Wild rice is delicious as a side or thrown into a salad or soup (this Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup makes GREAT use of the nutty grain). In this guide, we’re showing you our fail-proof method of how to cook wild rice so that you can enjoy it any which way you’d like!
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Ah, the mysterious wild rice. Although it may not don the dinner table as often as its white or brown counterparts, it’s actually just as easy to prepare, a lot less elusive than you may think, and a really great way to switch up your grains. In this guide, we’re teaching you our fail-proof method for the best wild rice every single time.
If you’re looking for more simple side dish recipes, we’ve got you covered. Our guide on how to cook white rice comes in handy on almost a weekly basis for me, our guide on how to cook quinoa will leave you with always delicious, never mushy quinoa, and if you’re looking to put a spin on a simple side, this coconut rice is unbelievably delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s deliciously different – if your family is used to having white or brown rice as a side 2-3 times a week (NOTHING wrong with that – a lot of weeks at my house look like this!), wild rice is a great way to change up your side dish game.
- It’s easy – making wild rice is a lot easier than you may think! It takes a little over twice the amount of time that white rice takes and about 15 minutes longer than brown rice, but all of that is hands-off time.
- It’s versatile – wild rice has a bit of bite to it (vs. a mushier, softer white or brown rice) so it holds up REALLY well in soups and salads. Serve it on its own next to a protein and veggie of your choice, or toss it in a salad or soup for a yummy texture boost!
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list is quite simple here. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Wild rice – when shopping for wild rice, you can either buy pure wild rice or a wild rice blend (we opted for the blend because it’s easier to find and slightly lower priced). You’ll need to adjust the amount of water used if you go with pure wild rice, though.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
See below for four delicious wild rice flavor variations.
- Shallot, garlic, and thyme wild rice – sauté a thinly sliced shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written. Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme.
- Yellow onion and garlic wild rice – sauté finely diced yellow onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written.
- Garlic, lemon, and dill wild rice – sauté 4 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written. Once the rice is cooked, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill.
How to Cook Wild Rice
Wild rice is incredibly easy to make – as mentioned above, it takes a little bit longer than white or brown rice, but the process couldn’t be any easier. Follow along below.
Step 1: Add the rinsed wild rice blend, water, butter or olive oil, and salt to a pot and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest heat setting on your stove, cover the pot with a fitted lid, and let the rice simmer for 45 minutes, stirring 1-2 times throughout.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the rice – be sure to rinse your wild rice before cooking it! Skipping this step may result in a sticky final product.
- Use a little less liquid – our favorite wild rice blend calls for 1 3/4 cups liquid for 1 cup of dry rice, but we actually prefer using 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Give it a little more time, if needed – after the 45 minutes, if there is still liquid in the pot, turn off the heat, place the lid partially over the top of the pot to let the rest of the liquid soak in and evaporate for 10-15 minutes.
How to Serve
When the rice is finished, either serve right away as-is, or stir in fresh herbs before serving.
If you’re looking to make your wild rice more resistant (creating less of a negative impact on blood sugar), simply let it cool in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and then reheat it when you’re ready to enjoy.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover wild rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
When you’re ready to reheat the rice, simply pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
One batch of wild rice (1 cup dry) makes 4 servings. Each serving of rice includes about 3 grams of fiber. For comparison, the same amount of white jasmine rice contains 1 gram of fiber, and the same amount of brown rice contains 2 grams of fiber. It may not seem like a huge different, but every gram adds up!
Wild rice blends (what we used for this recipe) are actually a blend of wild rice, brown rice, white rice, red rice, and black rice – each brand uses different ratios of each.
Wild rice, on the other hand, is a semi-aquatic grass that grows near water, and though it is really similar to brown, white, and other rice variations, it’s actually an aquatic grass with an edible grain vs. a true rice.
To increase the resistant starch in wild rice (or any rice, for that matter), simply cook the rice as instructed, then let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, then reheat it and enjoy.
If you’re wondering WHY increasing resistant starch matters, we’ve got you. Increasing the resistant starch creates a much lower negative blood sugar impact, while keeping all of the good things (fiber, protein, micronutrients, etc.) exactly the same.
More Favorite Simple Side Dish Recipes
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How to Cook Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 1½ cups water or broth
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse the wild rice.
- Add the rinsed wild rice, water or broth, butter or olive oil, and salt to a pot.
- Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with a fitted lid and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring 1-2 times throughout.
- Fluff with a fork, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Shallot, garlic, and thyme wild rice – sauté a thinly sliced shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written. Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme.
- Yellow onion and garlic wild rice – sauté finely diced yellow onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written.
- Garlic, lemon, and dill wild rice – sauté 4 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of butter or olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and your liquid of choice (broth or water), then continue the cooking process as written. Once the rice is cooked, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill.
- Rinse the rice – be sure to rinse your wild rice before cooking it! Skipping this step may result in a sticky final product.
- Use a little less liquid – our favorite wild rice blend calls for 1 3/4 cups liquid for 1 cup of dry rice, but we actually prefer using 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Give it a little more time, if needed – after the 45 minutes, if there is still liquid in the pot, turn off the heat, place the lid partially over the top of the pot to let the rest of the liquid soak in and evaporate for 10-15 minutes.
