Wild Rice With Bacon, Mushrooms & Green Onions
⏲ ~31 min total · prep 15 · cook 16 · 4 servings
Sides⏱ 45 min total🔥 1.5g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
- 10 oz cremini mushrooms, finely diced to wild-rice grain size
- 3 cups cauliflower rice (from about 1/2 a large head)
- 1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 bunch green onions, whites and greens separated, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant; set aside.
- Render the bacon lardons in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low for 10-12 minutes, until the fat is out and the pieces are deep red-crisp; remove with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tbsp fat in the pan.
- Add the diced cremini in a single layer and cook undisturbed 5 minutes, then stir and cook 4-5 more, until browned, shrunken, and chewy — this dark dice is what stands in for wild rice's nutty bite.
- Push the mushrooms to one side, melt the butter in the cleared half, and cook the shallot and green onion whites 2 minutes, until soft.
- Add the cauliflower rice, spread it flat, and let it toast undisturbed 4 minutes so the underside picks up golden spots; toss everything together, then cook 4 minutes more, until tender with a little bite left.
- Fold in the bacon, pecans, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; kill the heat and stir in the green onion greens just before serving so they stay bright.
Why this recipe works
- Diced cremini as wild rice Cremini cut to the size of wild rice grains, then browned hard, give the dish its dark color and chewy texture. Cauliflower rice fills out the pan at a fraction of the carbohydrate.
- Bacon fat built in Rendering the lardons first leaves about 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet, and that fat seasons the mushrooms, shallot, and cauliflower in sequence. No separate oil needed.
- Undisturbed browning The mushrooms sit for 5 minutes before the first stir, and the cauliflower toasts 4 minutes without being touched. That patience is what turns soft vegetables into something with actual backbone.
Tips for making this recipe well
Dice to grain size
Aim for mushroom pieces close to the size of a wild rice grain. Anything bigger turns wet and mushroomy instead of rice-like, because the surfaces never dry out enough to brown.
Dry-pan the pecans
Toast them before the bacon so the pan is empty and clean. Nuts pick up every stray flavor, and they go from fragrant to scorched in under a minute.
Spread the cauliflower flat
Press it into an even layer and leave it alone for the full 4 minutes. The golden spots on the underside carry most of the toasted flavor.
Hold back the green tops
Stir the green onion greens in after you kill the heat. Residual warmth softens them slightly while the color stays bright.
Check your bacon fat
If the lardons render less than 2 tablespoons, add a teaspoon of butter before the mushrooms go in. A bare pan gives you gray dice that sticks.
Serving suggestions
Serve this wherever a wild rice pilaf would go. It holds its own beside roast chicken or seared pork chops, and the smoked paprika and bacon make it hearty enough for a cold night. Pile it into a warm bowl, scatter a few extra pecans over the top, and grind pepper at the table. Leftovers fold nicely into next morning's eggs.
Storage and meal prep
Refrigerate in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat so the cauliflower dries out again; the microwave works but leaves it softer. Skip the freezer, since thawed cauliflower rice releases water and the whole pan goes loose. If you plan ahead, keep the pecans in a jar at room temperature and stir them in after reheating so they keep their snap.
Variations worth trying
- Hazelnuts instead of pecans Toasted hazelnuts bring a slight bitterness that plays well against the browned mushrooms. Chop them the same coarseness.
- Meatless version Cook the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter and lean on the smoked paprika for depth. A pinch of smoked salt at the end stands in for the cured flavor.
- Turn it into dinner Fold in 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken along with the bacon. One pan, and you are done.
- Thyme for the holidays Add a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves with the shallot. The pan reads more stuffing-adjacent, which suits a Thanksgiving table.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen cauliflower rice?
Yes, thaw it completely and squeeze out the water, or the toasting step becomes a steaming step. Expect slightly softer grains than fresh.
Why dice the mushrooms instead of slicing them?
A small dice browns on every side and matches the scale of wild rice. Slices stay damp and read as mushrooms rather than rice.
My mushrooms came out gray. What went wrong?
The pan was crowded or the heat was too low. Give the dice a single layer and a full 5 minutes before the first stir.
Can I make this ahead for a holiday meal?
Cook it through the toasting step and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat in a skillet, then add the pecans and green onion tops fresh so they keep their texture.
How many net carbs are in a serving?
1.5 net carbs, most of that from the cauliflower and the pecans. Bacon and butter carry the fat with almost no carbohydrate.
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