This gluten-free Wild Rice Stuffing has all the classic stuffing flavors without the filler! It's filled with dried cranberries, sautéed veggies, and toasted pecans for a delicious side dish everyone can enjoy! Guests will be raving about this bread-less alternative at your next holiday gathering! It’s also vegan and can be made nut-free!
Leave the bread for the biscuits and make this gluten-free wild rice stuffing instead.
The dried herbs and sautéed celery and onion give this recipe a classic “stuffing” flavor. And the dried cranberries offer a hint of sweetness while the pecans add a nutty crunch to the dish.
With its traditional holiday flavor, your guests are sure to be asking for the recipe!
As you may already know, I’m a fan of one-pot recipes. And since this wild rice stuffing recipe can easily be made in one pot, it's a holiday keeper!
Ingredients Notes and Substitutes
A few ingredients bring this gluten-free side dish together.
Full amounts and printable recipe are in the recipe card below.
- Wild rice blend – Any wild rice blend is fine. You can also use all brown rice or all wild rice, but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Celery and Onion. The celery and onion should be diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Vegetable Broth – I use boxed vegetable broth, but bouillon cubes are another great option.
- Poultry Seasoning – If you don't have poultry seasoning on hand it can be substituted with a mix of oregano, basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme. The measurements are in the notes of the recipe card below.
- Garlic powder – Any brand will do.
- Salt – I use Himalayan pink salt. It measures the same as table salt so, feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Dried Cranberries – Any brand of dried cranberries will do. You can also swap them out for raisins or another dried fruit.
- Toasted Pecan – Pecans are super easy to toast. How-to instructions are below and in the recipe card.
Instructions
This wild rice stuffing comes together in 3 simple steps.
Step 1. Sauté the celery and onion in a large lidded pot. Once they have softened a bit add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer.
Step 2. Once the broth has cooked down test the rice for tenderness. If it is still on the firm side add a bit more broth and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Step 3. Mix in the dried cranberries and toasted pecans. Then top with finely chopped fresh parsley and serve.
How do I toast pecans?
The pecans are toasted in a dry (no oil) pan until they have browned and are giving off a toasted aroma. This should take less than 5 minutes and is best done just before serving.
Allow the nuts to fully cool before chopping and adding to the stuffing.
Optional add-ins
- diced apples
- cooked sweet potato, cubed
- sautéed mushrooms
- dried cherries
- dried apricots
- raisins
- toasted walnuts
- almond slivers
To keep this holiday dish nut-free and completely allergy-friendly, simply leave the pecans out or replace them with another nut-free option from above.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great make-ahead recipe!
Prepare the rice using the instructions in the recipe card below. Leave out the cranberries and pecans to keep the dish fresh for serving.
Store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place the cold rice in an oven-safe dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 20-30 minutes or until the rice stuffing is heated throughout.
Add the dried cranberries and toasted pecans before serving.
We'd love to hear from you!
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See ya there!
Recipe
Wild Rice Stuffing (gluten-free and vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil for sautéing, or water
- 2 cups wild rice blend
- 4 cups vegetable broth, I use low-sodium (see notes for Instant Pot)
- 2 Tablespoon dried poultry seasonings
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
- handful of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Use the sauté feature to toast the pecans in a dry Instant Pot (without any oil or water). Cook for 3-5 minutes constantly moving them around. Once they have browned and have a toasted aroma remove them from the Instant Pot. Set aside to fully cool before chopping.
- Now, add the diced onion, celery, and neutral oil (or water) to the inner pot. Sauté until they begin to soften and become fragrant.
- Add the rice, only 3 cups of broth, garlic, poultry seasoning, and salt to the pot.
- Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Allow it to naturally release pressure for at least 20 minutes.
- Carefully open the lid and mix in the cranberries, pecans, and, any other mix-ins you’d like.
- Serve immediately garnished with finely chopped parsley.
- Tip: If you plan on making this recipe ahead, leave out the pecans, cranberries, and other mix-ins until just before serving to keep them fresh.
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the diced onion and celery in neutral vegetable oil or water until it begins to soften.
- Add the rice, broth, garlic, poultry seasoning, and salt to the pot.
- Bring it to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
- While the rice simmers, toast the pecans in a dry pan over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes constantly moving them around. Once they have browned and have a toasted aroma remove them from the pan to fully cool before chopping.
- Remove the pot of wild rice stuffing from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
- Mix in the cranberries, pecans, and any other add-ins you’d like.
- Serve immediately garnished with finely chopped parsley.
- Tip: If you plan on making this recipe ahead, leave out the pecans, cranberries, and other mix-ins until just before serving to keep them fresh.
Notes
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Shauna
This is so delicious! I brought it to Friendsgiving, and am making it again today gif lunch bowls all week. I used 3/4 wild rice abd 1/4 brown rice, added mushrooms and subbed sliced almonds for the pecans. It works well with these changes! Absolutely love it.
Marlena Luna
That is so great to hear, Shauna!! Your substitutions sound delicious, I may have to use sliced almonds next time!
Maureen
Made it for Thanksgiving as a stuffing-alternative for GF guests. Used your DIY poultry seasoning recipe and slivered almonds instead of pecans. A huge hit! Several people told me they liked it better than the stuffing.
Marlena Luna
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Maureen!! I'm so glad the recipe was a hit!
Marissa
I made this rice as directed but it came out very mushy, any recommendation on how to fix that?
Marlena Luna
If the rice was rinsed first, it will add extra liquid and cause the cooked dish to become mushy. I suggest adding the rice in unrinsed and dry. If the rice wasn't rinsed I suggest reducing the broth by 1/4-1/2 cup depending on how much extra liquid there was.
Donna C.
I am allergic to all nuts. I absolutely love this recipe. Could I replace the pecans with pepitas?
Marlena Luna
Absolutely, pepitas sound like a great nut replacement.
Linda
I am so happy I found this recipe. I make it all the time and my family loves it!! It’s amazing!!!
Marlena Luna
Yay! That's great to hear!! :)
Silvia
I made this recipe for my thanksgiving dinner and come out fantastic!
Marlena Luna
That’s wonderful to hear!