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 sautéed 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!
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 – sautéing 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 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…
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Greek mains – Greek Chicken , Gyros Chicken (skip the pita bread, or stuff the rice inside it!), Greek Meatballs, Souvlaki
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Garlic Prawns (pictured)
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Crispy Pan Fried Fish – or try it with this amazing Lemon Butter Sauce
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Super Quick Crispy Garlic Chicken or sticky Honey Garlic Chicken
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Don’t forget greens! Can’t go past a Greek Salad
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Lemon Rice Pilaf
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:
Nutrition Information:
Try this Greek Feast!
Complete with Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki, Easy Soft Flatbreads (No Yeast), Greek Salad and this Lemon Rice Pilaf.
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.
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!
Can you make this in a rice cooker, After doing the first steps on the stove?
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!!!
Can I use orzo?
Is orzo an option?
Hi Mary, it would have a different cook time and liquid ratio – something I’d need to test first! N x
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.
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!!
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!!!
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 🙂
Pleasantly surprised how well this turned out.
Phenomenal rice! The flavours are so nicely balanced. Can’t wait to use this for my next dinner party!
Simply delicious with butterflied lamb recipe
So simple yet sooo good! Was a hit with the fam! I will be making this again for sure!
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!
Delicious!! and so easy!! Thank you!!!
I made this 2x in one week, can never get enough! So delicious
It’s my Second time making this. Absolutely NO leftovers! It was sooo yum!
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!