Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

This wild rice salad with cranberries, pecans, green onions, orange zest, and wild rice is the perfect accompaniment to roast chicken, stews, pork chops, and more.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated October 27, 2023
Elise Bauer
Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad
Elise Bauer

This rice salad is a perfect accompaniment to many fall and winter dishes—roast chicken, stews, pork chops. You can use brown rice, wild rice (not really a rice at all), or a combination of the two.

Both wild rice and brown rice have a rich, nutty flavor that complements the cranberries and pecans, and the citrus in the dressing.

Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad
Elise Bauer

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Prep the ingredients and make the dressing while the rice is cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice wild rice mix

  • 2 1/3 cups water (see package instructions)

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted or un-toasted, your choice)

  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Make the rice:

    Use the amount of water for the rice according to instructions on the rice package. Typically straight brown rice is a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. Straight wild rice is a ratio of 1:3 of wild rice to water. For this brown rice wild rice mix that I got from a bin (no package) I used a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 2 1/3 cups of water.

    Bring rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 50 minutes. Do not stir. Do not uncover.

    Remove from stove and let sit, covered for 10 minutes.

    Then uncover, fluff up with a fork, and let cool to almost room temperature.

  2. Mix the rice with the dried cranberries, pecans, green onions:

    In a medium sized serving bowl, mix the rice, cranberries, pecans, and green onions together.

    Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad method
    Elise Bauer
  3. Make the dressing:

    In a separate jar, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, orange peel, and salt and pepper to taste.

    Just before serving, mix dressing in with the rice mixture. Serve warm, chilled, or room temperature.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
182 Calories
11g Fat
21g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 231mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 85mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.