Earthy, nutty, and deeply savory, this Wild Rice Pilaf recipe is an easy side dish that works for a weeknight or for a holiday get-together. Pair it with pork, chicken, and so much more!
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The best way to fancy up wild rice.
Unlike white rice and brown rice, wild rice isn’t usually used as a base for serving stir fries and curries, because it has such a unique flavor of its own.
It’s earthy, nutty, and complex. I adore it!
Wild rice is often used as a component of another dish where its flavor is complementary (like my Instant Pot Stuffed Acorn Squash or Chicken Wild Rice Soup), or it’s zhuzhed up with add-ins to make a wild rice pilaf side dish.
- This pilaf recipe starts with mirepoix veggies—that’s carrots, celery, and onion—along with garlic to build a savory flavor base.
- I add chopped pecans and almonds, which complement the earthy flavor of the wild rice and add some crunch for contrast.
- Dried cranberries add a chewy texture and sweetness to balance all the savory, earthy flavors at play.
- Sherry vinegar adds some tartness that makes every element of the dish pop.
The other thing I love about this pilaf is that if you have leftovers, it also works well as a chilled salad for lunch the next day. We love a multitasking recipe!
A Few Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, but here’s some additional information to know before you start cooking.
- Dry Brown and Wild Rice Blend. It’s common for wild rice to be sold as a blend with brown rice because on its own, wild rice is quite pricy. For this reason, I’ve developed this pilaf recipe with a blend rather than all wild rice.
- Pecans and Almonds. If you’d like, you use all pecans or all almonds, or swap in another nut like walnuts. To make this wild rice pilaf nut-free without sacrificing the crunch, you can swap in pepitas.
- Parsley. The addition of parsley adds a bright, herbaceous finishing note, but fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary are also excellent pairings with wild rice.
How to Make Wild Rice Pilaf
Prepare. Rinse and drain the wild rice blend.
Cook the Mirepoix. Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat, then cook the carrots, celery, and onion until the onion is translucent.
Add the Next Ingredients. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for about a minute; add the rice and toast for a minute. (Toasting the rice brings out its best flavor!)
Simmer. Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. Remove from heat and let the rice stand covered for 10 minutes.
Finish. Fluff the rice, then add the remaining ingredients. Season to taste and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Wild Rice Pilaf
- Turkey. Wild rice pilaf is fabulous with Air Fryer Turkey Breast, giving you Thanksgiving vibes any time of year.
- Chicken. The flavor of this Smoked Chicken Breast would be perfect with earthy wild rice pilaf.
- Pork. Serve Pork Chops With Apples over this pilaf for a dinner that’s all about sweet and savory.
- Veggies. Especially fall veggies like Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Root Vegetables!
Wild Rice Pilaf
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown and wild rice blend
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 carrots peeled and ½-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery ½-inch diced (about ¾ cup)
- ½ large yellow onion ½-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup slivered almonds or additional pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries I use reduced sugar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse the rice well, then drain.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Saute until the onion is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking until the garlic is very fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Stir in the rice and toast for 1 minute.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let simmer for 50 minutes, until the broth is absorbed. Set aside and let stand covered for 10 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, toast the nuts. In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, add the pecans and almonds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- With a fork, fluff the rice. Stir in the toasted nuts, cranberries, parsley, and sherry vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate wild rice pilaf in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave. You can also eat the pilaf chilled or at room temperature.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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I love that the rice is made in the slow cooker!
Thanks, Maria! It definitely makes it easy!
A perfect side dish for this holiday weekend!!
Thanks so much Gerry!
Such a great slow cooker recipe!! Love the flavors in this!!
Me too! Thanks Lexi!
This makes entertaining so easy! I love the fresh colorful additions!
Thanks so much Heather!
my slow cooker is used more in the summer for sure! love this combo for BBQ! And so easy. Sign me up!
Thanks Lindsay!
I have family with corn on their diet restriction list. What might you suggest as a substitute? I imagine the corn could simply be omitted but then the color is not as appealing….
Thanks!
Hi! Omitting the corn will be just fine! If you like for color, you could use a diced yellow or orange bell pepper instead. Or, you could sauté small-diced yellow summer squash or zucchini with the onions. I wouldn’t suggest adding the zucchini or squash raw, as they have a lot of moisture and might make the rice too mushy. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
YES to portable foods! I always forget about my crock pot in the Summer. But I should definitely be using it more often. I have a party on Monday. I think I’ll try this out! Enjoy your weekend, Erin!
Thanks Liz! I’d love to know what you think!
very nice pictures and very nice recipe. My daughter like this rice pilaf. Thank you for this one.
Thank you so much, John! I’m so glad to hear your daughter enjoyed the recipe!
I love great slow cooker recipes. I definitely going to try this.
I hope you enjoy it, Trishanya!
hey girl- this looks really tasty! Happy 4th!!
Thank you! Happy 4th to you too, Shawnna!
This looks delicious. I can hardly wait to make it for my family. I know commenting on the beauty of a blog is a bit commonplace but I just have to say that I love your blog. It’s so inspiring. If you find me hanging out a little longer than your usual reader, I promise- I’m not a stalker :o) I’m just really enjoying your blog!
Have a great day!
Kelli M. Riebesehl
Kelli, thank you so much for this sweet comment! It makes my day to hear that you enjoy my blog, and I so appreciate having you as a reader!
I haven’t made this yet but hope to this week!! Any idea what the saturated fat content is?? Trying to figure out to WW value :) Thanks!
Hi Jessica, there’s no saturated fat in the recipe! Sorry for any confusion. (If a value is 0g, my nutrition info box removes the category, so even if I input 0g saturated fat, the label “Saturated Fat” won’t display.) I hope you enjoy!
Yes I made it and it was yummy! I did not have red peppers but I had a yellow and orange and it tasted great too! Thanks for posting it!
Kellie, thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This looks phenomenal! Wild rice is one of my favourites but it always takes so long to cook. I love my slow cooker but haven’t experimented with it as much as I’d like. Could you add diced chicken or another meat to this recipe to increase the protein. Or would that change the cooktime?
Caroline, you can definitely add it! I would suggest sautéing the chicken separately, and then stirring it in at the end after the pilaf is cooked to make sure that the rice cook times and liquid ratios stay the same. I hope you enjoy it!
Yummy! This is the second recipe I have gone through on your website and I am in love with all of them! Desperate to try this too during the weekend!
Cheers!
This was bland and peppery. I made it exactly as listed for a potluck to answer the gluten free crowd and no one ate it! I’m trying to figure out how to fix it since I have so much left.
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t what you hoped for, Marcie. Many other readers have tried it and loved it, but I know everyone has different tastes. I truly wish you would have loved it!
I have just found you and am saving several of your recipes. I appreciate your thoroughness, photos, and extra tips. I also appreciate you don’t require us to go restock our spices – a problem with the direction Chris Kimball has taken. Recently it became necessary for me to begin watching my cholesterol levels so I’m cooking more “meatless” meals. I plan to try your Eggplant Lasagna and/or Grilled Shrimp recipes. I look forward to trying several of your recipes and sharing them with my niece who is now totally vegan.
Hope you enjoy it Ellen!
Our family of 5 enjoyed this. Made this for dinner tonight and we really liked how it turned out. The rice had a great chewy texture, and the toasted nuts and cranberries added a nice contrast. It’s not overly seasoned, which I appreciate. I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear, Miranda! Thank you!
I made this to go with baked salmon and it was the perfect side. It’s not too heavy, but it feels filling and wholesome. I used veggie broth and added a pinch more salt at the end. Will definitely keep this one in my rotation.
So glad to hear! Thank you, Lindtsey!
This recipe came out great and made the kitchen smell amazing while it was cooking. I liked that the flavors were mellow and not overly spiced, you can literally pair it with everything. Loved it! Thank you!