How to Cook Wild Rice
Wild rice is one of my favorite ingredients for making healthy side dishes, delicious soups and festive salads. My easy method for how to cook wild rice makes perfect rice, every time!
I love having easy recipes for cooking basic grains and rice at my fingertips! I also refer to these recipes often: How to Cook Rice, How to Cook Brown Rice, How to Cook Quinoa and How to Cook Farro.
We’re Making this Wild Rice on Repeat
I love the earthy, nutty flavor of wild rice, as well as its pleasantly chewy texture. Compared to white rice or brown rice, wild rice has a bit of a bite to it texture-wise, which makes it hold up especially well in a variety of dishes. I love it in this Wild Rice Salad, and it’s also a lovely addition to casseroles and soups (like this Slow Cooker Wild Rice Soup).
I’ll often cook a pot of wild rice to serve as a simple side dish with baked chicken or baked salmon. I like to dress up the rice with a bit of olive oil, lemon zest and fresh herbs. If you’re feeling fancy you can add some dried cranberries and sliced almonds or toasted pecans, or even roasted butternut squash or roasted Brussels sprouts.
Tip!
For this recipe, I recommend buying 100% wild rice, not a wild rice blend. Pure wild rice has the best earthy, nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture. If you only have a wild rice blend on hand, however, the same cooking method can be used, but the rice may cook slightly faster.
How to Cook Wild Rice
To start, bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot. You’ll want to use a pot that has a tight-fitting lid, since you’ll cover the rice while it rests after cooking. For now, just set the lid aside. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the water to flavor the rice as it cooks.
While you wait for the water to boil, rinse the rice well under cold running water. I use 1 cup of rice per 6 cups of water.
1 cup of dry wild rice will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice.
Then boil the rice, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it. I like to taste a few grains to check for doneness. Another way to know when wild rice is done is that some of the grains will have split open and look sort of like open hot dog buns. (The cook time can vary depending on the wild rice you use and how fresh it is.)
Finally, let it rest. Pour the rice into a strainer and drain it very well. Immediately return the cooked rice to the hot empty pot and cover it with the lid. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Then fluff the rice with a fork or spoon and serve as desired.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Cooked wild rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: Cooked wild rice can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to freeze rice in portion sizes that are enough for one meal. Either thaw the rice overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat before serving, or add frozen rice directly to soup.
How to Cook Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 cup wild rice
Instructions
- Bring water (and salt, if using) to a boil in a 3 quart or larger saucepan or pot. (Make sure to use a pot that has a tight-fitting lid, since you will need to cover the rice while it rests after cooking.)
- Meanwhile, place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it well under cold running water.
- Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle rolling boil. Boil the rice, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it (I like to taste a few grains to check for doneness.) When the rice is done, some of the grains will have split open and look sort of like open hot dog buns. (The cook time can vary depending on the wild rice you use and how fresh it is.)
- Turn off the heat. Pour the rice into a strainer and drain it very well. Immediately return the rice to the hot empty pot and cover with the lid. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Fluff the wild rice and serve.
Notes
- 1 cup of dry rice will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice.
- To store: Cooked wild rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in portions that are enough for one meal.
