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’m very interested in trying this rice dish. It sounds delicious. Can you inform me the size pot you used? Thanks!
Alan
Hi, Alan. I typically use a large Dutch oven (5-6 quarts).
Can’t wait to try this! If you eliminate the Orzo, do you need to adjust the liquid/broth ratio?
Thanks!
Hi, Alice. If you eliminate the orzo, for the correct water amount, I would just eyeball about 1 inch above the rice.
This dish is delish! I made it with Jasmine rice. Thanks, Suzy!
I hate to rate something that I’ve not cooked yet but I’ll be back later tonight because this is on the menu to go with pork souvlaki. I did have a question about the lemon juice. I almost always add lemon juice off heat, so cooking it with the broth goes against what I’d done and learned. Thoughts on adding lemon off heat at the end? Also Making tzatziki, so I’ll have fresh dill on hand. Should I use this instead of dried?
Can you use jasmine rice?
Hi, Lara. Yes, that should be fine. Just remember, the key is to soak the rice before cooking until you are able to easily break a grain.
Are you supposed to cook the orzo first?
Nope. It cooks right along with the rice :).
Hi. Sounds delish but I need to omit the orzo to keep
it gluten free. Do I need to adjust the liquid?
Thx.
Hi, Joyce. Yes, if you omit the orzo, you do need to adjust the water a bit. For the water amount, I usually eyeball about 1 inch above the rice.
I’m confused. Why would someone need to reduce the water? It says to soak the rice, then drain well. Are you then using the drained water? Now I’m nervous because I currently have it cooking in only the broth and lemon juice.
Hello! No, you drain the water…. it is not used in cooking the rice.
Hi I plan making this for Father’s day , can this be made alittle ahead of time? Also what would be the best way to keep warm., I’m making chicken kabobs with it and want to have whatever I can ready to go before I my guest arrive I have 16 people coming for dinner. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, Linda. You can make it ahead of time and reheat it on the stovetop with a tiny bit of water, tossing until warmed through. Hope you all have a lovely Father’s Day!
I made this with your ‘Easy Baked Fish with Garlic and Basil’ and together it was one of the best meals I’ve ever made. Will definitely be on my monthly meal rotation 🙂 Can’t wait to try your other recipes. A+++++
Yay! Thank you so much, Scott!
Winner recipe for me and my family. Thank you!
Yay! So glad to hear that, Sandy!
This is the best rice… so glad you were king enough to share…I will be making this recipe again and again… Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks, Jean!
We made the Greek-lemon rice and garlic-dijon chicken last night- as written and they were so easy and so flavorful!! Dinner got rave reviews from everyone. We will definitely be making these again. Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks, Brian!
Hello Suzy, we loved the taste of this rice dish. Used Risoni instead of Orzo. Found I had to add more water to stop it sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. It was also gluggy. Could the Risoni have caused it to be gluggy? If this is the case, may just make with the rice next time.
Hi, Alison. Hard to say… Risoni is the same as orzo, so that alone wouldn’t cause it to be gluggy. I’m thinking the increased amount of water may have done it, unfortunately.
Hi Susie I am making your rice and chicken dish this weekend for my daughters birthday, can I Sousvide the chicken breast ?
Hi, Richard! I really recommend cooking the chicken with the rice as stated. I feel like if you sous-vide the chicken breasts separately, you will miss out on the delicious flavor combo.
I would not need as much rice as this recipe yields (only for me an my husband). Can this recipe be divided in half? What adjustments in preparation would I need to make?
Sure! I have done this by simply halving the ingredients and it worked out just fine.
Hi Suzy,
Your recipes are amazing and I love the tips you give with it! I did your Lebanese rice recipe so many times and it was always a success. I just have a question, in both recipes you use 2 cups of rice but why do you use 3 and 1/2 cups of water in the Lebanese recipe but only 2 cups in this one? The soaking time is the same, the only difference I noticed is that this one has some lemon juice, but that doesn’t sum up to 1 and 1/2 cups of liquid, this is why I am confused.
Thank you so much 🙂
Hi, Elia! During the creation and testing of these recipes we just found those are the amounts that worked best for each one.
How is this rice reheated?
Hi, Becky. You can reheat it on stovetop over medium-low heat, add a little water if needed to break up the cold rice, and stir occasionally until warmed through.