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.
I made this last year and it was such a massive hit and the leftovers were excellent. I swapped hazelnuts for the almonds and this is now a thanksgiving staple!
Ooo love that swap, Nicole! I’m so glad this is a yearly go-to!!
I just made a half portion to see if I wanted to serve for Thanksgiving. Wow! Really great. I can’t wait to serve with turkey. I followed the recipe exactly and used only fresh ingredients. I did double the celery because I like it. I withheld the parmesan cheese because I thought it would ruin the dish. I sprinkled a bit on my plate and it really makes the flavor. I’ll be including parmesan for Thanksgiving. Great recipe, thanks!
Amazing!! I’m so glad you gave it a test ride and it made the cut! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Been eyeing this recipe for a minute. Finally had the perfect opportunity this weekend, as it’s Thanksgiving in Canada (which falls on the second Monday of October). It was a perfect side dish to include in Thanksgiving dinner, and both an excellent gluten-free answer to stuffing and an excellent alternative to the bread stuffing for the soggy bread haters at the table. I left out the nuts and grated cheese. Still delicious. Everyone enjoyed it. Should have made this sooner, but better late than never. Definitely added to the regular rotation.
Better late than never – 100%! I always say this dish is too good to only make during the holidays. So glad you loved it, Annalaya!
Would this be ok to stuff Cornish hens and bake?
That should be fine!
This is amazing! My whole family loved it. Just wanted a change from ordinary stuffing. Will definitely make this again and again!!! Thank you for such a wonderful idea.
I’m SO glad it was a hit, Lynn! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
what if I use a different rice? would I just make according to package
I made this last weekend as a test run for T-day when we will host multiple gluten free family members. My family loved it! The only comment I got was that it seemed a bit rice-dominant, which I agreed with. I’m making it again tomorrow, doubling the amounts of celery, onions, cranberries, nuts, etc. I substituted double the fresh cranberries cut in half (fresh have more volume than dried) and pecans from our family trees in place of almonds. I agree that almonds or walnuts, or a mix of any and all would be welcome. For the chicken broth I simmered a pound of giblets in 3 quarts of tightly lidded water for 2 hours the day prior, then used 2 1/2 cups of that to cook the rice. I finely diced and added the giblet meat to create that essential (to us) traditional turkey flavor. Though not strictly traditional the bacon and its rendered fat was a nice addition making the sauteed ingredients extra savory. But to heck with being ‘strictly traditional’, as this is a terrific recipe most folks will enjoy for many years. Feel free to make it the day before, too, as it was even tastier after reheating. Finally, I haven’t tried it but I’m confident this recipe would make an outstanding stuffing. Congratulations to “iowa girl” for another fine recipe!
Thank you so much, Stone! I’m so glad you were able to make this dish your own. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Made this tonight for the first time; after one bite, and my husband not knowing the name of this dish, proclaimed: “wow, this is the best wild rice stuffing ever!” Great job yet again with this one!!
Oh my gosh, that made my day!! Hahaha! So glad it was a hit, Sarah!
Hi Kristin,
Can’t wait to try this out for Thanksgiving! What kind of mushrooms do you use? Would canned or jarred be ok or do you recommend fresh?
Hi Sarah! I’ve never used jarred mushrooms so I would say fresh. That said, if you enjoy the taste/texture of jarred, that should be just fine!
Hi! One more quick inquiry, can another nut be used in place of the almonds, or are they the best?
You could swap in chopped pecans or walnuts, or leave them out!
Hi. Could this be made dairy-free by subbing the butter and parmesan for vegan alternatives? Hopefully that wouldn’t adversely affect the flavor?
Absolutely to both! And you could use whatever nut you like best!
Made this several times and it’s fabulous. Easy do ahead, make it a day or two ahead and reheat. This only gets better with time!
I’m so glad you love this dish, Cynthia!!
It really IS the “best ever” wild rice stuffing recipe that I have tried!
Ahh, love to hear that, BJ – thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!