Wild rice stuffing with apples and cranberries is a standard Thanksgiving side dish many American families serve alongside their turkey (or Cornish game hens, in the case of our family), gravy, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce. Like many of you, it’s a staple holiday dish on our holiday table.

Wild rice is hearty and nutritious on its own, which is why it makes the perfect addition to soups (i.e. my Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup) and salads (i.e my Vegan Wild Rice Salad), but the addition of apples and cranberries truly takes this dish to another level. The nuttiness is met with natural sweetness, the earthiness with tart, the richness with freshness. It is sure to be the perfect side dish of your holiday spread!

Wild rice stuffing recipe placed in a bowl from the top view

For past Thanksgiving dinners, I’ve always served my crowd-pleaser recipes wild rice salad or wild rice pilaf, as one of my side dishes, and they have always been a huge hit. But this year, I have totally fallen head over heels for this old New York Times wild rice stuffing recipe and will be making the swap with this as my star rice side dish.

Plus, it is a gluten-free stuffing recipe that happens to be vegan, so you can easily serve this to your guests who are following a gluten-free and/or vegan diet.

Wild Rice vs Wild Rice Blend – Which one should I use?

Many people are intimidated to cook rice beyond the white and brown varieties they’ve eaten their whole lives. But there’s no need to be intimidated by the healthier and cleaner cousin in this grain family — wild rice.

I dedicated an entire blog post to show you how to cook wild rice perfectly and also covered the benefits of incorporating this grain into your diet, storage tips, and recipes to pair with it. Consider this your go-to guide for this healthy side dish, but I’ll go over some of the basics here.

A bowl of wild rice blend with a spoon on the side

With that being said, in this wild rice dressing recipe, I used Lundberg wild rice blend (affiliate link). I have been a fan of it since I started cooking wild rice blend in Instant pot and enjoy the various textures coming from the combination of long-grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, wild rice, red rice, and black rice. As listed on their website, it’s also certified organic, non-GMO, kosher, and gluten-free.

If you do not have an instant pot, you can cook it on the stove top as well. Compared to the pressure cooking method, it takes 15 minutes longer to cook this way but the good part is that neither methods require soaking in advance.

Additionally, while I used wild rice blend this recipe would work with only wild rice as the base as well.

Ingredients:

Ingredients for the wild rice dressing recipe from the top

Once the wild rice blend is cooked and ready, you will need onion, celery, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, butter, cored and cubed apples, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped pecans, and dried cranberries, along with butter, vegetable oil, and cooking liquid for the wild rice (vegetable or chicken stock is best).

The sprinkling of fresh sage and pomegranate seeds is optional, but I highly recommend including them if at all possible as they add a fresh bite of herby and fruity flavor to the rich, savory wild rice stuffing.

A Few Helpful Tips for the Ingredients

  • Cook your wild rice blend with chicken or vegetable broth. This Thanksgiving side dish can be made vegetarian by opting for vegetable stock and serving as a dressing or casserole. Or, if your family eats meat, you could cook it with chicken broth and bake it inside of your turkey as a traditional stuffing.
    If you want to take it up a notch, you can add a bay leaf into the cooking liquid for extra flavor, but be sure to remove it before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Do I have to peel my apples? This is more of a personal choice. I personally like to keep it on because (1) I am lazy, and (2) it adds an addition of color to the overall dish.
  • No apples, no problem: You can also make a variation of this recipe by using pears instead of apples. Simply use two firm (not-so-ripe) pears and turn this into a delicious cranberry pear wild rice stuffing. 
  • Any fresh herbs you have on hand would work. I used fresh sage as it is a classic stuffing flavor we all love but other herbs like fresh parsley or thyme would also work.
  • Add pomegranate arils for color. As you can see in the pictures, I garnished it with a handful of pomegranate arils for a pop of color and some additional sweetness/ However, it is optional.
  • Add more veggies to your liking! Sliced or chopped carrots would work beautifully in this vegan wild rice stuffing recipe, as would shallots or leeks (in the place of onion), a chopped bell pepper, and even minced sautéed mushrooms. It’s truly up to you!
  • It is also optional, but if you want to brighten it up you can add in a teaspoon of orange zest to compliment the sweet apple and cranberry flavors.

How To Make It?

  1. Cook the wild rice blend: As I mentioned earlier, you can use my Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend recipe or cook it on the stovetop by following the instructions on the packaging to cook it. Once it is cooked, let it rest for 10-15 minutes of the heat and fluff it with a fork.
  2. Get your oven ready: While your rice is resting, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
Person sautéing onions and apples to make this recipe
  1. Saute the aromatics: Add the chopped onion, chopped celery, salt, and black pepper to a large skillet prepared with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Saute until the veggies are softened but not translucent. You want them to maintain some bite while they bake in the stuffing. Stir in your minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until you can smell the garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Don’t you dare wash that pan! You’ll do away with all of the flavors we just created with those sauteed veggies.
  2. Saute apple: In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of butter over medium heat and add the cubed, apples and sauté. Stir frequently until it turns light golden brown, then remove from heat and squeeze in the lemon juice.
All ingredients are placed in a bowl and person mixing them.
  1. Combine everything in a bowl: Combine the cooked apples and wild rice blend in the large bowl housing the sautéed veggies. Add the remaining ingredients; chopped pecans, dried cranberries, chopped fresh sage, and then give it a gentle, but thorough, toss.
Wild rice turkey stuffing recipe in a casserole dish before it goes into the oven
  1. Transfer to a baking dish: Transfer the cooked rice mixture to a prepared 9×11 casserole dish and warm in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. This isn’t to cook anything, but rather to warm all of the ingredients and help them meld together. 
  2. Garnish: Turn off your oven, and remove the wild rice stuffing casserole. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, chopped fresh sage, and pecans.
  3. Serve: Enjoy it right away or cover it with foil to keep it warm.
Wild rice dressing in a casserole dish with two spoons in the bowl for serving

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing Instructions

One of my favorite aspects of this gluten-free stuffing recipe is that it can be made ahead of time, which all of you Thanksgiving hosts and hostesses can appreciate. Anything to cut down on the amount of cooking to be done on Turkey Day, am I right?

To turn this easy side dish into a make-ahead wild rice stuffing recipe, follow these freezing and reheating instructions:

  • To freeze: Cook this wild rice stuffing as directed in the recipe, then let it cool completely and come to room temperature. Omit the pomegranate seeds and save those for when you serve the stuffing. Ideally, you would freeze this in a container that is both freezer- and oven-safe, but you could always freeze it in a plastic container or even a plastic Ziplock bag and then transfer it to a disposable or glass baking dish when you’re ready to reheat.
  • To reheat: Let the frozen wild rice stuffing first thaw completely in the fridge overnight. The day of serving, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before baking. Then, transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish. If needed, add in a splash of vegetable broth to moisten. Bake at 325 for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until thoroughly warmed through. Top with pomegranate seeds, fresh sage, and chopped pecans before serving.
  • To Store leftovers: The wild rice turkey stuffing recipe below make a good 9-10 cups of stuffing. If you have any leftovers, you can store the unconsumed wild rice stuffing in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to serve, transfer it to a casserole dish and heat it in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 25-30 minutes to heat it thoroughly.

But trust me, it won’t last that long! Garnish with additional pomegranate seeds before re-serving, if desired.

What Pairs Well with This Recipe?

There you have it friends, a delicious and easy-to-make wild rice apple cranberry stuffing recipe that you can make to stuff your turkey or serve it as a dressing. 

I am serving it as a side dish with roasted Cornish hens (or Air Fried Cornish Hens), but you can serve it with any chicken or turkey recipe you like.

Additionally, if you liked this gluten-free rice stuffing recipe, then you might also enjoy checking out my collection of holiday side dishes or pick from my favorites below:

FAQs:

What’s the Difference Between Wild Rice Stuffing, Wild Rice Dressing, and Wild Rice Casserole?

The terms “stuffing” and “dressing” are often used interchangeably, and they have become synonymous with each other (Northerners tend to make stuffing, and Southerners make dressing), but they are distinctly different in terms of how they’re cooked.
According to the New York Times, a true stuffing is prepared and baked inside of a Thanksgiving turkey. If you were to do this with this wild rice stuffing recipe, you would need to literally stuff it inside the emptied body cavity of your raw, seasoned bird before you place it in the oven to roast. 

What is the ideal weight of turkey for this stuffing?

This recipe makes around 9-10 cups of wild rice stuffing, which should be good for a 12-14 pounds turkey.
If you choose to prepare it this way and make wild rice stuffing for turkey, I recommend reserving a cup or two of the liquid you cooked the wild rice blend with so you can stir it into the stuffing if needed once you have removed it from the turkey and placed it in a serving dish, as it may dry out a bit after cooking for so long. 
However, the turkey itself should prevent this from happening and its juices that cookout will add a ton of savory poultry flavor to your side dish.
A dressing or a casserole, on the other hand, is traditionally prepared more like this recipe is – cooked and prepared separately from your turkey and warmed through in a baking dish. It’s more synonymous with a casserole. No matter what you call it, you can’t go wrong with this recipe!

If you try this Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

Adapted from this New York Times’ Wild Rice Stuffing recipe with minimal changes to the original recipe.

Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

4.82 from 11 votes
Yields8 servings
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
The best wild rice stuffing recipe flavored with apples and cranberries. This gluten free rice stuffing great for stuffing your turkey (or chicken) or serve it as a dressing (or casserole) with your turkey (or any other meat dishes).

Ingredients 

For The Wild Rice Blend:

  • 2 cups wild rice blend, I use Lundberg Wild Rice Blend
  • Cooking liquid, water, vegetable or chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For The Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped – approximately 1 cup
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped – approximately 1 cup
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 apples, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes (no need to peel)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, roughly chopped – Plus more as garnish
  • Handful of pomegranate arils for color, optional

Instructions 

  • Cook the wild rice blend according to package directions, using broth instead of water. When the cooking is done, take it off the heat and let it rest with the lid on for about 10-15 minutes. *
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan. Add in the onion, celery, salt and pepper and saute until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer into a large bowl and set aside. Do not wash the pan.
  • Heat butter over medium heat in the now-empty pan and add in the apple cubes. Sautee, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.
  • Place the cooked apples and wild rice blend into the bowl with the onion and celery mixture. Add in the pecans, cranberries, and sage. Give it a toss.
  • Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and warm in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
  • Garnish with pomegranate arils (if using) and chopped sage. Serve.

Notes

  • *Alternatively, if you have an electric pressure cooker (like Instant Pot), you can use my Instant Pot wild rice blend recipe to cook wild rice. 
  • This wild rice stuffing recipe makes around 9-10 cups of stuffing, which I think is ideal for serving 8 people. This amount is generally enough for a 12-14 pound turkey. The nutritional values below are per serving.
  • Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions:
    • To freeze: Cook this wild rice stuffing as directed in the recipe, then let it cool completely and come to room temperature. Omit the pomegranate seeds and save those for when you serve the stuffing. Ideally, you would freeze this in a container that is both freezer- and oven-safe, but you could always freeze it in a plastic container or even a plastic Ziplock bag and then transfer it to a disposable or glass baking dish when you’re ready to reheat.
    • To reheat: Let the frozen wild rice stuffing first thaw completely in the fridge overnight. The day of serving, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before baking. Then, transfer it to an oven-safe baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 for approx.. 25-30 minutes, or until thoroughly warmed through. Remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking so some of the moisture evaporates and the top browns. Top with pomegranate seeds before serving.
    • You can also make a batch, bring it to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Simply, transfer it to a casserole dish and heat it in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 25-30 minutes to heat it thoroughly.
    • The best way to store leftovers: The wild rice turkey stuffing recipe below make a good 9-10 cups of stuffing. If you have any left overs, you can store the unconsumed wild rice stuffing in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @foolproofliving or tag #foolproofeats!

About Aysegul Sanford

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4.82 from 11 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is the best stuffing I’ve ever had, with no exceptions. Lots of prep chopping, but simple to make. I put half in the bird and baked half by itself, so the vegetarians and the omnivores were all happy. Made it kosher by using margarine instead of butter.

    1. YAY! I am happy to hear that you liked it Keren.
      Thanks for coming by, sharing your experience and taking the time to leave a review.

  2. My oven on Thanksgiving Day will be full. I want to make this and freeze. I assume rewarming in a microwave would also work ok? Maybe at half-power?

    1. Hello Eddie,
      We are making this Wild Rice Stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving as well. I hope that you like it as much as we do.
      To answer your question:
      I would prep the recipe exactly as written but do not add the apples, nuts and cranberries a day or two in advance. Bring it to room temperature, place in an airtight container and freeze. Then thaw it in the fridge overnight (on Wednesday.) Prior to warming it up, you can mix in the apples, nuts, and cranberries.
      We highly recommend that you warm it up in the oven (perhaps while the turkey is resting) but if you only have the option for warming it in the microwave, then we recommend mixing it with a few tablespoons of water so it won’t dry out. When it comes to warming large amounts of rice (and food in general), my rule of thumb is to warm it up in 30 second increments and mixing it after each session to ensure it is not drying.
      As you do that, if you feel like it needs a bit more liquid, then you can easily add and continue to reheat until it is fully heated through.
      I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can answer any other questions.
      Happy Thanksgiving.
      Aysegul

  3. 3 stars
    Too many flavors contradicting each other. I’m going to leave out the pecans next time and maybe add slightly more apples and craisins. It has a lot of potential.

    1. Hey Naomi,
      Though I have never tried it, I think you can use fresh cranberries in this wild rice stuffing. The only thing that I would say is that it would probably be a bit tangy. However, I think the sweetness coming from apples would do a good job of balancing the flavors. In terms of the liquid, you don’t really add any liquid to the recipe. The only liquid used in the recipe is for cooking the wild rice.
      Did this answer your question? Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
      Cheers!
      Aysegul

  4. 5 stars
    This is amazing! Made it exactly as outlined. My whole family loved it, and wonderful to have a gluten free alternative.

  5. 5 stars
    I just tested this recipe for our Thanksgiving dinner and I have to say that it is a winner. I would change nothing, the recipe as it is written is perfect. The only change I made was to use chicken stock (as you suggested). Thank you.

  6. 5 stars
    Ummmm THANK YOU! I needed a side dish to take to a family gathering and wasn’t sure what to make until I saw this. I made it and SO glad that I did because everyone LOVED it!