Wheat Berry Recipe with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Pecans

Here’s a wheat berries recipe that’s both filling and full of fall flavor. It’s chewy wheat berries, butternut squash, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, raisins, and pecans tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing. It’s a festive side for dinners, and it’s easy to make, too!

I make this wheat berries recipe in the fall and winter when I’m craving something hearty, cozy, and full of flavor. It’s built around chewy wheat berries and loaded with roasted butternut squash, salty bacon, caramelized onion, sweet raisins, and buttery pecans, all tossed with tender greens and a simple homemade dressing. Every bite has great texture, and it feels satisfying without being heavy.

It’s also wonderfully easy to make, with most of the cooking time being hands-off. I love that it can be served warm or at room temperature, making it perfect for weeknight dinners, leftovers the next day, or even for relaxed dinner parties when you don’t want to fuss at the last minute. It’s the kind of recipe that feels a little special but fits effortlessly into everyday cooking.

Two more wheat berry recipes you might want to try are my curried wheat berry and chicken salad and my wheat berry salad with squash, kale, walnuts, and currants.

How to store leftovers

Leftovers will keep well in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like the taste and texture best at room temperature, so I recommend leaving it on your counter for about 20 minutes before serving, or gently heating it in a microwave.

Tap stars to rate!

4.79 stars (14 ratings)

Wheat Berry Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

SaveSaved!

Add us as a preferred source

Here's a wheat berries recipe that's both filling and full of fall flavor. It's chewy wheat berries, butternut squash, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, raisins, and pecans tossed in a tangy-sweet dressing. It's a festive side for holiday dinners, and it's easy to make, too!

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup wheat berries
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach
• ▢ 1 ½ lb butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 4 strips bacon (chopped)
• ▢ 1 large onion (finely sliced)
• ▢ ¼ cup raisins
• ▢ ¼ cup pecans

Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ▢ 1 pinch EACH: sea salt and pepper

Instructions 

• Place the wheat berries in a small pot and cover them with several inches of water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until the wheat berries are soft. Drain then add the spinach to the pot and set it aside. (The heat from the wheat berries will soften the spinach.)
  1 cup wheat berries, 2 cups baby spinach
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash into small, bite-sized pieces. Toss the pieces with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they are soft.
  1 ½ lb butternut squash, 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• Add the bacon to a frying pan over medium heat and cook until it is almost crispy, about 10 minutes. If there is more than 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan, drain some out. Add the onion to the pan with the bacon and cook until it is very soft, about 10 minutes.
  4 strips bacon, 1 large onion
  
• Make the dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 1 pinch EACH: sea salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
• Pour the wheat berries and spinach into a large bowl. Add the roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions and bacon, raisins, pecans, and dressing and mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup pecans
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 301kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 40g (13%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 14mg (5%), Sodium: 121mg (5%), Potassium: 322mg (9%), Fiber: 7g (29%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 1190IU (24%), Vitamin C: 9mg (11%), Calcium: 50mg (5%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.