Cranberry Wild Rice

W is for Wild Rice!

Cranberry Wild Rice is a tasty side made with a colorful rice blend, dried cranberries, and a little crunch from pepitas. It’s easy to make and goes just as well on a weeknight dinner table as it does alongside a holiday meal.

I used Lundberg Family Farms Wild Rice Blend for this recipe, but any wild rice will work. Just be sure to follow the cooking directions on your package, since water amounts and cook times vary between brands.

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What you’ll need

• 1 cup wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Family Farms) plus water called for on package
• 1 large shallot, small dice
• ½ cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons pepitas

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How to Make It

1. Cook the wild rice according to the directions on your package. 

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced shallot, cranberries, and thyme and cook until the shallot is soft and fragrant.

3. Drain the rice if needed, then stir it into the skillet along with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Transfer the rice to a serving platter and sprinkle with pepitas

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Tips & Tricks

• Add brightness with a little orange zest or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Use broth instead of water for extra flavor.
• Pepitas provide crunch but chopped pecans or walnuts would be great too.
• Stir in a fresh herb like parsley just before serving for color and freshness.

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If you try this Cranberry Wild Rice, leave a comment or rating to let me know how it turned out. You might also enjoy our Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette or Roasted Squash and Rice Salad.

Thanks again to Wendy for hosting the challenge! Scroll down to see what the other bloggers are sharing for the letter W, and if you want to catch up on everything I’ve made so far, you can find all my recipes here: Alphabet Challenge 2025.

 

Cranberry Wild Rice

Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

• 1 cup wild rice blend plus water called for on package, see note
• 1 large shallot, small dice
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons pepitas

Instructions

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, sauté the shallot, cranberries and thyme in oil until the shallot is tender.
3. Drain rice if needed, then stir into shallot mixture along with the garlic powder, salt, pepper.
4. Move to serving platter and sprinkle with pepitas.

Notes

I used Lundberg Family Farms Wild Rice Blend.

cranberry brown rice, easy side dish,

Side dishes

American

 

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