You’ll love this bright, flavor-packed Greek lemon rice made with onions, garlic, fresh lemon juice, and herbs! Check out my tips for foolproof results, and grab all the suggestions for what other dishes to serve along! Rice cooker instructions included.
Never Eat Boring Rice Again!
If you think rice is just a dreaded, boring side dish, this Greek lemon rice will prove you wrong. Dare I say, once you give it a try, it might just become your favorite side of all time!
This lemon rice pilaf is a fairly popular side dish; you may have sampled a version of it at your local Greek restaurant.
This easy side dish pairs beautifully with lots of Mediterranean favorites, including Souvlaki, Shrimp, Greek baked cod, and many more!
How to Make Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf
A few familiar flavor makers get the credit for how bright and tantalizing this rice is. They are: onions, garlic, fresh lemon juice, fresh parsley and dried dill.)
But this lemon rice is very simple to make. It starts with a little bit of rich extra virgin olive oil in which our onions and garlic are sautéed. From there, we add a little orzo, rice, and our liquid (lots of fresh lemon juice and broth). As the rice cooks in the lemon juice, it absorbs all the tang and brightness. And at the end, we hit it up with the herbs and a little lemon zest to seal the deal.
That’s all there is to it!
- Rinse and soak the rice. Place the rice in a fine mesh sieve, and rinse well under running water until it runs clear. Then soak rice in fresh water for 15-20 minutes.
- Cook the aromatics and toast the orzo. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and orzo. Stir until the orzo has gained some color, then stir in the rice.
- Add the liquid. Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done. The liquid should be fully absorbed, and the rice should be tender but not sticky.
- Remove from heat and steam. Remove the rice from the heat, but leave it covered. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Add herbs and serve! Uncover and stir in parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Garnish with a few slices of lemon. Enjoy!
Two Important Tips for Making Greek Rice
To ensure the best results for texture and taste, I apply the same tips I’ve learned when making Lebanese rice and Hashweh rice. Here they are:
- Rinse and soak the rice. The recipe starts with a very important step most other recipes ignore: Wash the rice well and soak it in plenty of water for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not skip this step; it helps remove excess starch, which causes rice to be sticky, and this rice is not meant to be sticky. Soaking it also shortens the cooking time, making sure the interior of the grain actually cooks before the exterior loses its shape and becomes mush.
- Let it rest after cooking. Once the rice is finished, leave it covered and undisturbed in the pot for about 10 minutes before adding the herbs and lemon zest. Again, this helps maintain the texture and integrity of the rice.
Can I Make this in My Rice Cooker?
I know many are fans of the convenient rice cooker. I totally get that, but this recipe is much better when you make it on the stovetop. That being said, yes, you can use a rice cooker with some adjustments:
- Still, rinse the rice well and soak it for 10 minutes (rather than 15 or 20) to remove the starch (not a requirement for rice cookers, but helpful).
- Add the orzo, rice, and liquid to the rice cooker (adjust liquid amount according to your rice cooker)
- Instead of chopped onions and fresh garlic, use 3/4 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (do not expect the same taste as using fresh, but it will get you close).
- Set the rice cooker to the appropriate setting. Once the rice is finished, stir in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil before adding the parsley, dill, and lemon zest.
Recipe Variations
- You can use brown rice, if needed. It does not yield the same taste and requires some adjustments. See how to cook brown rice for tips.
- For a veggie-boost, try Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice).
- For the gluten-free option, simply omit the orzo and let the liquid boil a while longer to reduce properly.
- Some people add carrots or peas to this rice pilaf (similar to my Middle Eastern chicken and rice recipe) but I prefer to keep it simple, unadulterated, so to speak.
What to Serve with Lemon Rice
If you’re into eating Mediterranean, this lemon rice recipe will come in handy. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve with Greek rice.
- Greek Lamb (Definitely)
- Chicken Souvlaki and Pork Souvlaki are both a given!
- Beef Kabobs if you like red meat.
- Rice goes really well with all sorts of fish recipes like easy baked salmon or Sheet Pan Salmon with Vegetables.
- Try it with vegetarian dishes like Briam, Greek Roasted Vegetables to make the most of garden produce.
- Heck, I’d turn this awesome lemon rice into a rice bowl; throw in these Keftedes or shrimp skewers and a little Greek Salad. Mmmm, doesn’t that sound wonderful!
More Greek Rice Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (just over 1 cup chopped onions)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup orzo pasta
- 2 lemons, juiced, plus the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups low sodium broth, chicken or vegetable broth will work
- pinch salt
- Large handful chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- Rinse and soak rice. Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well under running water until it runs clear. Then soak it in fresh water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
- Cook aromatics and toast the orzo. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, Once the oil begins to shimmer, add onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and orzo pasta. Stir for a bit until the orzo has gained some color, then stir in the rice.
- Add the liquid. Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (it should reduce a little), then turn heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is done. The liquid should be fully absorbed, and rice should be tender but not sticky.
- Remove from heat and steam. Remove rice from heat. Leave it covered and do not disturb the rice for 10 minutes to let it steam.
- Add herbs and serve. Uncover and stir in parsley, dill, and lemon zest. If you like, add a few slices of lemon on top for garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook’s tip #1: Do not skip washing and soaking the rice well; this is important to help get rid of excess starch, which causes rice to be sticky (this rice is not meant to be sticky). Soaking the rice also shortens the cooking time, making sure the interior of the grain actually cooks before the exterior loses its shape.
- Cook’s Tip # 2: Once rice is finished, leave it covered and undisturbed in the pot for about 10 minutes before adding the herbs, etc. Again, this helps maintain the texture and integrity of the rice.
- What Dishes Go Well with this Greek Rice? Chicken Souvlaki, Beef Kabobs, Greek Baked Cod; All sorts of Salmon; Briam Roasted Vegetables. Heck, I’d throw it in a bowl with these Keftedes or shrimp skewers and a little Greek Salad. The possibilities are endless!
- Gluten-Free & Vegan Option: Eliminate the orzo to make this rice gluten-free. To make it vegan, opt for vegan vegetable broth.
- Brown Rice Option: It is not my preference, but you can use brown rice in this recipe. Remember that brown rice will require more soaking time and more liquid to cook. Consult the brown rice package to adjust this recipe.
- Rice Cooker Instructions: This rice is best cooked on the stovetop, but you can try a rice cooker. Still, rinse the rice very well and soak it to get rid of starch (not a requirement for rice cookers, but helpful). Add the orzo, rice, and liquid to the rice cooker (adjust liquid amount according to your rice cooker). Instead of chopped onions and fresh garlic, you will use about 3/4 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Set the rice cooker to the appropriate setting. Once the rice is finished, stir in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil before adding the parsley, dill, and lemon zest.
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
Nutrition
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Greek Lemon Rice
Your recipe says 2C uncooked Rice. However your calorie calculation is for 2/3 C Uncooked Rice or 2 C cooked rice.
How much rice do I use. The imappropriate amount will ruin the recipe.
Please correct the recipe.
Hi, Holly. When making this recipe, you start with 2 cups of uncooked long-grained rice. Enjoy!
Delicious 😋
Since this recipe mskes quite a large amount, rather than cutting it in half, could I freeze leftovers.
Sure! Be sure to let it cool completely before freezing, and then wrap well. It should keep for about 3 months.
So easy to make and so delicious to eat! Thank you!
I made this using my rice cooker with the following adaptations: Use converted rice. No rinsing required. Use rice cooker ‘cup’ to measure rice and orzo. 2 ‘cups’ converted rice. 1/2 ‘cup’ orzo. Saute onions and garlic as recipe describes. Pull onions/garlic out of pan leaving flavored oil behind. Saute orzo and rice for a few minutes until it begins to brown. Put rice and orzo into rice cooker. Add lemon juice as noted. Add chicken stock until liquid is up to the line for 2 1/2 cups. Now you have the proper portions of rice and liquid. Add onions and garlic previously set aside. Close lid and start rice cooker. Rice will be perfect and fluffy. Taste is fantastic I added folded in fresh Italian parsley and dill once rice is cooked.
Thank you so much for sharing, Georganne! Very helpful!
Important note: rice is 1:2 and the lemon juice counts! So I make this for 2 generous servings with delicious leftovers, as follows:
1/2 c rice 1/4 c Orzo
Juice 1/2 lemon, see how much there is and add water/stock to make 1 1/2 cups total
Otherwise follow the recipe as written
I used basmati rice in this recipe. Directions for basmati are 1:1, so I knew there wouldn’t be enough liquid. Needed up using 4C of vegetable broth instead of 2.. Other than that, it was pretty good! Thanks!
This is so delicious and so easy to make! We gilded the lily a bit by adding some toasted pine nuts with the parsley and lemon zest. I am so impressed by your rice recipes-they turn out perfect every time. Thank you!
Flavor and method were great! I use long grain white rice, rinsed and soaked for 20 minutes and following steps followed as well. After the cooking and resting time, my rice was still undercooked; I added about 2/3 cup water and turned back to low. After 7-8 more minutes cooking plus 2-3 mins rest, it was edible—but next time I’ll use 3 cups broth instead of 2. Extended family loved it even slightly undercooked!
Hi Suzy,
Since lemons can vary greatly in the amount of juice they produce, about how much lemon juice should be added to the rice? One commentor said she used about 1 cup. Another recipe I saw used 1/3 cup. Thanks!
Hi, Katy. I would start with about 4 tablespoons here, as, on average 1 lemon = 2 tablespoons of juice. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Delish! Served with Chicken Souvlaki last weekend and it was the perfect side. Was afraid it might be too lemony, but it was just the right amount. May add just a tad more chicken broth next time and a little dill at the end. Everyone went back for seconds!
Great dinner combo! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious rice recipe! Not sticky at all and so flavorful! Everyone loved it! Thank you!!
Thanks, Joane! Glad to hear it!
Great recipe. Delicious & easy! It’s an amazing side with lamb chops, mint sauce & tzatiki. This will be my 3rd time making it!!
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out like glue. Not fit to be served.
As I was reading the recipe prior to making it, I noted it seemed the amount of liquid called for was quite low. Followed the instructions exactly, and ended up using nearly double the liquid as specified. Made it on the stove top, not a rice cooker. The dish was indeed tasty and not difficult to prepare, but I’ll amend it to account for the additional liquid needed. I’ve noted some have asked about altitude, this was prepared at about 300m, so definitely not high altitude.
Thank you for the feedback, Mark! Always appreciated!
Bought the extra long basmati as you specify and made recipe exactly as written. Rinsed and soaked and came out perfectly. Light fluffy individual grains. Served for Easter dinner with your Mediterranean baked fish with Tomatoes and capers. Everyone loved it. The plates looked colourful and healthy – I felt great serving it. Thank you!
I wish I had used basmati rice instead of long grain white rice. I followed the directions to the letter, and it came out a big sticky ball of rice. Taste is great, but I really cant serve it because it’s like glue.
Absolutely incredible!! My family loved it a lot! Rice is our most commonly used starch source for dinner, so I love to find different ways of cooking it. I didn’t put the orzo in and I used basmati rice instead. I also tweaked the cooking method to suit this type of rice. But man, this recipie sure is a keeper! I will definitely be making it again.
Did you soak the basmati rice? I was wondering if that was necessary.
Hello! Yes, I do here. The key is to soak the rice before cooking until you are able to easily break a grain.