Cranberry Stuffing with Wild Rice

I am sure you’ll like this easy cranberry stuffing with rice recipe. I have made it many times, and it’s definitely earned its spot at the holiday table. Made with savory bread, chewy and tart dried cranberries, sweet apples and raisins, tender wild rice, and crunchy pecans, each bite is an irresistible mix of textures and sweet-and-savory flavors.

I love hosting Thanksgiving, and I never miss staples like This Cheesy Baked Green Beans and the most tender, flavorful Perfect Oven Roasted Turkey. Also, for dessert, don’t forget the Sweet Potato Pie!

Since this stuffing is baked in a casserole dish, not inside the bird, it has a golden top and a tender inside. Packed with classic Thanksgiving flavors, it tastes familiar, yet it looks more sophisticated and festive. The mixture of fruits, nuts, and rice is colorful, delicious, and surprisingly unexpected. If you make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I am sure you will get rave reviews, and it pairs nicely with turkey, ham, and chicken. So this holiday season, cozy up and try this recipe! It will be a huge hit with friends and family!

Why you will love this recipe 

• Tart and sweet: Cranberries add little bursts of tart chewiness to my stuffing, contrasting with the soft, pillowy bread and savory herbs. It brightens the flavor and helps it stand out from regular stuffing.
• Homemade is custom: Making it myself lets me choose the bread and decide how much of each herb goes in. I make my own poultry seasoning and chicken stock, so everything matches my exact preferences.
• Special ingredients: I also add my own secret ingredients to give this side dish a unique flavor and keep it from being the typical stuffing everyone serves during the holidays. I like my dishes to stand out. 
• Visual appeal: Adding cranberries also adds a nice pop of color to this stuffing. I always enjoy a little visual appeal for a positive first impression.

What you will need

• Produce: Dried cranberries add tart flavor, a chewy texture, and a pop of color. Raisins provide a concentrated burst of sweetness to cut through the savory stuffing. Green and red apples add both tangy and sweet flavor along with firm textural contrast. Chopped celery adds crunch and a grassy hint of earthiness. Chopped red onion adds a mild bite that cooks down to a sweet, mellow flavor.
• Wet ingredients: Chicken stock infuses the bread with a rich, meaty flavor. I make my own chicken stock so I can control how much of each herb goes into it. Cubed cold butter creates pockets of rich moisture that melt as it cooks and keep the bread from getting soggy.
• Dry ingredients: I pre-blend seasoned stuffing cubes with a savory blend of spices like sage, onion, thyme, and celery to keep the stuffing from being too sweet. I also add wild rice for a distinctive earthy taste and chewy texture that contrasts with the soft bread and other mix-ins. Roughly chopped pecans provide a nutty flavor and crunchy bite. Slivered almonds on top are a nice finish for eye appeal and add a light, crisp texture to every bite.
• Seasonings: Besides salt and pepper, I also use poultry seasoning to ground the sweetness with an herbal depth. I use my own homemade poultry seasoning blend so I can control what goes into it, plus extra parsley for color and balance. 

How to prepare

Preheat the oven: First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. 

Sauté the veggies: Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, I melt the butter over medium heat and cook the celery and onion, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until they are tender. 

Add the rest of the ingredients: Then I add the apples, raisins, cranberries, rice, stuffing, pecans, and seasonings, tossing to combine. I stir in enough broth to reach my desired moisture level, then transfer it to the prepared dish. 

Bake the stuffing: I cover the baking dish and bake it for 30 minutes. Then I remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Garnish and serve: Finally, I serve it with slivered almonds on top. 

Expert tip

If cooking it inside the turkey

If you like to stuff your turkey, you can also use this recipe to stuff it. It doesn’t use any eggs, so you don’t have to worry about that. When making it in the bird, it may need to be a little bit drier than when baking it in the oven. I suggest using about a half cup less chicken stock because the turkey juices will soak into the stuffing as it cooks. Make sure the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F to kill any food-borne bacteria.  

More tips to consider:

• If you don’t use prepared stuffing, use stale bread. Fresh bread will turn to mush. 
• Toast the pecans before adding them to the stuffing for extra nutty flavor. Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• Add the chicken stock a little at a time. That way, you can control how much moisture goes in and stop when the bread is as moist as you like. 
• Always save some extra breadcrumbs in case you add too much liquid. 
• For a more solid stuffing, add 2 eggs. This will bind the mixture to make it a more solid texture. 

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add meat: I often add crumbled Italian sausage to this stuffing for a heartier side dish. It is so filling, you can serve it as a full entrée. Other meats you could use are bacon, ham, chicken, or turkey.
• Other breads: I also like to substitute the prepared stuffing cubes with my own homemade bread varieties like Irish soda bread, sourdough, or beer bread, or use it with my Southern cornbread.
• More fruit: Why not add other fruits like grapes, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple tidbits, or your other favorite fruits?
• Extra veggies: You can also add more veggies. Some mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, peas, and corn would be great.
• Juice: Make this stuffing a bit sweeter by substituting ½ cup of chicken stock for apple juice. 

Serving suggestions:

This cranberry stuffing goes perfectly with my oven-roasted turkey. Made with my homemade citrus herb butter and stuffed with lemon, orange, oregano, rosemary, garlic, and onions, this turkey is full of flavor. With crispy skin and juicy, succulent meat, it serves a dozen people, but I usually make these cheesy turkey sliders the next day for lunch and pack the rest for other delicious dishes. 

For a smaller family gathering, this cranberry orange turkey breast is a better fit, and the tangy cranberry flavor goes well with the stuffing. It comes with my homemade cranberry sauce seasoned with orange zest and lingonberry jam for a unique flavor. Slow cooker pineapple ham is great for anyone sick of turkey. With a brown sugar glaze and just 10 minutes of prep, this is an easy way to make dinner. For dessert, this pistachio cheesecake will be the hit of the party! With rich, creamy filling, crunchy nuts, and tangy raspberries, this is a unique treat!

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.   
• Freezing: I freeze leftover stuffing in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.   
• Defrost: Before reheating, I thaw my frozen stuffing in the refrigerator overnight. 
• Reheating: I reheat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. For individual servings, put them in muffin cups and reheat them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

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