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.
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The flavors in this rice were wonderful, but sadly it turned out very sticky and gloppy. I did rinse it, and soak it. I used Organic white rice. I’d like to try it again. Any suggestions as to what happened?
Hi, Elizabeth. Without being there, it’s hard to say exactly what might have gone wrong for you. This can happen if a bit too much liquid was used, or the recipe was overcooked, so I would just watch those two things very closely next time.
Really excellent rice recipe. Makes the rice so much more than just something to soak up excess sauce.
This was the first time I’ve made Greek Lemon Rice and this turned out so good! My whole family loved it and even went back for seconds. I followed the recipe exactly as written and used Jasmine Rice. This is a keeper for sure, thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Great to hear the recipe worked well for you, Julie! Thanks for stopping back to let us know!
This is a fabulous recipe but I am wondering if there is a typo in the ingredients. I was nervous about only 2 cups of broth with 2 cups of rice and a 1/2 cup of orzo, so I checked in at 8 minutes and there was no liquid left. Added 4 cups of water and continued to simmer. Turned out amazing!! it is a keeper.
Hello, Cathy! Yes, the ratios are correct. A couple of quick thoughts: 1) you may need to spend a little extra time rinsing & soaking your rice 2) once the liquid has boiled, be sure it cooks for the rest of the time over very low heat, covered. It may take a couple tries as you discover what works best with your own stove.
I made this with Jasmine rice and it turned out wonderful. I added less water when I cooked it. I added a little cilantro, the flavor was a-ma-zing!
Didn’t work with Jasmine rice – maybe a different long grain would work. I also don’t recommend soaking. It made the rice into mush. Flavour was good though.
Could this be served cold as a side salad?
It probably could, Lindsey. If you want to give it a try, just be sure to cool it quickly after cooking in the refrigerator, and consume it within a few days.
I made this and had to throw it out BECAUSE I read the comments about adding additional water before I made the original recipe. With the soaking and standing time given in the original recipe no additional water was needed. Yes, it sounds like there is not enough liquid as white rice is usually a 1 to 2 ratio. I believe this recipe would have been perfect should I have followed it as written. I tried another similar recipe that also had less water and it was perfect. I plan to try this recipe again but change nothing.
Thanks, Gail! Please let us know how it turns out for you next time.
This was delicious. I transferred everything over to a pressure cooker when it was time to add the rice, just to make it a little easier to focus on the rest of the meal.
I make this rice a couple times a month. It’s absolutely perfect, my favourite rice recipe. This is my go-to side for pretty much everything. Sometimes I add a bit of the better than bouillon roasted garlic to the chicken stock. It turns out perfect, every time! Thank you for this recipe.
I loved this recipe! Made it brown rice and came out very good.
Awesome! Thanks, Maria!
This tastes wonderful 😋. Prep time was about five minutes and cooking was easy.
When I read the recipe I didn’t think it was right, but went ahead anyway. I should have followed my intuition. This was an inedible disaster. I have always made rice with a 2 parts liquid, 1 part rice. The recipe calls for 1 to 1. I thought soaking the rice would help ( soaked it for 1/2 hour after rinsing), even though it also called for orzo, which absorbs water. If you are worried about the rice being to too starchy, the problem is with the variety of rice and is not solved by cutting the amount of liquid. Crunchy rice is not good. Thankfully have pigs and they enjoyed it. People, not so much.
VERY GOOD – I made it using leftover duck stock I had made when roasting a duck for the holidays recently. It had some grease in it and added a nice flavor. We ate it along with your Mediterranean sauteed scallops which were also delicious https://www.themediterraneandish.com/wprm_print/mediterranean-sauteed-scallops
this was delicious. I didn’t have orzo or dill on hand so those items were omitted this time, but next time I will definitely include. I served this alongside the easy whole roasted chicken and grilled veggies.
I don’t orzo,what can I use instead
Hi, there! You can just omit the orzo here. When you do that, you’ll need to adjust the water a bit. For the water amount, I usually eyeball about 1 inch above the rice.
Step 2 has a parenthetical “(like this one)” bit, presumably to link to the saucepan. Well, color me interested. But there’s no link. I figured I’d just use my Lodge dutch oven because why not. But I know I could upgrade some of my kitchen gear.
Hi, Bryan. So sorry the link is not there. This is an older post, and it’s likely that that specific pot is no longer available. Over the last few years, Suzy has been using Le Creuset enameled cast iron pots and LOVES them! Highly recommend!