You'll love this bright, flavor-packed Greek lemon rice made with onions, garlic, fresh lemon juice and herbs! This is an easy side dish and pairs beautifully with lots of Mediterranean favorites including Souvlaki, Shrimp, and Greek baked cod and many more! Be sure to check out my tips for foolproof results, and grab all the suggestions for what other dishes to serve along! Rice cooker instructions included.
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.
You can serve it with many Mediterranean dishes like:
Greek Lamb (Definitely); Chicken Souvlaki; Beef Kabobs; all sorts of fish dishes like easy baked salmon; and vegetarian dishes like Briam Roasted Vegetables. 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!
You get the point, if you're into eating Mediterranean, this lemon rice recipe will come in handy.
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, and herbs (I used fresh parsley and a dash of dill weed.)
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, garlic are sauteed. 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!
Two Important Tips for this Greek Rice
To ensure best results for texture and taste, I apply the same tips I've learned when making Lebanese rice and Hashweh rice. Here they are:
1.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, 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 it also shortens the cooking time, making sure the interior of the grain actually cooks before the exterior looses its shape and becomes mush.
2.Once rice is finished, leave it covered and undisturbed in the pot for about 10 minutes before adding the finishing touches (the herbs etc.) 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 stovetop. That said, yes, you can use a rice cooker, if you need to, with some adjustments:
Still rinse the rice very well and soak it even for a bit 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 ¾ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder (do not expect the same taste.) Set rice cooker to appropriate setting. Once 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 you need to. 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 liquid boil a while longer to reduce properly
- Some people add carrots or peas in this rice pilaf (similar to this idea here), but I prefer to keep simple, unadulterated so to speak
Greek Lemon Rice Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves up to 6
Description
Best Greek lemon rice recipe! Loads of flavor from onions, garlic, lemon juice and fresh herbs. Be sure to check out the notes for tips and ideas for what to serve it with.
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)
- Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (just over 1 cup chopped onions)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- 2 lemons, juice of (PLUS zest of 1 lemon)
- 2 cups low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable broth will work)
- Pinch salt
- Large handful chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dill weed (dry dill)
Instructions
- Wash rice well and then soak it for about 15 to 20 minutes in plenty of cold water (enough to cover the rice by 1 inch). You should be able to easily break a grain of rice by simply placing it between your thumb and index finger. Drain well.
- Heat about 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large sauce pan with a lid (like this one) until oil is shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and orzo pasta. Toss around for a bit until the orzo has gained some color then stir in the rice. Toss to coat.
- Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (it should reduce a little), then turn heat to low. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is done (liquid should be fully absorbed and rice should be tender but not sticky.)
- Remove rice from heat. For best results, leave it covered and do not disturb rice for about 10 minutes or so.
- Uncover and stir in parsley, dill weed 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 here also shortens the cooking time, making sure the interior of the grain actually cooks before the exterior looses 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: All you need to do to make this rice gluten free is to eliminate the orzo. For vegan, opt for a vegetable broth that is completely vegan instead of chicken 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 stovetop, but you can try a rice cooker. Still rinse the rice very well and soak it even for a little bit 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 ¾ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Set rice cooker to appropriate setting. Once rice is finished, stir in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil before adding the parsley, dill and lemon zest.
- Visit The Mediterranean Dish store to check out Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil and our Early Harvest Greek Extra virgin olive oil (both single estate oils from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives.) You will also find a big selection of all-natural and organic spices! Visit TMD Store
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
I’ve made this several times and it’s so delicious! I love your advice on soaking the rice and now I do that for all my rice recipes.
Wonderful, Nanette! Yes, i do the same with all my rice recipes.
Hi Suzy,
Thanks so much for including gluten free option!!
If omitting the orzo, do I need to adjust the liquid at all?
Can’t wait to make this:-)
My pleasure, Julia. I always add the liquid to cover the rice by about 1 inch. Should work well here still.
Oh my! This is awesome!! Everyone loved the flavors! Fed 4 adults for two nights dinner! Love, love, love....
Wow! Great, Christine!
Can Greek lemon rice be made day before?
Sure, Joan! It will keep just fine in the fridge and can be reheated on medium heat (it may help to add just a tiny bit of water when reheating and be sure to stir it occassionally.)
I'll admit, I was skeptical because my entire life I've made rice using the 2/3 water to 1/3 rice ratio and thought it would burn or be too dry, but I decided to have faith and followed the recipe exactly, using basmati rice. When the rice was finished cooking, I let it sit for 10 minutes before adding the herbs and lemon zest, as recommended.
This rice is the BOMB! It came out perfect and made a TON! I've eaten it for three days now and can't get enough. I can see why she says it may become your new favorite side dish.
The only other comment is that for me, it needed more salt, but I have a salty palate so that is a factor and doesn't change my rating. Seriously, try this rice, it's delicious.
I'm so glad to hear it, Robin. The difference, as you probably figured out, is that we soak the rice in water long enough before cooking it.
I just made this tonight and the flavor was perfect! I used 2 cups of broth and the lemon juice but the broth was completely absorbed in less than 10 minutes with the rice still hard. I added more broth, but what did I do wrong?
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. A couple of quick thoughts: 1) Make sure to have rinsed the rice well and soaked it long enough that you are able to break one grain of rice easily. 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 was reading and thought the same thing....usually rice/liquid is 2 to 1...not 1 to 1???
If you rinse the rice well and soak in water, as instructed, until you are able to break a grain of rice easily, you will not need as much water.
Question: can I make this ahead and reheat?
Yes, you can. You may add a little bit of liquid (not very much at all) and give it a toss as you warm it up over medium heat
This is the best rice we have ever eaten. Ever. The onions, orzo, parsley and lemon make it irresistible.
Made this with the Grilled Shrimp with Roasted Garlic and Cilantro recipe and it was to die for.
Thanks for the kind words Jamie! Glad you like the rice!
I made this dish to go with the "Grilled Greek Shrimp Recipe with Roasted Garlic-Cilantro Sauce" it was great!! Easy to make and so very tasty. Thank you Suzy. You make following the Mediterranean Diet delicious and easy.
Made this for dinner last night along with your cilantro chicken recipe and my family loved the flavors. Both dishes went so well together, they are definitely keepers. thank you for the recipes. I love all your healthy and delicious recipes.
Wendy, I am so glad you enjoyed the dinner! Thank you for sharing
I have eaten this pilav in Greece, and have tried to replicate it at home, all to no avail! Thank you so much for your recipe, it's perfect. I had all of the ingredients at home and have prepared it at 7.00 this morning. Well, I'd just read your newsletter and could almost smell the fragrance so into the kitchen I went.
I don't suppose that it would harm to eat a bowl full (or do you call it a bowlful?) for breakfast?!
That's awesome, Barbara! No one will judge you if you decide to eat this for breakfast! Cheers!
This is delicious, Suzy and so easy and quick! It will definitely be on the menu for the Moveable Feast along with roast salmon and roasted asparagus. I just need one other side dish and I’m sure I’ll find it on your site. I love your simple and delicious recipes.
I liked the lemon and dill in this recipe, but next time I’ll cut the rice down to half. The ratio of rice to chicken broth was way off. Also, the addition of salt and pepper is definitely needed.
Hey Tracey, thanks for sharing! Did you soak the rice enough? Just curious, I haven't had this experience
Fresh or dry dill used? Another difference in cooking rice is your burner type. Find my induction burner always require ar least 1/4 cup extra. Usually keep warm liquid ready to add as needed.
Hi Kathleen, in this recipe, we used dill weed (dry dill). And thank you for sharing your notes!
BIG o on flavor and ease of prep. but 2 cups of rice to two cups of liquid is not enough. I had to add extra broth and still the rice had a little hardness to it. I soaked it for 25-30 minutes prior to cooking. I would double the liquid. Maybe 2 cups broth and 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water. Serves way more than 6. We had it with grilled shrimp and it was yummy.
Hi Pam, thanks for sharing your feedback. For us, this has been the recipe we used over and over with just this amount of liquid. But I do know that the kind of rice used could make a bit of a difference. Appreciate you sharing.
This dish reminds me of my childhood. So good.