Chicken & Bacon Wild Rice Recipe

Cook bacon

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Sauté vegetables

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the butter to the pot with the bacon fat. When butter melts, add the chopped onion, diced celery, and diced carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds more until fragrant.

Brown chicken

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the pot and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Sear the chicken, stirring occasionally, just until the outside is lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Toast rice briefly

Add the uncooked wild rice blend to the pot with the softened vegetables and stir for 1 minute to toast and coat with fat. This step improves flavor and helps separate grains.

Deglaze and add liquid

Pour in 1 cup of water and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, the bay leaf, and thyme. Stir to combine.

Simmer rice

Return the reserved chicken to the pot and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the wild rice blend is tender and opening (cooking time varies by blend, typically 35–45 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Make roux slurry

While the soup simmers and the rice nears doneness (about 10 minutes before finish), whisk together the all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of the half-and-half in a small bowl until smooth to make a slurry. This prevents lumps when thickening.

Finish soup

Once the rice is tender, remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the reserved crisp bacon. Slowly stir the flour–half-and-half slurry into the soup, then add the remaining half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt and pepper (adjust to taste). Increase heat to medium and simmer gently, stirring, until soup thickens slightly, 4–6 minutes. Do not boil vigorously once dairy is added to prevent curdling. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Stir in chopped fresh parsley and, if desired, a teaspoon of lemon juice to brighten flavors. Let the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with extra bacon pieces and parsley if desired.