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.
This is absolutely delicious! My husband and my daughter loved it so much that they both had second helpings. And my daughter has requested me to make this again! Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe! ☺️😋
Pleased to hear you enjoyed it Nina, thanks for letting me know! N xx
My veggie niece is visiting next week. Can I replace the chicken broth with veggie stock?
ABSOLUTELY!
Can I double this recipe?
Thanks!
yes!!
For real, this has become a staple! I’m eating way more mediterranean lately and my favorite meal is to make a double batch of tzatziki (and eat it with vegs for a snack all week); about 2lbs of twice-marinated grilled chicken souvlaki; a big chickpea & quinoa greek salad (also eat that for lunch two or three times with a few leftover cubes of chicken) and this rice (which goes with everything perfectly). I just use the extra dill/parsley/mint I have from making everything else for my herb blend – super fresh! Thank you for sharing!
That’s so fantastic to hear Dominic! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi! I was looking for a Greek pilaf recipe and found this one and your website. Your recipes and photos look absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to start trying them. Btw, the photo of the chicken souflaki, pilaf and greek salad made me reminisce about my time in Corfu last year 🙂
I’m so jealous Diana, I still haven’t been to Greece ? I do hope you give this a go, I absolutely ADORE it!
Hi Nan what kind of rice should I use?going to make this tomorrow
To go with your fab Greek chicken that turned out great!
Sorry for the late response Caterina! I use long grain rice. 🙂 thanks for the question, I’ll add that note.
Yum! I’m really into pilaf at the moment. Hadn’t thought of adding lemon to it..thanks for the inspo!
How good is pilaf?? I LOVE it!
LOOOOOOOVE! I always add lemon zest after it totally gives it another pop of flavor, kind of freshens things up I think!!!! I do this with my cous cous as well! And did I mention pilaf is my favorite?!? And especially Greek pilaf! Whenever we go to Greek restaurants I just eat the rice…i really do not need much else 🙂 Stunning spread obviously 🙂
Isn’t pilaf the best?? I don’t think I’ve ever come across a pilaf I didn’t LOVE!
Adding the lemon juice and zest AFTER the rice has steamed is brilliant. I have put it in the water prior, and maybe it’s chemical thing, but the rice has always been a tad gummy. This looks fluffy and a great side dish.
My reasoning was just because it loses lemon flavour when cooked!!! 🙂