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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i rarely follow a recipe to the letter. this one seemed right to me, so i did. granted, i’m not greek nor have i ever been to greece, but the recipe read like it tasted good. that’s an understatement. this was great rice that accompanied some pretty good greek chicken and salad. so good that this rice could be an entree on its own. thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it, Chris!
I don’t have orzo paste. Is there any other substitute for the paste? Will the rice taste good without it?
Thanks
Shilpa
Hello! The orzo is a type of pasta, not a paste. And, sure! you can do this recipe without the orzo and it will still be delicious. You’ll just need to let the liquid boil a bit longer so that it reduces properly. Enjoy!
Ii soaked the rice for 30 minutes and rinsed it thoroughly. Not enough required broth. I set to boil and then immediately set to low, any lower, stove would be off. If I put more broth, then needed to add more lemon juice.
So, I think in order to remedy this recipe, use less rice and less orzo. Then hopefully should be enough liquid!!
I too found I needed to add more broth, I think I ended up with about 6 cups overall. Unfortunately I did not think to add more lemon juice at the same time, so my flavors were a little off. I also found that my rice cooked in less than half the time, don’t think that’s normal. Overall good dish though!
Good afternoon!
This looks amazing! I was wondering what you think of maybe adding some toasted pine nuts, or do you think it would be too “nutty” because of the orzo?
Thank you,
Lynn
Sounds yummy to me!
Suzy
Ahh Iam in love ,i spent a couple years in and around greece and love there authentic dishes, You remind me so much of the people and country,
the rice is fantastic made it with some pan seared snapper and ahhhh yummy for the tummy.
steve
Thanks so much, Steve!
I followed all of the instructions and found the rice was not cooked. I had to add 2 more cups of liquid.Any suggestions?
Deb
Hi, Deborah! 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 had the same experience as Diana and Deborah Dewar – mine was undercooked as well, so I added more broth and cooked it longer. I will double the liquid from the beginning next time. Thanks for this recipe and the guide on soaking and rinsing!
A new family favorite! In my haste (and not paying attention!), I accidentally tossed the zest into the pot before cooking! It tasted great, but I won’t be doing that again! Thank you for another great recipe. Love, love, love this site.
Thanks, Maria!
We’ve made this two weeks in a row, and it will be our new go-to recipe for our Greek or Mediterranean meals. It’s so fresh!!! Next time I plan to top with a tiny drizzle of honey. Thanks for this great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, Julie!!
I’ve made this rice per instructions and it turned out amazing! Have you tried making it in an Instant Pot? I usually cook my rice 3 min on High pressure with natural release….wondering if it would work here?
Hi, Sophi! I personally have not, but another reader has with success. Here is his recommendation:
1. Sauté the onions, garlic, orzo & rice as in the recipe only use the sauté function of the instant pot.
2. Increase the broth to 2-1/2 cups
3. Set to high pressure for 3 minutes
4. Natural release for 10 minutes then open valve to release residual pressure.
Hope that helps!!
When do you add the rice?
Hi, Julie. The rice is added after the orzo in step 2.
Made this last night. Soaked my rice as instructed but the recipe specified only 2 cups of broth and it wasn’t nearly enough. Had to add 2 more cups to get the rice and orzo cooked. Nice flavour though.
Hi Suzy
I am in love with your amazing recipes, yum yum yum! I have only made a few dishes so far, but there are so many more I want to try! I am wanting to buy a decent lemon zester, is there a particular one that you would recommend, or are they all pretty much the same?
Thank you so much…. all the way from New Zealand 🙂
Hi, Jackie! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to hear what else you try! As for the lemon zester…. in my experience, they are all pretty much the same. I have owned a few different ones over the years and really can’t tell a difference in performance.
Made this last night to go with Gambas al Ajillo .
Note to self: When prepping two dishes simultaneously don’t get the ingredients mixed up. One the rice was cooking I realized that I had put the 10 cloves of garlic in the rice not the shrimp oil by mistake. Even at that it was tasty enough that I will be making it again.
Oops! LOL!
I just made this and it is just perfection. You have outdone yourself with this recipe as simple as it is it’s just so good. It’s going to be my go to rice recipe. Thank you so much Suzy!
The rice turned out great! I just made half a recipe because I was a little skeptical about using such a small amount of liquid. But with the soaking, it worked perfectly Nice and tender. My rice was soaked for about half an hour because I was busy, but it was fine. Thanks for the recipe!!
Thank you for sharing, Tina!
This is delicious, I followed the recipe as written. The only thing I was missing was dill, but it was good even without it. It was amazing with our greek chicken and greek salad. I will definitely make this again.
Thanks, Elaine!