How to Cook Wild Rice (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook wild rice? ›

Place wild rice, water (or stock), and salt in a saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Put the lid on and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let is simmer for 40-45 minutes. You will know that it is cooked when some of the kernels are burst open.

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)

1 cup uncooked wild rice = 3–4 cups cooked wild rice… that's 6-8 servings from just one cup uncooked wild rice!

Just like with any other type of rice, it's a good idea to rinse the rice before cooking. 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.

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.

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.

Wild rice is a type of wheatgrass. Wild rice is healthier than brown or white rice because it has more dietary fiber and protein. When thinking of wild rice, what do you imagine?

Because of its unique harvesting needs (learn more about it here), wild rice is significantly more expensive than brown rice. In fact, it's one of the most expensive grains. In Washington State, as of January 2023, wild rice costs $5.16 per pound and brown rice costs 80 cents a pound.

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.

Fair warning, though: Wild rice requires a little longer cooking time than most rices. The black grains are long and slender, and cook to a chewy texture with a pronounced nutty, earthy flavor.

How long do you cook wild rice for compared to white rice? ›

Substitute wild rice in most recipes that call for white or brown rice. Simply allow more time for precooking, or an additional 30 minutes of cooking time for oven dishes. For firmer texture, decrease cooking time five to ten minutes. For fluffier, more tender rice, increase cooking time five to ten minutes.

1 cup of uncooked rice makes 2 cups of cooked rice, so if you want 1 cup of cooked rice, use 1/2 cup uncooked rice. Use double the liquid, meaning for every cup of uncooked rice you need 2 cups of water or whatever liquid you are using. So if you want one cup cooked rice, use 1/2 cup uncooked rice and one cup water.

One cup of uncooked wild rice makes about three cups of cooked rice. Figure on about a quarter cup of uncooked rice per person. So to serve four, use a cup of rice, three cups of water and maybe a teaspoon of salt. After the water comes to a boil, drop in the rice and turn heat down to a gentle simmer.

Most folks say that 1 cup of uncooked rice yields 3 cups of cooked rice. This may be true for white rice, but brown rice yields slightly less volume than white rice. We've found the ratio is closer to 1 to 2½ cups uncooked to cooked rice.