Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing is full of fall flavors like herbs, dried cranberries, and bacon. A delicious gluten free version of the classic!
“This is the BEST RECIPE!!!! I have been making it for years now. Made it again tonight & it seems to get better every time. Thank you!!”
It’s time to think outside the (stuffing) box, with Best Ever Wild Rice Stuffing!
Say goodbye to stale, boxed bread with its mile-long ingredient list, and hello to tender wild rice tossed with all the fixin’s including bacon, mushrooms, herbs, almonds, and dried cranberries – plus a secret ingredient you do NOT want to miss.
This easy, no-bake, gluten free side dish will change the holidays as you know them!
Watch How to Make It
Wild Rice Stuffing vs Bread Stuffing
I think you’re either a bread-stuffing person or you’re not. My family is a stuffing family in that we serve it at Thanksgiving because we feel like the pilgrims of yesteryear would frown upon our holiday gathering if we didn’t have a giant bowl of wet stale carbs on the table, I guess?
This year I challenge you to serve this sophisticated yet simple, totally scrumptious wild rice stuffing that’s full of ALL the fall flavors instead. Like I said, you don’t even need to bake it.
Your friends and family will swoon!
Prep Ahead to Save Time
Since we’re talking the holidays, know that the components in this dish can be prepped a day ahead of time.
- 24 hours ahead of time: chop the vegetables, bacon, and almonds, then freshly grate the parmesan cheese. Store separately.
You can actually fully make the stuffing several hours ahead of time, if need be. Warm it up covered with foil in the oven, or pop the serving bowl in the microwave for a couple minutes.
Your family will be making this scrumptious, wild rice stuffing side dish for many years to come!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Cook the Wild Rice blend.
Start by adding a wild rice blend to a medium saucepan with chicken stock or broth, a bay leaf, and a dash of salt.
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat then turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is al dente, 40-45 minutes. Take the pan off the heat the let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Recipe Tip
I highly recommend Lundberg Wild Blend Rice. If using a different brand, be sure it’s a wild rice/brown rice BLEND, vs straight wild rice or plain brown rice.
Step 2: Brown the bacon.
Meanwhile, brown chopped bacon in a large, 12″ skillet over medium heat then scoop the bacon into a bowl and set it aside, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Step 3: Saute the aromatics.
Turn the heat up to medium-high then melt butter in the skillet and add chopped onion or shallot, mushrooms, and celery. Saute until the mushrooms have released their liquid, the liquid cooks off, and they begin to brown, then season with dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
Once the vegetables are fully tender add chopped fresh sage and minced garlic then saute until the garlic is very fragrant and golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Combine the ingredients.
Last step is to add the cooked wild rice and bacon into the skillet along with chopped almonds, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and dried cranberries.
The parmesan cheese is the “secret” ingredient I mentioned. It gives the rice stuffing a totally unique flavor.
Stir well to combine, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed to loosen the stuffing up a bit.
That’s all she wrote — told you it was easy! Garnish with a couple whole fresh sage for a beautiful presentation, then scoop and serve next to all your holiday favorites.
As I mentioned, leftovers reheat wonderfully in the microwave so you can extend the holiday experience for several days afterwards. I hope you love every bite of this flavor-packed, delicious take on stuffing. Enjoy!
More Gluten Free Holiday Side Dishes
- Green Beans and Bacon
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
- Gluten Free Gravy
- Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Gluten Free Traditional Stuffing
- Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
- Gluten Free Party Potatoes Deluxe
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups wild blend rice, Lundberg recommended, see notes
- 2-1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot or small onion, chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
- Add the wild blend rice, chicken stock or broth, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized saucepan then bring to a boil over high heat. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to low and simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Let the pan sit off the heat with the lid on for 5 minutes then remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large, 12" skillet then turn the heat to medium and brown. Scoop the browned bacon into a bowl, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet, then turn the heat up to medium-high. Melt the butter in the skillet then add the shallots or onion, mushrooms, and celery. Saute until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown then add the dried thyme and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the mushrooms are golden brown and the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and fresh sage then saute until the garlic is very fragrant and golden brown, 1 minute.
- Remove the skillet from the heat then add the cooked rice, bacon, chopped almonds, dried cranberries, and parmesan cheese, and stir well to combine. Add a splash of chicken broth if needed to loosen the stuffing up a bit. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary, and then serve.
Notes
- Be sure to use a wild blend rice, vs straight wild rice, or plain brown rice.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Sorry but i cant really count this as a wild rice stuffing since a blend has so little wild rice as to be mute….When looking to add that nutty flavor that you wont get with so little wild rice walnuts may have a bit more punch to make up for the lack of wild rice than almonds IMHO… On a brighter note i do love your use of the dried cranberrys and have used them myself for decades.
Yes, perhaps the Rice blend is a healthier choice but come on, its thanksgiving….If we cant have 1 day of 365 that we can simply let go of all our health conscious daily decisions there is really no point in calling it THANKSGIVING..:)
I don’t usually comment on blogs, but I just have to say something. I had a dinner party last night and made this rice stuffing to go along with your pork tenderloin with fig and chili pan sauce. OMG. Everyone raved about the food, and my husband said it was my best cooking all year. All my guests wanted the recipes. I’ll be making more things from your site from now on for sure!
Since I’ve had to start eating Gluten free ice been struggling with giving up traditional stuffing. I’ve tried gluten free bread stuffing recipe only to be missing the traditional stuff my dad would make….not any more!!!! Thank you so much! This recipe is so delicious I made it the day before, to save myself some stress the day of, and can’t stop ‘testing’ it. ?
This is delicious! You can modify it for whatever you have on hand. One time I used raisins and pecans. I don’t usually use the mushrooms and it comes out great. Love it!
I made this to go with a smoked chicken. Our friends couldn’t get enough. Was very tasty!!
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I made it the day before and when my husband tasted it, he thought it was bland. I tinkered with the salt and added more cranberries and just hoped for the best. When we served it the next day we all raved about it, the flavors blended beautifully and everyone raved about it. I defiantly recommend making this ahead, it is a wonderful dish.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Julia! I’m so glad you all loved the salad!
Made this stuffing tonight. Stuffing it in a bird tomorrow. Smells amazing!
Kristin,
Hi! Just to be sure I’m doing this right, especially since I’m cutting the recipe in half, you’re starting by measuring uncooked rice, correct? That 1.5 cups will become more like 5 cops cooked, correct?
Thanks!
I know this is from a couple years ago, but I came across it again today and realized I have all the ingredients (even that exact kind of wild rice, the almonds, cranberries, and bacon too) besides mushrooms which are easy enough to pick up. I’m love a bread-based stuffing but always look forward to trying something new!
Has anyone tried making this as actual stuffing for inside a turkey? If so do you use less liquid or less cooking time since it will cook further in the bird? Thanks!
Wow, I’ve never had anything like this and it was easily one of the best things on the table. I made it to accompany the crown rack of lamb. It was beautiful, and delicious! Truly is the best ever. Thanks!
Wow- I was in a bind for Christmas stuffing this year as I volunteered to make the dinner for the entire family. I’m the only GF required person in our house and while some of the family isnt picky, others are!
I panicked Christmas Eve on hearing my dad’s expectations for stuffing and of course, the grocery stores closed early Xmas eve. I frantically searched the internet for GF stuffing without bread. I stumbled across this blog and was so relieved. I had almost everything needed already in the pantry. Figured I could wing it well enough without the cranberries and cheese.
It turned out AMAZING. Seriously so delicious the family raved over it and it’s now going into our family cookbook alongside all our favourite GF recipes.
The flavours are deep. Earthy and nutty with just enough crunch, adds a nice texture difference to the rice and mushrooms. I opted for crimini mushrooms as we love the flavour and they hold their texture really well.
An absolute hit and I can’t thank you enough for saving my butt on Christmas Eve lol!
Loved it!