Learn how to cook wild rice on the stovetop! With its chewy texture and nutty flavor, this whole grain is delicious in salads, side dishes, and more.
Wild rice is one of my favorite whole grains to cook in the fall. Its chewy texture and nutty flavor make it a perfect partner for seasonal produce like sweet roasted squash and earthy root veggies. Because I’ve found myself preparing it a lot lately, I thought I’d take today’s post to give you some background on it. I’m also sharing a foolproof stovetop cooking method and some of my favorite wild rice recipes.
What is wild rice?
You might think, given its name, that this whole grain is a relative of the white or brown rice you’d find alongside it at the grocery store. In fact, wild rice isn’t rice at all, but a type of aquatic grass. It is indigenous to the Great Lakes region of North America, where it grows naturally in freshwater lakes and waterways. Today, it is also cultivated commercially in the United States and Canada.
Wild rice, called manoomin in Ojibwe, has significant cultural importance to the Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes. It is part of the Anishinaabe creation story, and historically, it provided essential sustenance throughout the upper Midwest’s cold winters. Indigenous people continue to hand-harvest naturally occurring wild rice around the Great Lakes today, knocking the grass with wooden sticks so that it releases the grains of rice into their canoes. If you want to learn more about the rice’s history and cultural significance, I recommend reading this article or this one. You can purchase hand-harvested rice from Native Harvest in Minnesota here.
How to Cook Wild Rice
Hand-harvested wild rice can be light or dark in color, whereas the cultivated kind is always dark brown or black. This cooking method will work with either type, but note that hand-harvested rice tends to cook more quickly. Depending on the variety, it might be ready in as little as 20 minutes, whereas the cultivated wild rice you’d find at the grocery store will likely need 50 or more.
- Start by bringing a medium pot or saucepan of water to a boil.No need to worry about a specific rice-to-water ratio for this recipe. We’re going to use what I call “The Pasta Method,” which just means that we’ll cook the rice in a pot of boiling water. While the water comes to a boil, place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it well.
- Then, add the rinsed rice to the boiling water.Reduce the heat so that the water maintains a gentle boil. Simmer until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite, typically 35 to 55 minutes, though the cooking time could be more or less depending on your rice. Some of the grains will start to split open slightly.
- Finally, let the rice steam. Drain off the liquid, return the rice to the pot, and cover it with a clean dishtowel. Place the lid on the pot, and allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes, becoming fully tender and fluffy.
Fluff with a fork, and enjoy!
Favorite Wild Rice Recipes
With its nutty flavor and chewy texture, the cooked rice is a delicious side dish on its own. When I serve it really simply, I dress it with olive oil, pinches of salt, and freshly ground black pepper and toss it with some chopped fresh parsley.
It’s a great addition to larger salads, soups, and side dishes as well. Try using it in any of these recipes:
- Wild Rice Pilaf
- Pomegranate Rice Salad
- Wild Rice Soup
It would also be a lovely gluten-free alternative to the wheat berries in this autumn wheat berry salad recipe.
More Whole Grains to Try
If you love this wild rice recipe, try one of these whole grains next:
- Forbidden Black Rice
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Wheat Berries
- Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats
- Quinoa
- Farro
How to Cook Wild Rice
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 55 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Serves 4
This method for how to cook wild rice will work for both hand-harvested and commercially cultivated rice, though the cooking time can vary widely. I find that it typically takes 35 to 55 minutes for both types, though hand-harvested rice may need less time (start checking at 20 minutes if you have light-colored rice) and cultivated rice may need more, as much as 70 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- Pot of water
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and cook until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite, typically 35 to 55 minutes. The grains will start to split open slightly.
Drain and return the rice to the pot. Cover with a clean dish towel and then place the lid on the pot. Let steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Notes
Yield: About 3 cups cooked wild rice
FAQs
Reduce the heat so that the water maintains a gentle boil. Simmer until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite, typically 35 to 55 minutes, though the cooking time could be more or less depending on your rice. Some of the grains will start to split open slightly.
What is the ratio of water to wild rice for cooking? ›
1 Cup Wild Rice. 1-2 cups water (texture will be par-cooked with 1 cup of water, very soft with 2 cups- I prefer 1 ½ cups of water for slightly chewy 'al dente' rice) ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Should I soak wild rice before cooking? ›
Quick Notes: Wild rice is actually a grass, not a grain. You don't need to soak wild rice, but you can if you want to shorten the cooking time.
How much dry wild rice for 1 cup cooked? ›
1 cup uncooked wild rice = 3–4 cups cooked wild rice… that's 6-8 servings from just one cup uncooked wild rice!
What happens if you don't rinse wild rice before cooking? ›
Step 1: Rinse the Rice
Pour a cup of wild rice into a mesh sieve and give it a good rinse. This will rid the rice of any starch that's lingering on the outside of the grain. This extra starch can make your rice—be it wild or any other kind—gummy once it cooks.
Can you overcook wild rice? ›
Wild Rice should be cooked until it puffs and the inside, lighter portion of the grain can be seen. Overcooking may cause mushiness. To keep the grains of rice from sticking together for use in cold salads, toss four cups of cooked wild rice with one tablespoon of cooking oil.
How to tell if wild rice is done? ›
The wild rice grains will pop open when they're done and will have a chewy “al dente” feel when you taste it. You don't want any crunch left, but also don't want it to be mushy. Once it's cooked, turn off the heat and leave the wild rice covered for an additional 15 minutes.
How much uncooked wild rice makes 2 cups cooked? ›
Wild rice expands three to four times after cooking. One cup uncooked (6 ounces) will yield about 3-4 cups cooked. One pound uncooked wild rice measures about 2 2/3 cups and will yield about 8 to 10 cups cooked.
Why does wild rice take longer to cook? ›
Black wild rice is essentially the whole grain, having most of the bran layer in place. As a result, the rice will take longer to cook, about 45 minutes, and be chewier when finished. Brown wild rice has had some of the bran layer removed and consequently cooks in less time, taking only about 30 minutes.
What happens if you don't soak rice before cooking? ›
Soaking is optional, but we recommend it! Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally-occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Add rice to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (1 cup rice + 2-3 cups water).
If your rice has absorbed too much liquid, the grains may have split and the starches may have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency. One way to fix that? Add even more liquid. Pour in some milk, a dash of vanilla, and spoonful of sugar, and suddenly your mushy rice is a rich rice pudding.
Is wild rice healthier than white rice? ›
white rice. When comparing wild, brown, and white rice for nutritional purposes, wild rice comes out on top. Wild rice has less calories, less fat, and less carbohydrates than both brown and white rice. It is also a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids.
How much water for 2 cups of wild rice? ›
What's the water to rice ratio for wild rice? Although it's pricey, the good news is that with a 1 to 4 ratio (1 cup wild rice to 4 cups water) you get a big bang for your buck. One cup of raw wild rice translates to about 4 cups of cooked wild rice.
Is wild rice good for diabetics? ›
Wild rice is a good source of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). Some research has indicated that ALA is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes. It may boost the body's ability to produce insulin and reduce the symptoms of diabetic nerve damage. Like most grains, wild rice is highly effective when it comes to reducing hunger.
Why is my wild rice still hard? ›
Maybe you took the lid off of the pot too early, letting the steam escape. Maybe you didn't add enough liquid to begin with. Whatever the case, if your rice is looking dried out, or the texture is still hard or crunchy when all the liquid has been absorbed, add up to ½ cup water and return to a simmer with the lid on.
Is wild rice supposed to be a little crunchy? ›
Another noticeable difference is the texture; cooked wild rice has a chewier, slightly more crunchy texture than white rice varieties, but it does soften with longer cooking times. Known for its toasty, nutty taste, it has a stronger flavour than white and brown rice.
Does wild rice double in size when cooked? ›
Wild rice expands three to four times after cooking. One cup uncooked (6 ounces) will yield about 3-4 cups cooked. One pound uncooked wild rice measures about 2 2/3 cups and will yield about 8 to 10 cups cooked. Wild rice can be served hot, warm or chilled.
