Packed with warm and delicious fall flavors, this Apple Pecan Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf Instant Pot recipe makes a wonderfully filling and comforting dish that's great for just about any occasion!
Made with a naturally nutty wild rice blend, fresh apple, apple juice, sweet craisins, chopped pecans, and a hint of dijon mustard, this sweet and savory dish is irresistable!
It can be eaten as a side dish for your holiday table, an appetizer for a dinner party, or, my favorite, as a hearty lunch rice bowl.
With so many chewy textures and flavors, this wild rice pilaf is amazing.
We first found this recipe when looking for an alternative to potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner.
I know it's a step outside of the norm, but sometimes I like to shake it up a bit! This is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, special occasions, or for a pot luck.
We make this recipe in both the Instant Pot and on the stovetop, so I've included instructions for both.
I love the texture of the added diced apple pieces with the pecans and craisins, it just adds to the wild rice texture, making this a perfect Wild Rice Pilaf Bowl for lunch or dinner.
It's an easy side dish that goes really well with chicken and turkey mains.
Try it with my Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie, Air Fryer Turkey Breast, this Instant Pot Whole Chicken, and even these Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings!
Ingredients Needed for Instant Pot Wild Rice Blend
- Rice. Use any brand of Wild Rice Blend or Long Grain and Wild Rice Blend you can find at the grocery store.
- Broth. I use unsalted chicken broth to add a great depth of flavor as well as some nutrients.
- Apple Juice. You can use water if you prefer, but I love the sweet apple flavor that apple juice adds.
- Garlic & Onion. Use freshly crushed garlic cloves and onion for a classic savory flavor.
- Seasoning. Use Salt, Pepper, Dried Oregano, and a Bay Leaf for a simple but delicious seasoning mix.
- Butter. Salted Butter is great for sauteeing the onions, but olive oil or cooking spray will work well too.
- Dijon Mustard. Adds a lovely tang to the dish that works well with the bu
- Craisins. For an added sweet flavor with a chewy texture.
- Pecans. Chopped pecans blend well with the wild rice flavors and give added texture too.
- Honey Crisp Apple. A juicy apple variety with a sweet but crisp apple flavor. You can use other kinds of apples for a different taste.
How to Make this Wild Blend Rice in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Directions
Measure 1 cup of wild rice blend, wash and drain it, and set it aside.
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and wait until it reads "hot". Add Butter, Garlic, and diced Onions. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then turn the Instant Pot off.
Add Broth, Apple Juice, Dijon Mustard, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano. Stir. Add the Rice. Stir again. Add the Bay Leaf on top. Close the lid and pressure valve.
Set to Manual for 21 minutes. Then do a 5-minute Natural Release and a Quick Release for the remaining pressure. Open the Lid and remove the Bay Leaf.
Add diced Apple, Craisins, and chopped Pecans, and stir them into the rice. Close the lid for 2-3 minutes. This will the apples, craisins, and pecans to warm up and soften a bit.
Serve as a side with a meal, or eat as a Rice Bowl for lunch. Enjoy!
Stove Top Directions
NOTE: For this stovetop recipe you will need to increase your broth to 1 ½ cups and apple juice to 1 ½ cups.
Wash and rinse rice and set aside.
In a frying pan, melt the Butter and add the diced Onions and Garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. You do not need to thoroughly cook the onions as they will cook along with the rice.
In a separate bowl mix Broth, Apple Juice, Mustard, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano and stir to combine.
Add rice to the frying pan, add liquids to the frying pan, and give a quick stir. Add the Bay Leaf, cover the pot with the lid, and turn the heat down to Low (2-3 setting).
Allow rice to cook on low for 45 minutes or until rice is done. Try not to remove the lid as heat escapes and changes the cooking time.
When rice is done, Remove Bay Leaf. Then Add diced apples, craisins, and pecans. Give a quick stir to combine and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes to allow the apples, pecans, and craisins to warm up.
FAQs
A wild rice blend is typically made of a mix of wild rice, long grain brown rice, and other whole grains to give it a variety of colors and flavors. You might find red rice, black rice, or white rice in a wild rice blend as well as wild rice.
Despite its name, wild rice is not a type of regular rice, but rather an aquatic grass that resembles rice and can be prepared in the same way. Although it is primarily cultivated in North America, India, and China as a food grain, it is typically only harvested in North America.
Wild Rice has a naturally earthy and nutty flavor, so goes well with fall flavors of apples, craisins, and pecans!
You can enjoy Wild Rice Pilaf Blend on its own as a Rice Bowl, but we also serve this with a Rotisserie Chicken and some yummy veggies. Try my Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan, Roasted Fresh Green Beans, Oven Roasted Broccoi, and my Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples.
This recipe is quickly made in the Instant Pot and can be made in under 30 minutes. The stovetop recipe takes a little longer but is equally delicious!
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Store wild rice in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Freezing: You can freeze this wild rice apple pecan dish for up to 6 months. Store it in freezersafe containers or in freezer bags. Defrost before reheating.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spices. Add some cinnamon or nutmeg to this dish for extra warm flavors.
- Cooking Liquid. You can add more broth for less water or juice here, or vise versa. Use any combination of broth, juice, and water you like to cook the rice in, just keep the overall amount the same.
- Apple Juice. Use fresh apple juice, natural pure pressed apple juice, or from consentrate. Cran Apple juice would increase the cranberry flavors here too.
- Broth. Chicken broth has a great savory flavor but you can use vegetable broth if you prefer. Chicken stock or vegetable stock can also be substituted.
Pro Tips
- Wild Rice needs to be rinsed and drained to remove the extra starch. Make sure to rinse with cool water and drain well before adding it to the pot.
- This recipe will make 4-6 servings as a side dish or 1-2 servings as a rice bowl. For making more or less of this dish, use the rice to water ratio of 1 part wild rice blend to 1¾ parts liquid.
Have you tried this Apple Pecan Cranberry Wild Rice Blend recipe?
Please leave a comment below if you have tried making this recipe. I love to hear from you and enjoy reading about what you think. Be sure to tag @devourdinner when posting to social media. I can't wait to see your photos!
More Instant Pot Rice Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice
- Instant Pot Lemon Rice Pilaf
- Mango Sticky Rice in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Cilantro and Lime Rice
Wild Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup Wild Rice Blend - Washed and Rinsed
- 1 cup Broth
- ¾ cup Apple Juice
- ½ cup Onion - Chopped and Diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves - Crushed
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ⅓ cup Craisens - Chopped
- ⅓ cup Pecans - Chopped
- ½ Honey Crisp Apple
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
- Measure wild rice blend, wash and drain and set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and wait until it reads "hot". Add Butter, Garlic and diced Onions. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add Broth, Apple Juice, Dijon Mustard, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano. Stir. Add the Rice. Stir again. Add the Bay Leaf on top. Close the lid and pressure valve.
- Set to Manual for 21 minutes. Then do a 5-minute Natural Release and a Quick Release for the remaining pressure. Open the Lid and remove the Bay Leaf.
- Add diced Apple, Craisins and chopped Pecans and stir them into the rice. Close the lid for 2-3 minutes. This will the apples, craisins and pecans to warm up and soften a bit.
- Serve as a side with a meal, or eat as a Rice Bowl for lunch. Enjoy!
Stove Top Directions
- NOTE: For this stovetop recipe you will need to increase your broth to 1 ½ cups and apple juice to 1 ½ cups.
- Wash and rinse rice and set aside.
- In a frying pan, melt the Butter and add the diced Onions and Garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. You do not need to fully cook the onions as they will cook along with the rice.
- In a separate bowl mix Broth, Apple Juice, Mustard, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano and stir to combine.
- Add rice to frying pan, add liquids to frying pan and give a quick stir. Add the Bay Leaf, cover the pot with lid, and turn the heat down to Low (2-3 setting).
- Allow rice to cook on low for 45 minutes or until rice is done. Try not to remove lid as heat escapes and changes cooking time.
- When rice is done, Remove Bay Leaf. Then Add diced apples, craisins, and pecans. Give a quick stir to combine and cover with lid for 2-3 minutes to allow the apples, pecans and craisins to warm up.
Notes
- Store: Store wild rice in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezing: You can freeze this wild rice apple pecan dish for up to 6 months. Store it in freezer safe containers or in freezer bags. Defrost before reheating.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Kate
What is a wild rice blend? Can you use only wild rice?
Devour Dinner
Yes you can use only wild rice.
Sharon
Can you double or triple this for a larger crowd?
Devour Dinner
Hi Sharon,
Yes, you can double this recipe in a 6qt and be just fine!