Easy Delicious Wild Rice Recipes will inspire you to cook with more wild rice this year. Often mistaken for a grain, wild rice is actually an aquatic seed and is naturally gluten-free. It’s versatile, hearty, and adds great flavor and texture to soups, casseroles, pilafs, and more.
Easy Wild Rice Recipes
Below are a collection of favorite wild rice recipes—made-from-scratch comfort food, simple Instant Pot methods, and hearty main dishes. Each recipe highlights wild rice in different ways: as a side, in soups and chowders, or as the star in hotdish and casserole recipes.
Beef & Wild Rice Stuffed Zucchini
Recipe by Or Whatever You Do
These zucchini boats are filled with ground beef, wild rice, and orzo, finished with a creamy cheese topping. They’re an easy way to stretch a meal and sneak extra vegetables onto the table.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic salt, onion powder (small amounts)
- ½ cup wild rice (cooked)
- ½ cup orzo (cooked)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 large zucchini, hollowed out
- Optional: fruit & nut mix (pecans and cranberries)
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef with diced onion and seasonings in a large skillet. Drain excess fat.
- Cook wild rice and orzo separately according to package directions; drain and rinse the wild rice.
- Mix cooked rice, orzo, and beef. Stir in cream and 2 cups of cheddar, reserving 1 cup of cheese. Add nuts/cranberries if desired.
- Hollow zucchinis, season with salt and pepper, stuff with the mixture, top with remaining cheese, and bake at 325°F for 30–40 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings. Calories: ~661 per serving (estimate).
Wild Rice Hotdish Soup
Recipe by Or Whatever You Do
This soup captures all the flavors of classic wild rice casserole—ground beef, wild rice, onions, and celery—transformed into a rich, comforting soup without canned “cream of” soups.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion, ½ cup diced celery, 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1½ lb lean ground beef
- Seasonings: onion powder, garlic salt, oregano, black pepper
- 4 cups water and 1 packet dry au jus mix (or beef bouillon)
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- ½ cup cream
- For roux: 5 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp flour
Instructions
- Brown beef with onion, celery, and seasonings, then drain.
- Combine meat with water, carrots, au jus mix, and wild rice; simmer 10 minutes.
- Make a browned roux from butter and flour, then whisk into simmering soup until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in cream. Serve hot with crusty bread and salad.
Yield: 6. Calories: ~763 per serving (estimate).
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Recipe by Or Whatever You Do
A homemade chicken and wild rice casserole with a rich cream sauce, vegetables, and plenty of cheese—made from scratch with no condensed soups.
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts (seasoned and cooked)
- Butter, onion, garlic, flour, white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream
- Seasonings: dry mustard, parsley, poultry seasoning
- Carrots, broccoli florets, 3 cups cooked basmati or jasmine rice, 3 cups cooked wild rice
- Sharp cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses for topping
Instructions
- Preheat smoker or oven to 325°F. Cook and rest chicken, then chop into chunks.
- Prepare a homemade cream sauce by sautéing onion, adding garlic, whisking in flour, then slowly whisking in wine and broth. Simmer with carrots until thickened, stir in cream.
- Assemble chicken, broccoli, and rice in a 9×13 pan, top with cheeses, pour sauce over and bake until bubbly (30–40 minutes).
Yield: 8 servings. Calories: ~696 per serving (estimate).
Instant Pot Wild Rice
Recipe by Or Whatever You Do
Cooking wild rice in the Instant Pot is fast and reliable. Make extra and freeze single-serving portions so you can add wild rice to soups and casseroles anytime.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice (fancy grade, not quick-cooking)
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
Instructions
- Combine rice and stock in the Instant Pot. Seal and cook on High pressure for 15 minutes.
- NPR (natural pressure release) for 10 minutes, then release remaining steam and open. Drain any excess water and use as desired.
Yield: 6 cups. Calories: ~103 per serving (estimate).
Corn and Potato Chowder with Wild Rice
Recipe by Or Whatever You Do
This chowder adds wild rice to a classic corn and potato base for extra flavor and texture. It’s a filling fall or winter soup.
Ingredients
- Butter, flour for roux; chicken or vegetable stock; onion, celery
- Baby red or yellow potatoes, fresh corn, par-cooked wild rice
- Half-and-half to finish
Instructions
- Brown a roux, then add broth, vegetables, potatoes, corn, and wild rice; simmer about 30 minutes.
- Stir in half-and-half and heat a further 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings. Calories: ~590 per serving (estimate).
Instant Pot Wild Rice and Mushroom Dressing
recipe by Or Whatever You Do
A pressure-cooker dressing full of celery, onion, mushrooms, and cooked wild rice—great for Thanksgiving when you want to free up oven space.
Ingredients
- Unseasoned stuffing croutons, butter, onion, celery, sliced mushrooms
- Cooked wild rice, poultry seasoning, sage, chicken broth
Instructions
- Sauté onion, celery, and mushrooms, then combine with croutons, seasonings, rice, and hot broth until fairly wet.
- Place stuffing in two oiled 8″ pans, cover tightly with foil, and steam in an 8-quart Instant Pot with ½ cup water on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release and serve.
Yield: ~16 servings. Calories: ~220 per serving (estimate).
Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Skillet
recipe by Or Whatever You Do
Tender chicken pieces cooked with mushrooms, orzo, and wild rice in a wine-based sauce, finished with Parmesan for a quick skillet dinner.
Key Ingredients & Method
- Chicken breast, mushrooms, onion, orzo, cooked wild rice, cooking sherry, chicken bouillon, asparagus
- Brown chicken and vegetables, add sherry, water, bouillon, rice, and orzo; simmer until orzo is tender and asparagus is steamed in the final minutes.
Mushroom Pork Chops with Vegetable Wild Rice Pilaf
recipe by Or Whatever You Do
Comforting pork chops baked with a cheesy wild rice and vegetable pilaf—everything cooks together for an easy one-pan meal.
Creamy Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
recipe by Or Whatever You Do
This classic creamy chicken, mushroom, and wild rice soup is rich, savory, and perfect for cold days. It uses homemade stock, wild rice, sautéed mushrooms, and cream for a deeply satisfying bowl.
Traeger Wild Rice Hotdish (Homemade Wild Rice Casserole)
recipe by Or Whatever You Do
A Minnesota-style wild rice hotdish made from scratch—beef and mushroom mixtures combined with wild rice, a cream-based sauce, and cheese, finished on a smoker or in the oven for deep, layered flavor.
Notes
- Many of these recipes use cooked wild rice—cook on the stovetop or use the Instant Pot method above and freeze extras for convenience.
- Nutrition information provided with each recipe is an estimate. If you require precise data for medical reasons, consult a trusted source.
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