Cranberry Orange Wild Rice Pilaf bursts with juicy oranges, dried cranberries, and crunchy apples finished in a simple orange honey vinaigrette.
author’s note
The Side Dish That Outshined the Turkey!
After testing my Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup, I ended up with a whole bag of leftover wild rice. I knew I wanted to use it in something festive, but I wasn’t sure what. That’s when it hit me: a holiday-inspired wild rice pilaf!
I thought about the flavors in my Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, then whipped up a new citrusy vinaigrette to tie everything together. The result? A vibrant, hearty pilaf that I honestly can’t stop making. This one has officially earned a permanent spot on my holiday table.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Notes / Swaps |
|---|---|
| Wild rice blend | A blend is lighter than straight wild rice and cooks up fluffier. I recommend Lundberg if you can find it. Don’t confuse wild rice with black rice—they’re different. |
| Chicken broth | Infuses the rice with more depth. Veggie broth works for a vegetarian version. |
| Dried cranberries | Tart cherries or golden raisins also work well in this wild rice pilaf. |
| Clementine oranges | Sweeter than most citrus. Tangerines or mandarins are good backups. |
| Apples | Honeycrisp or Fuji are sweet-tart and crisp. Granny Smith gives more tang. |
| Pecans & pepitas | Toasted nuts and seeds add crunch. Walnuts or sunflower seeds make good swaps. |
| Fresh parsley | Flat-leaf is best for flavor. Curly parsley is mostly decorative. |
How To Make Wild Rice Pilaf:
- Cook rice: Simmer rice in broth with seasonings until tender, then cool completely.
- Add-ins: Chop apples, celery, oranges, and parsley. Toast nuts if you’d like.
- Dressing: Whisk (or shake in a jar) clementine juice, zest, Dijon, honey, and olive oil.
- Assemble: Toss cooled rice with fruit, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Drizzle with dressing.
- Serve: Fresh is best, but it holds for a few hours in the fridge.
Storage
The assembled wild rice pilaf holds well in the fridge for about 4 hours, but after that the apples brown and the nuts soften. If you’re making ahead, keep components separate and toss together just before serving.
More Holiday Side Dishes:
Side Dishes
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Side Dishes
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Salads
Spinach Salad Recipe
One Pan / One Pot
Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Wild Rice Pilaf
This vibrant cranberry-orange Wild Rice Pilaf features wild rice, juicy clementines, sweet cranberries, and crisp apples, all tossed in a zesty orange-honey vinaigrette. A perfect burst of flavor in every bite!
Video
Equipment
- Medium pot nonstick
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
Wild Rice
- 1 cup wild rice blend I use Lundberg
- 1-3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pilaf
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery 2 to 3 stalks
- 3 clementine oranges I like Cuties and Halo
- 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 large apple Fuji or Honeycrisp
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice optional
- 1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped, see note 1
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/3 cup roasted and salted pepitas
Dressing
- 1 clementine orange
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the wild rice blend in a fine mesh sieve with cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium nonstick pot, add water, mustard, butter, salt, parsley, pepper, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then add rinsed rice. Cover and reduce heat to low (just above the lowest low setting). Simmer 45–60 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (stir occasionally, returning the pot lid as soon as stirring is done). Add additional water if rice has absorbed all the liquid and is still not tender.
- Check if rice is done at 45 minutes and every 5–10 minutes after that (my stovetop takes about 50–55 minutes). If rice is tender but still has liquid left, drain off additional liquid. Once tender, remove the pot from the burner, leaving the lid on, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Cover and chill in fridge until cooled through.
- Zest and juice a clementine to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Combine clementine juice and zest with all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Seal and shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to dress.
- Prep the pilaf ingredients: Cut celery stalks in half width-wise, then thinly slice. Peel clementines and separate into segments, then cut segments in half. Finely chop parsley. Peel (if desired; I leave peel on) the apple and finely chop. Squeeze fresh lemon over all. Coarsely chop pecans.
- Add everything to the large bowl with the chilled wild rice—celery, clementines, parsley, apple, pecans, dried cranberries, and pepitas. Toss gently to combine. Drizzle dressing over everything to your desired preference (you may not want to use all the dressing). Gently toss again, then taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes before serving. Gently toss again to combine and serve.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If desired, toast pecans before chopping and adding to the pilaf. Spread the (un-chopped) pecans in an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil) pan over medium heat and stir them around a bit until they are fragrant and toasted to your liking. Watch them carefully; they can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in an instant! I remove them as soon as they begin to smell fragrant.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 751mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 1339IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
Want to turn this wild rice pialf into a full meal? Toss in shredded rotisserie chicken or thinly sliced grilled chicken. I’ve also loved this pilaf served alongside grilled flank steak.
