This gluten free sage and onion stuffing is the perfect accompaniment to a Sunday roast. Homemade gluten free stuffing is every bit as good as a traditional recipe. It's very easy to make and will taste much nicer than stuffing from a packet.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Homemade gluten free sage and onion stuffing is easy to make with just a few ingredients
- Tasty, crispy and helps to fill up hungry tummies
- The stuffing is gluten free, nut free and vegetarian. It's made from caramelised onion, gluten free breadcrumbs, flavoured with sage and thyme and bound together with egg. It can also be made dairy-free and vegan
- Ideal for using up gluten-free bread
- Can be prepped ahead of time and frozen if you want to get ahead
Ingredients
Onion. You can use either white or red onions.
Garlic is optional, but makes a tasty addition if you like it.
Olive oil and butter. I like to include a little butter as it helps the onions to brown well and adds to the flavour. But omit it if you prefer.
Sage and thyme. I like to add thyme to this gluten free sage and onion stuffing recipe, but of course it's optional. If you can get fresh herbs that's ideal, otherwise use dried.
Gluten free bread. Having had a few failures with gluten free breads which I didn't like, I have found that they make good breadcrumbs. They also work brilliantly in this gluten free bread sauce recipe, or use them to make gluten free chicken goujons.
Egg helps to bind the stuffing together and makes it slightly richer in flavour. But if you want a vegan gluten free stuffing, omit the egg and add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock in its place.
Variations
You can use this gluten free stuffing recipe as a base to add other flavours.
Add a few other veggies such as leeks and celery. Chop finely and fry with the onion.
Or, for a gluten free stuffing that goes well with pork, add a peeled and chopped eating apple and fry with the onion.
For a Christmas stuffing for coeliacs, add some dried cranberries and chopped cooked chestnuts to the mix.
How to make gluten free sage and onion stuffing
Heat a pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Fry the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden. The caramelisation is important to add depth of flavour to the onion stuffing.
Whilst the onions are frying, make the breadcrumbs. Remove most of the crust and tear into pieces and blitz in a food processor. Or simply crumble the bread with your hands - I find gluten free bread falls apart pretty easily. I like to leave some of the breadcrumbs a bit chunkier so that they catch in the oven and go brown and crispy, but you can make a smoother texture if you prefer.
Add the garlic, herbs and seasoning to the onions in the pan and fry for a couple of minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the breadcrumbs and mix together well so that they are coated with the onion-y, herby mixture. Then mix in the egg and give everything a final stir.
Grease a baking dish approximately 15 x 15cm. Spoon the stuffing into the dish and smooth the top.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 for 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
If you prefer, you could also make this gluten free sage and onion stuffing into balls, or use it to stuff a chicken, turkey or joint of meat.
Meal prep
You can make the stuffing ahead of time and bake it later if you prefer. You could leave it uncooked for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Or bake it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven to warm through. Gluten free stuffing freezes well, either cooked or uncooked.
Cook's tips
Leftover gluten free bread freezes well. Either freeze whole slices, or make gluten free breadcrumbs first and pop them in an airtight container in the freezer.
Serving and storage
Stuffing is traditionally served with roast chicken (try this 45 minute whole roast spatchcock chicken recipe) or turkey. You could also use it to stuff a joint such as roast pork. You'll also need lashings of gluten free gravy!
Vegetarian gluten free sage and onion stuffing is also a tasty treat if you are serving a vegetarian alternative to a roast.
Leftover gluten free stuffing can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm through in the oven - cover the dish with foil so that it doesn't dry out.
Frequently asked questions
No! Traditional stuffing recipes are made with wheat bread which contains gluten. This also applies to a packet of stuffing mix which is a blend of breadcrumbs, dried onion, herbs and flavourings. It is possible to buy packets of stuffing mix which are gluten free, but do try making your own - it's very easy and much nicer!
Sage and onion stuffing contains onions and herbs which are nutritious. Onions are rich in antioxidants, and are a source of prebiotics. However, gluten free white bread has little nutritional value. If you want to reduce the levels of saturated fat in this stuffing recipe, you can omit the butter.
You can use either. If using dried sage you'll need less as it's stronger in flavour. If you buy fresh sage, you can pop leftover leaves in a bag in the freezer.
If you are using fresh sage leaves to make this stuffing, they need to be finely chopped. Stack the leaves on top of each other and hold on to the stalks. Using a sharp knife, make multiple cuts down the length of the leaves about 1mm apart. Then, cut across the strips to turn them into tiny squares. I find this technique is quicker than just randomly chopping the leaves on a board.
Other gluten free recipes
You might also like to read this post with lots of tips about how to make a
gluten free roast.
Recipe
Gluten Free Sage and Onion Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 g butter
- 1 clove garlic peeled and very finely chopped or crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped, or use 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves optional, or use dried
- 150 g gluten free bread approx 3 large slices
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be soft and golden.
- Meanwhile, make the breadcrumbs. Trim the crusts from the bread and break into pieces. Blitz in the food processor or crumble into crumbs with your fingers. If you like you can leave the crumbs a little chunkier for extra crispiness when the stuffing is baked.
- Add the herbs, seasoning and garlic to the pan and fry for a couple of minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir the breadcrumbs into the pan and mix well. Add the beaten egg and mix again.
- Spoon the stuffing into a greased baking dish. Or if you prefer, you can roll it into 8 balls.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees (170 fan) for 20 minutes until golden and crisp on the top.
Notes
- If you want a vegan stuffing, omit the butter (or you can use a small knob of vegan butter if you prefer). Omit the egg and add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock in its place.
- You can add extra vegetables such as chopped celery or leek at the same time as the onions if liked.
- If you want to serve the stuffing with roast pork, add a chopped apple and fry with the onions.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Matty says
Really easy to make, and tasty too.