially us “Dutchies”) refer to “stuffing” as “filling”. There is no real debate about whether it's “stuffing” if it is made/baked one way versus “filling” another way in MY kitchen.
Is stuffing southern or northern? ›
Go south of the Mason-Dixon Line and in the Midwest and many call it dressing, regardless of if it is prepared in the bird or alongside in a casserole dish. Likewise, northern or northeastern states and the west coast typically lean toward stuffing.
The term dressing, per the History Channel, originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to chicken legs and thighs.
What do Northerners call stuffing? ›
Those in the south use the term dressing interchangeably; whereas those in the northern states generally refer to the dish as stuffing.
Do some people call stuffing dressing? ›
Stuffing and dressing are commonly used as different names for the same thing—a dish consisting of bits of bread (or other starchy things) and various seasonings. The dish can be made by stuffing it (hence the name) inside a turkey or other bird that will be roasted, or by baking or cooking it separately.
Which is better, stuffing or dressing? ›
As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound. Many Southerners are die-hard dressing fans, while Northerners tend to prefer stuffings, but these are not hard and fast rules. Nor is the language used to describe either dish.
What does stuff the turkey mean? ›
(idiomatic, simile) Engorged from overeating.
What is the difference between stuffing and dressing in Canada? ›
As the name suggests, stuffing is "stuffed" into the cavity of the fowl and roasted inside of it, while dressing is baked separately in a casserole dish and used to "dress" slices of the turkey.
Is stuffing and dressing the same thing on Reddit? ›
Dressing has meat/seafood whereas stuffing is only bread based and is always put inside the bird prior to roasting?
What is dressing for Thanksgiving made of? ›
Dressing: Dressing typically includes ingredients like cornbread, white bread, or biscuits, mixed with vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes sausage or other meats. It is often moistened with broth or stock and baked in a casserole dish until it forms a crust on top.
What is stuffing actually called? ›
Stuffing and dressing are commonly used as different names for the same thing—a dish consisting of bits of bread (or other starchy things) and various seasonings. The dish can be made by stuffing it (hence the name) inside a turkey or other bird that will be roasted, or by baking or cooking it separately.
Why is salad dressing called dressing? ›
The term salad dressing comes from a definition of dressing that dates from about 1500: "sauce used in preparing a dish for the table." When you want to serve a well-prepared and delicious salad, you need add salad dressing.
