Posted Apr 06, 2022, Updated Feb 18, 2024 I often find myself needed a starch or grain to serve with dinner (like this slow cooker pot roast, turkey meatloaf, etc). Enter this almond wild rice recipe! It is a healthy, hearty side dish that my entire family loves. In this wild rice recipe, rice is cooked and then tossed into a mixture of butter-toasted almonds, onions and garlic. It is a simple and flavorful side dish that you’ll find yourself making again and again.
Wild Rice Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
Wild rice blend. we prefer a blend of wild/brown rice, but you can use black wild rice, or even brown rice. Salted butter. unsalted butter or olive oil can be used in place of salted butter. Onion. Many varieties of onion can be used including sweet onions, yellow onions and red onions. Minced Garlic. jarred or fresh minced garlic both work well in this recipe. Slivered almonds. Use blanched, slivered almonds for the best texture and taste. You can also use sliced almonds. If you are allergic to almonds you can substitute another nut, or leave them out.
How to Make Wild Rice
Let’s walk through how to cook wild rice step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. Begin this recipe by cooking the wild rice. To do this, add the wild rice, water and salt to a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions. (Note: it usually takes around 45 minutes to cook wild rice, so plan accordingly). Do not rush the cooking process. Once the rice has finished cooking, add butter onion and garlic to a large nonstick pan and sauté for 1 minute until butter is melted. Then, add the slivered almonds and cook until they just begin to brown (about 2 minutes). Once the almonds are nice and toasted, add the cooked wild rice and stir to combine.
Serve
Serve the wild rice warm with a garnish of fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, etc. (if desired) with your favorite dinner recipes. Some of my favorite dishes that pair well with this recipe are:
Roasted vegetables. I could eat just sides most of the time! I love roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted brussels sprouts, etc. Baked chicken breasts and hummus chicken both pair well with this almond wild rice. Serve it with this crockpot roast if you’re looking for something lighter than mashed potatoes (but yum).
Store/Freeze
Store any leftover almond wild rice in an airtight contianer in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
