Moroccan Style Wild Rice Pilaf with Lemon
This Moroccan style wild rice pilaf is infused with flavors of preserved lemon, fresh parsley, cilantro, and garlic. Start by steaming your wild rice blend with a drizzle of olive oil, then toss with the fresh herbs and lemon for a super fresh, fragrant pilaf. Serve as a side dish with grilled proteins, stews, and more.
Why serve a bowl of plain rice when you could cook up this colorful & flavorful wild rice pilaf in the same amount of time?
It’s infused with Moroccan flavors, inspired by this classic lemony chermoula-style marinade that goes great with just about any protein or main.
All of the mincing and prep happens while the wild rice blend steams up on the stovetop, making this side dish surprisingly simple to throw together.
The technique of steaming the rice first, then tossing with the herbs, preserved lemon, fresh lemon juice, and garlic means that those fresh ingredients stay super fragrant and bright.
It’s one of those side dishes that feels elevated and restaurant-worthy, but is incredibly easy to make.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try pairing it with this Harissa Honey Chicken or my favorite Ras El Hanout Chicken Thighs.
What You’ll Need
- wild rice blend
- water
- olive oil
- preserved lemon, minced
- fresh parsley, minced
- fresh cilantro, minced
- garlic, grated
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.
How to Make Wild Rice Pilaf, Step by Step
Tip: Taste the rice before adding the herbs & lemon to make sure it’s fully cooked! If it needs more time, pop the lid on and continue to cook on low for another 5-10 minutes.
Wild Rice & Rice Blends
Did you know that wild rice isn’t rice at all? It’s actually a grass seed!
If you’ve never tried it before, it’s something special with a unique bite to it and a nutty, earthy flavor. You can totally use 100% wild rice in this recipe or use a wild rice blend like I did. Just know that your wild rice may require a different water to rice ratio and can take up to 60 minutes to cook on the stovetop.
I like using a wild rice blend as it adds some variety in flavors and textures. A blend also tends to cook up a bit more quickly and consistently than an entire pot of wild rice, in my experience.
What to Eat With Rice Pilaf
This rice pilaf is one of my favorite side dishes to pair with proteins, saucy stews and tagines. The rice blend holds up really well and doesn’t get mushy, which makes for super satisfying leftovers.
Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve this with:
3 Common Components of a Successful Rice Pilaf
In recipe testing and research I’ve noticed that all of my favorite rice pilaf recipes have 3 things in common:
- Lots of fresh herbs tossed into the rice
- Some form of acidity, whether it’s from lemon, another kind of citrus, or vinegar
- Perfectly cooked rice
When you combine these elements, you get a really well balanced pilaf, that’s much more interesting than a plain pot of rice.
More Tasty Side Dishes
Enjoy,
Moroccan Style Wild Rice Pilaf with Lemon
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Steamed
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African, Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Moroccan style wild rice pilaf is infused with flavors of preserved lemon, fresh parsley, cilantro, and garlic. Start by steaming your wild rice blend with a drizzle of olive oil, then toss with the fresh herbs and lemon for a super fresh, fragrant pilaf. Serve as a side dish with grilled proteins, stews, and more.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice blend
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 preserved lemon, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Steam the rice. In a medium sized pot, combine the rice, water, & half of the oil. Bring to a boil before lowering the heat, covering, & cooking on low for 15 minutes, or as directed on the packaging of your rice blend.
- Prep the lemon & herbs. While the rice cooks, mince the preserved lemon, parsley, and cilantro. Grate the garlic & squeeze the lemon juice. Whisk everything together with the oil in a bowl.
- Fluff the herbs & rice together. Once the rice is fully cooked, pour the lemon herb mixture over top & fluff everything together with a fork.
- Season to taste & serve. Taste the rice before seasoning with salt & pepper. Serve & enjoy.
Notes
Tip: Taste the rice before adding the herbs & lemon to make sure it’s fully cooked! If it needs more time, pop the lid on and continue to cook on low for another 5-10 minutes.
