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Home Italian Recipes

Greek Lemon Rice

By:Nagi
Published:11 Jul '16Updated:19 Oct '20
141 Comments
Recipe v

This Lemon Rice recipe is so good, you will want to eat it plain, straight out of the pot! It’s a Greek Rice made with sautĂ©ed onion and garlic, rice cooked in chicken broth then finished off with lemon and herbs.

Serve this Greek Lemon Rice with your favourite Greek food like Greek Chicken, Gyros Chicken, Greek Meatballs or Souvlaki!

This Lemon Rice Pilaf is so delicious, it can be eaten plain! Lovely bright fresh lemon flavours with herbs. recipetineats.com

Greek Lemon Rice recipe

I made this Lemon Rice Pilaf as a side for a Greek Feast that I shared in my Chicken Souvlaki recipe. And I promise, it is so good, you honestly will want to eat it straight from the pot.

The reason this is not just “another flavoured rice” is because it’s made as a pilaf.

A pilaf is simply a rice dish that starts like risotto – sautĂ©ing garlic and onion in olive oil (or butter), then stirring in the rice grains until they become translucent with the oil, then cooking the rice in a broth.

Cooking rice in this way transforms plain rice into a flavoured dish that is tasty enough to eat plain.

In fact, there are many rice dishes around the world that are made this way, loaded up with even more flavour and with proteins added. From risottos, to Spanish Paella, Indian Biryani and Jambalaya.

This Lemon Rice Pilaf is so delicious, it can be eaten plain! Lovely bright fresh lemon flavours with herbs. recipetineats.com

This Lemon Rice Pilaf is so delicious, it can be eaten plain! Lovely bright fresh lemon flavours with herbs. recipetineats.com

This Lemon Rice is a side dish so I’ve kept it quite simple. Pictured above, as a side dish with some juicy Garlic Prawns (Shrimp).

While some Lemon Rice recipes cook the rice with the lemon juice, my preference is to stir the lemon through the rice once it is cooked. I find that the lemon flavour is fresher, and also I stir it through while the rice is hot so it sucks in all that fresh flavour.

YUM!

Greek Lemon Rice is super versatile, but especially perfect for Mediterranean dishes. Think: Greek food, Spanish, Italian. And of course seafood. This goes fabulously with any form of seafood.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Try this Greek Lemon Rice with…

  • Greek mains – Greek Chicken , Gyros Chicken (skip the pita bread, or stuff the rice inside it!), Greek Meatballs, Souvlaki

  • Garlic Prawns (pictured)

  • Crispy Pan Fried Fish – or try it with this amazing Lemon Butter Sauce

  • Super Quick Crispy Garlic Chicken or sticky Honey Garlic Chicken

  • Marinated Pork Chops or Marinated Beef Steak

  • Don’t forget greens! Can’t go past a Greek Salad

This Lemon Rice Pilaf is so delicious, it can be eaten plain! Lovely bright fresh lemon flavours with herbs. recipetineats.com

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This Lemon Rice Pilaf is so delicious, it can be eaten plain! Lovely bright fresh lemon flavours with herbs. www.recipetineats.com

Lemon Rice Pilaf

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Sides
4.98 from 48 votes
Servings5 -6
Tap or hover to scale
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  • 108
This lemon rice pilaf is so delicious, you can eat it plain! Loaded with bright zesty flavours from lemon juice and layers of extra flavour from garlic, onion and chicken broth.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin oil (or butter)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped (white, brown, yellow)
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 1)
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 large lemon (1 tsp zest + 3 - 4 tbsp lemon juice)
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped dill (or sub with parsley, oregano, basil chives, mint)
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium heat in large saucepan or small pot.
  • Add garlic and onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent and sweet.
  • Add rice and stir until rice turns mostly translucent.
  • Add broth and water. Place lid on, bring to simmer then turn heat down to low.
  • Cook for 12 minutes or until water is evaporated.
  • Remove from from stove and rest for 10 minutes (keep the lid on).
  • Remove lid. stir through lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Lovey served warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:

1. Long grain is the best for this but it will also work with medium and short grain rice. It will also work with basmati and jasmine rice. Do not use risotto or paella rice. With brown rice, top up water and cook for longer per packet directions.
2. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings (3/4 cup packed per serving).
Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 153gCalories: 216cal (11%)Carbohydrates: 39.2g (13%)Protein: 4.8g (10%)Fat: 4.1g (6%)Saturated Fat: 0.6g (4%)Sodium: 361mg (16%)Potassium: 174mg (5%)Fiber: 1.1g (5%)Sugar: 0.6g (1%)Vitamin A: 250IU (5%)Vitamin C: 5.8mg (7%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 3.1mg (17%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Try this Greek Feast!

Complete with Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki, Easy Soft Flatbreads (No Yeast), Greek Salad and this Lemon Rice Pilaf.

Chicken Souvlaki - Made with chicken marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano, it's so easy to make this Greek favourite at home! recipetineats.com

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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141 Comments

  1. Dana says

    February 3, 2022 at 1:17 am

    Hi Nagi,
    I’d like to serve this at a dinner party for 11. Will it be ok to double this recipe or should it be cooked in two separate pots? Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Carolin says

      March 20, 2022 at 4:01 am

      I always double the recipe when I make this and it works perfect! Single recipe is not enough! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Glenn Fulton says

    February 1, 2022 at 6:13 am

    5 stars
    I don’t like starchy sticky rice. A pilaf is what I like so I ALWAYS rinse the rice quite a few times before proceeding with recipe.

    Reply
  3. Arem says

    September 20, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    Threw in fresh herbs from my garden (basil, parsley, dill). Delicious and versatile — served it with oven roasted chicken thighs and it went perfectly. Will definitely keep this on standby for any grilled meat entrees.

    Reply
    • JENNIFER says

      April 12, 2022 at 5:06 am

      5 stars
      The BEST
      I absolutely love this rice, it is restaurant quality.
      You’re the best Nagi, you have the most amazing recipes!!!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    September 19, 2021 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    This rice was delicious! I used fresh parsley and basil and some dried dill. I had a lemon rice recipe I always used, but branched out to try something new. This will be my new go to!

    Reply
  5. Michele League says

    July 30, 2021 at 3:04 am

    Can you make this in a rice cooker, After doing the first steps on the stove?

    Reply
    • Glenn Fulton says

      February 1, 2022 at 6:08 am

      4 stars
      It works great in a rice cooker. Just transfer to rice cooker after step 3. So good.

      Reply
      • Glenn Fulton says

        February 1, 2022 at 6:10 am

        5 stars
        It’s 5 stars not 4 stars. Definitely 5 stars.

        Reply
  6. Katy says

    May 6, 2021 at 12:45 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    This rice dish was fabulous. I made it to go with your chicken souvlaki and greek salad. My husband always likes grilled onions and bell pepper with his souvlaki. I added the grilled veggies to my rice and it was amazing!! I can’t wait to have it again. Another winner!!!

    Reply
  7. Mary says

    April 29, 2021 at 5:25 am

    Can I use orzo?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      April 29, 2021 at 11:02 am

      Is orzo an option?

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 29, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Mary, it would have a different cook time and liquid ratio – something I’d need to test first! N x

      Reply
  8. Stephanie says

    April 25, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    Your lemon rice pilaff was outstanding; seasonings were perfect and it went well with our lamb shish kebabs.
    Having another dinner party next week where I will serve the rice with sword fish.
    I have been making your recipes for years with success. Thank you.

    Reply
  9. CapnF says

    March 26, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    5 stars
    So I serve this with a slow-cooked beef and pearl onion number. Has become a tradition in our home! Really – exactly like the restaurants, or perhaps better! Nagi – you are so good at getting the flavour balances just right!!

    Reply
  10. April says

    March 2, 2021 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    I didn’t have fresh herbs so I used dried lemon peel (a bit less than a third called for), dried dill, and dried parsley. Still SUPER yummy!!! Full of flavor, bright, and zesty! Definitely a keeper!!!

    Reply
  11. Meg says

    February 26, 2021 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t have fresh herbs so I used 2 teaspoons dried dill + 1 teaspoon dried oregano and it still came out great! Thanks for an easy pilaf recipe 🙂

    Reply
  12. Marta Castro says

    February 23, 2021 at 6:01 am

    5 stars
    Pleasantly surprised how well this turned out.

    Reply
  13. Ruby says

    January 28, 2021 at 10:19 am

    Phenomenal rice! The flavours are so nicely balanced. Can’t wait to use this for my next dinner party!

    Reply
  14. Jen says

    January 26, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    Simply delicious with butterflied lamb recipe

    Reply
  15. Ann says

    January 22, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    So simple yet sooo good! Was a hit with the fam! I will be making this again for sure!

    Reply
  16. Aaron says

    January 10, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight. I can say the it might even be better than the lemon pilaf we get from out local greek restaurant! Kids especially loved it. Recommended!

    Reply
  17. Barbara Younger says

    January 1, 2021 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Delicious!! and so easy!! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  18. Angelina says

    December 17, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    5 stars
    I made this 2x in one week, can never get enough! So delicious

    Reply
  19. Niki says

    December 11, 2020 at 4:53 am

    It’s my Second time making this. Absolutely NO leftovers! It was sooo yum!

    Reply
  20. Nicole D says

    October 20, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    This was absolutely amazing! The smell made my mouth water. I used dried oregano and parsley flakes at the end and it was still good. Paired it with a Cajun-encrusted salmon and it was sooo good. Can’t wait to eat it again tomorrow!

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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