With fluffy quinoa, wild rice, crunchy pecans, fresh herbs, tart bites of apple, and chewy dried cranberries, this Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing is out-of-this-world delicious! It’s the perfect gluten-free stuffing alternative – and it’s vegan, too.

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing with a wooden spoon in a white casserole dish

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

This totally delicious wild rice quinoa stuffing recipe is a completely vegan AND gluten-free stuffing. Perfect for when you have vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-freers at the table, but you want to serve food that EVERYONE will love. This one fits the bill!

I first shared this wild rice stuffing here five years ago and it’s been one of my top-viewed Thanksgiving recipes ever since.

close up of Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing

Stuffing is indeed one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. Buttery, crunchy chunks of bread – what’s not to love? But sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a bit.

So I thought I’d create a rice-based, gluten-free stuffing with all of the traditional stuffing flavors we love. Something that’s a little more dense and hearty – a vegetarian (and vegan!) stuffing that’s naturally gluten-free, too.

Why not cover all of the dietary bases while also making something everyone will no doubt clamor for? That was my goal here.

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing in a white casserole dish with a wooden spoon

Creating the Recipe

We have a wild rice blend – I used a half-and-half blend of wild rice and brown rice. And quinoa – a nice bit of hearty protein added to the mix so that this stuffing can also double as a main dish for those that prefer to skip the turkey.

The rice and quinoa simmer with tart apples, vegetables, veggie broth, and a splash of wine on the stovetop until tender. Then in go a few handfuls of herbs, dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans.

I have to give a shout-out to Michelle, here. She is my hairstylist and friend, and I told her I wasn’t quite happy enough with this recipe. She suggested dried cranberries for texture and another touch of sweet flavor, and it totally did the trick.

serving of Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing on a stack of white plates with a green and white gingham napkin

So after stirring in those bits of deliciousness, you scoop it all into a casserole dish and bake. The flavors meld and bits of rice on the tops and edges get all irresistibly crunchy. Just like a good stuffing should.

Readers say …

“I’ve made this dressing (stuffing that has been cooked in a dish as opposed to stuffed) for 4 years now and it has been a game changer on our Thanksgiving table. I’ve added squash, sweet potato and roasted brussel sprputs and make it the vegan main last year, it was a HUGE hit! Thank you for the recipe 😋”
– Morgan
ingredients for Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing Ingredients

  • Olive oil – For greasing the baking dish and for sautéing all of those delicious veggies and other ingredients.
  • Onion – I use a standard yellow onion.
  • Celery – In my opinion, celery is nearly as essential as sage in a good stuffing recipe. But if you hate celery, it’s okay to leave it out.
  • Apples – Go with a tart apple that will keep its shape like Granny Smith.
  • Garlic – Adds so much flavor (don’t skip it!)
  • Thyme – I like to use fresh thyme, but if you don’t have it, you can use half the quantity of dried thyme.
  • Salt – asdf
  • Wine – A dry white wine adds immense flavor. Grab one you’ll want to drink, too. I like Sauvignon Blanc or dry Chardonnay here.
  • Vegetable broth – Grab a box from the store or make your own vegetable broth.
  • Wild rice blend – Go with whatever mix you can find. I try to find a 50% brown rice and 50% wild rice blend, but I know that exact mix may be hard to find. And if you’re needing a 100% gluten-free stuffing, pay careful attention to the ingredients here, because sometimes wild rice blends contain pasta.
  • Quinoa – Don’t forget to rinse it off before using it! Quinoa is coated with a substance known as saponins. They can lend bitter flavor if not rinsed off.
  • Dried cranberries
  • Pecans
  • Parsley – Both for flavor inside the wild rice stuffing and for garnish to make it look extra pretty!
  • Fresh sage – I call for 1/4 cup of fresh sage leaves. I did have one reader who thought this was too much; if you’re not sure, you can start with half that quantity which will still add lots of lovely sage flavor.

How to Make It

  1. First, you’ll saute the veggies then cook the wild rice and quinoa in a pot. Add the cranberries, pecans, and herbs.
  2. Pile the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish, leveling it out but not mashing it down.
  3. Bake until warmed through and golden brown. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with chopped parsley. That’s it!
ingredients for Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing
Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing in a pot
baked Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing
Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing in a baking dish

Tips for Success

  • When transferring the wild rice stuffing from the pot to baking dish, lightly pile it – don’t smash it down! This helps maintain a light and fluffy texture.
  • Make ahead: Prep this herbed quinoa and wild rice stuffing up to 3 days ahead of time by assembling it up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake, then proceed with the recipe.
Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing in a white baking dish

I hope this Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice stuffing is a huge hit at your holiday table (or anytime!) It’s one that we’ve made time and again around here – definitely a beloved vegan + gluten free stuffing option.

top view of Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing with a wooden spoon
5 from 3 votes

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 8
Specked with fresh herbs, apples, cranberries, and pecans, everyone will love this flavor-filled stuffing – and nobody will guess its little secret: it's vegetarian, vegan, AND gluten-free! Plus, the addition of protein-rich quinoa gives this hearty stuffing main-dish cred – perfect for those that prefer to skip the turkey.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (+ more for greasing the baking dish + more for drizzling over the top)
  • 1 large yellow onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 stalks celery (chopped [about 1/2 cup])
  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples (peeled and diced)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic (peeled and finely minced)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry-ish white wine (I like Sauv Blanc for both cooking and drinking; Chardonnay would work well too)
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups uncooked wild rice blend* (I prefer a blend of 50% wild rice and 50% brown rice)
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed well)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
  • 1 cup raw pecans (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley + 1/4 cup more for topping after baking
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves (minced)

Instructions

  • Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Stir in wine, then add broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in the wild rice blend and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and cover again. Cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 more minutes. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, 1/2 cup parsley, and sage. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Remove from heat.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a large (9-inch x 13-inch is best) casserole dish with a little olive oil. Lightly scoop the rice mixture into the casserole dish, lightly mounding it instead of mashing it down.
  • Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley. Serve.

Notes

Wild Rice/Gluten-Free Note

Some wild rice blends contain pasta, so if you need a 100% gluten free stuffing, please be careful about the blend you choose!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 461kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 471mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 446IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 3mg

More Stuffing Recipes

Originally posted Nov. 3, 2015

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