How to Make Wild Rice

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According to Wikipedia, wild rice is a wildflower called fritillaria camschatcensis and is sometimes called “Indian rice”, “wild rice”. “Canada rice” and “water oats”.  Here in North America we eat wild rice as a delicacy. We enjoy it in soups, pilafs, casseroles and in many other types of recipes.

I like to pre-cook my wild rice and freeze it for later use. That way I’m ready to make a fast recipe that typically would take a lot longer to make.

Let me show you how to make Wild Rice.

In a large pot or bowl filled with water, rinse the wild rice thoroughly. Stir the rice, and then use a spoon to remove any grass or debris that floats to the top. This wild rice looked pretty good. I didn’t have anything to remove.

Bring water (or broth) and a dash of salt to a full boil in a large saucepan.

The liquid to wild rice ratio is 4 parts liquid to 1 part uncooked wild rice. You drain the excess water, unlike traditional rice. I used 2 cups uncooked wild rice and 8 cups water.

After it comes to a full rolling boil, add the pre-rinsed wild rice.

Add 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and stir to combine.  Bring the rice and liquid to a boil again (that should happen within about 3 minutes or so), then lower the heat to a low simmer.

Place the lid on the saucepan, and cook the rice until it begins to get puffy and begins to split. This will take about 45-minutes to one hour. After 45-minutes have passed, taste to see what the texture is. If it’s firmer than you like, cook it for a few more minutes. 

Remove the cover, and fluff the wild rice with a fork. Simmer the mixture — with the cover off — for an additional five minutes.

Pour the rice into a colander to drain excess liquid.

Refrigerate and use rice within 2 days or place in a zip-top freezer bag to store in freezer for up to a few months.

CLICK HERE for some of my recipes that use wild rice.