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.
Alexis says
Can I just double the recipe in the same pot ifni need it for 10 people?
Nagi says
Hi Alexis, yes you can, you may just need to adjust the cook time sightly so keep an eye on it – N x
Marianne says
OMG – this is the best. I made it pretty much like the recipe said – used one of your suggested subs for the dill – fresh basil because I have basil in the garden and no dill right now. Did exactly what you said to do with the heat. Did use Jasmine rice and might have increased onion and garlic because I don’t exactly measure that stuff. I also used bottle lemon juice instead of fresh because that is what I had — seriously, this was the BEST RICE EVER. Ate the leftovers cold last night and I couldn’t stop at a normal portion, Scary good.
Nagi says
Woah that’s awesome Marianne!!
Lindi says
I’m eager to try this recipe- it looks so good! Could this be made in an Instant Pot? And if so, how long would I let it cook for in there?
Nagi says
Hi Lindi, I haven’t tried sorry! – N x
Laura says
Nagi!! This is a beautiful dish! I doubled the recipe and at the end putting the lemon juice in I felt it was a lot, but I said to myself, trust Nagi 😂 and it is so good! The rice soaked it all up and wasn’t mushy at all, can’t wait to feed it to my guests, thank you for becoming a food blogger 😊
Nagi says
Wahoo I’m glad it worked our for you Laura!
Dina says
I need to make enough for a large party. Would using a Dutch oven be okay? Will it cook thorough?
Nagi says
That should be fine Dina!
Alicia says
I made the rice for our church Community Group gathering, the menu was Greek food. Everyone loved it, and only a large spoonful left. I will definitely be making this again for my own meal preps during the week.
Nagi says
Fantastic Alicia!
maclean nash says
My sister made this for a family potluck Greek dinner and all of us LOVED it! We now all have the recipe! I can’t wait to make again!
Nagi says
That’s awesome to hear!!
Cheryl James says
Great recipe. Having it with smoked lamb roast & salad.
Josh says
Excellent! 👌 This was my first time ever making a rice pilaf, and this recipe made it easy! It turned out absolutely perfect! My wife asked for seconds, and then thirds! 😎
Nagi says
Wahoo! I’m so happy it was a hit!
Jen says
I didn’t add water, and instead cooked my rice in chicken stock, and some cooking white wine. The rice started to look like it was cooking too fast so I put it in the freezer so it didn’t turn into mushy rice. It came out perfect, and I am super picky about rice. Will be using again.
Nagi says
I’m so glad it worked Jen!
Arwen says
Well I’d already committed to this recipe before I realised that I had no chicken stock and that all the lemons on the tree were tiny and green. Ended up substituting dashi and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar instead, then mixed through some of the pan juices from the lamb I’d cooked. It was really good!
Nagi says
That’s great Arwen! I’m so happy it worked out!
Lizy Class says
Wow! I love this recipe! It was sooooo good! I combined with your lemon rice and it was a hit! How long can I keep the leftover sauce in the fridge?
BTW, this is the 4th recipe that I try from you! Keep it going!!!
Margarita says
I have a couple of jars of homemade preserved lemons I put up a few months ago and am wondering if Ican I use Preserved Lemon instead of lemon juice? If so how much?
Nagi says
Hi Margarita! Unfortunately I’m not sure. I must confess I’m not a fan of preserved lemons so I am not the best to ask about something like that. Sorry!
Lora De Rop says
Just made it, it is incredibly delicious! Thank you!
Nagi says
Terrific to hear you enjoyed this!! Thanks Lora! N x
Marie Agusto says
Hi Nagi, can this be made or finished off in a rice cooker? If so, do I need to alter the liquid measurements?
Nagi says
Hi Marie! You sure can, no need to change liquid amount, just follow recipe and when the rice and liquid is put in the saucepan, just transfer it all into the rice cooker 🙂 N x
Marie Agusto says
Awesome. Thanks Nagi. Trying this recipe for my daughter’s birthday dinner on Sunday.
Beth says
Can I double this recipe?
Nagi says
You sure can Beth! 🙂 N x
Rachel says
I am living on my own for the first time, and this has been my first successful rice recipe! A lot of the ones I have tried so far came out disappointing and bland (or I forgot to set the timer and cooked them too long–I’m learning as I go), but this was fantastic!
Nagi says
HIGH FIVE Rachel! You got this! N xx
Michael says
I love your smile, very beautiful. Do you always cook with a smile like that? Oh yes,
I made this rice & absolutely fantastic pilaf. Do you have more great recipes you can share?
Nagi says
When I’m happy with the outcome – YES!!!!
donnaQ says
Just put in my oregano! This dish is a winner, but I would caution the serving size–4 is what we got. Doesn’t help that we wanted a LOT!
A wonderful side to our marinated Greek spiced chicken.
Nagi says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this Donna, thanks for letting me know! N x
Lynn says
Hi, this looks delicious! I only have short grain brown rice, any suggestions on how much extra water to add? Cooking directions on package have equal amounts liquid to rice. In the recipe i see it is just over that so think that would be fine, just cook it to the time as directed? Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Lynn! How odd, I have never seen rice with equal amounts rice to water – are you sure it’s uncooked rice?? Normally brown rice is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water 🙂 N x