Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf

vegetarianrice recipesbeans & grainsquick recipeseasy recipesone-potveganmediterraneansides & starters

Jun 19

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy

A minimalistic rice recipe that’s full of wonderful flavours and so fast to make, this **Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf** will certainly be a new favourite! Pair it with potatoes, skewers or anything your heart desires, this simple Greek rice will give you fluffy and delicious rice every time!

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate a simple Steamed White Rice to go with your favourite meals. However, if you’re like me and love to recreate your restaurant favourites at home (and I give more details on how going out to eat can inspire you in the kitchen in my free motivational guide, Make Cooking Fun!), then you’ll want to enhance your simple rice a little more! For as long as I can remember, one of my all-time favourite meals when I needed something quick but still fresh and healthy-ish would be Jimmy the Greek. I always got chicken souvlaki skewers with potatoes and rice. I could eat this all day long, I swear!

You’ll definitely want to have this Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf as a new staple to take your kitchen on a trip to Greece as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my newsletter, and all of my new recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!

To get all the details on how to perfect your Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf that will taste just like Jimmy the Greek’s lemon rice - or lemon rice from any Greek place you like - then check out the video at the bottom of this post! It would also mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and be sure to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my new video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!

What is Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf?

A pilaf, also referred to as a pilau, is a recipe that involves cooking rice or other grains, such as orzo, quinoa or barley, with broth and spices. Many cuisines in the Mediterranean have their own pilaf variations, and Greek cuisine is one of them! You’ll see that this Greek rice pilaf is very simple, but others can be very intricate with ground and whole spices and they may also include animal proteins such as chicken or beef, or plant-based proteins such as lentils or chickpeas.

What Rice Should I use? Can I Use Brown Rice?

I recommend that you prepare your Greek Lemon Rice with long grain white rice for best results. My personal favourite choice when cooking most rice recipes is basmati rice - not only is it a staple in Indian cuisines, which is my expertise, but basmati rice is widely used in other cuisines too. If you have other long grain rice variations such as white jasmine rice, then go ahead! I just like how each grain of basmati rice separates and becomes super fluffy when you’ve cooked it properly, whereas shorter grain rices tend to get a little stickier.

With regard to using brown rice to prepare this Greek rice recipe, you technically can, but keep in mind that it will have a nuttier flavour. Furthermore, you’ll have to add more broth and cook the rice for longer. I’ve never made this recipe with brown rice, so I can’t give any specific instructions on how to modify. If you do try it with brown rice yourself, then be sure to comment below any information you have on how to achieve the perfect Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf with brown rice!

IS Greek Lemon Rice Gluten-Free?

Rice is a staple gluten-free ingredient, and the only other ingredients we’ve got here are vegetable broth, lemon juice, salt and herbs. Make sure you’re working an environment where there is no cross-contamination with gluten and you’ll be fine!

IS Lemon RICE Pilaf VEGAN?

Vegans can definitely enjoy this Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf recipe! You may notice that some rice pilaf recipes are sautéed with butter, but we’ll be using olive oil. Using any plant-based cooking oil such as coconut oil will keep the recipe vegan.

Why You’ll Love this Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf!

One-pan recipe
Easy to make
Speedy recipe
Minimal, staple household ingredients
Serves a crowd
Fits plenty of dietary needs
Versatile and customizable - check out ideas below!

TOOLS TO MAKE Easy Greek Rice

Ingredients For Greek Lemon Rice

You can see the complete ingredient list with their measurements in addition to saving the recipe for later by checking out the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post. You can also scale the recipe based on how much rice you want to make - whether you want just two portions or a big batch for the week, all ingredient quantities automatically adjust for you!

Rice: I’ll be using basmati rice, but any long grain white rice should work.
Water: Needed to cook the rice.
Garlic: A couple of chopped garlic cloves.
Olive oil: To sauté the garlic and rice.
Broth: To ensure that the recipe is vegetarian and vegan, use vegetable broth. However, if all you have on hand is chicken broth and vegetarians won’t be eating this rice, then that will work too.
Salt: Always to taste!
Fresh dill: That’s what I’m using here, but parsley is also an excellent option to add fresh flavours.
Lemon: Whatever is already on hand. You could use bottled juice if you want, but I wanted to add the whole lemon for garnish.

How to Make Lemon Rice Pilaf

Rinse 1 cup rice with cold water until water runs clear.

Heat a pot or saucepan on medium heat and add the olive oil.

Once hot, add garlic and saute for thirty seconds to one minute.

Add washed rice to the pot and sauté for 1-2 minutes while stirring often.

Add 1 1/2 Cups of broth and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Then, lower heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and fluffy.

Once the rice is cooked, let it sit for at least 10 minutes before stirring or serving. Then, add fresh dill or parsley and fluff the rice with a fork.

Enjoy!

Tips For Perfect Fluffy Greek Lemon Rice

A pot with a heavy bottom and tight fitting lid will help maintain the heat and steam inside the pot to cook the rice well and quickly. Alternatively, a side plate that fits your pot well can be a nifty solution to keep the steam in. That’s what I use.
Sautéing the rice with the garlic and oil helps to incorporate more flavour into the grains. Using vegetable and chicken broth adds even more flavour and fragrance to the rice.
Once the rice has absorbed all of the water, it is key to leave the pot of rice off the heat with a tight lid to ensure the rice can finish cooking and become tender throughout. Once cooked well, rice grains should point upwards and be fluffy and tender.
Rice usually needs some form of seasoning, a dash of salt and pepper should be enough. Taste and adjust for seasoning after the rice is done steaming.

Variations of Greek Rice Pilaf

Proteins

Chicken
Beef
Pork
Shrimp
Tofu

Vegetables

Peas
Carrots
Onions
Celery
Bell pepper
Mushrooms

How to Serve Lemon Rice

The best way to serve your Greek Lemon Rice is as part of a wonderful Greek feast! As you’ve seen in the photos, I’ve paired it with my Grilled Souvlaki Chicken Skewers, Lemon Potatoes, and Authentic Tzatziki Sauce. This combination truly is one of my favourites!

However, there are no rules saying that you have to limit your serving of Greek Lemon Rice to Mediterranean recipes! When I’ve used up my leftovers, I’ve mixed and matched this with several other recipes. Believe it or not, this would go well with many Indian dishes, such as Punjabi Lobia (black eyed peas curry), Mixed Dal (lentils), or even Chicken Tikka Masala. You can use this as a base for an egg fried rice, either Indian-style or a classic Chinese Egg Fried Rice to switch things up! Pretty much any poultry will work well with your Greek Lemon Rice, such as Italian Grilled Chicken or Coq au Vin; beef such as Jamaican Pepper Steak, or with seafood, such as Filipino Ginataang Salmon or Cajun Shrimp.

Storing Lemon Rice Pilaf

You’ll see that this Greek Lemon Rice Recipe ! As you can see, you can enjoy it with pretty much any recipe or add in mixes as your heart desires! As I’ve listed above, this rice dish can really be served with anything! All you need to do is store the rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days due to the garlic in the rice.

How to Reheat Greek Rice

Have your Greek Lemon Rice in microwave-safe container, bowl or plate. Depending on how much rice you’re reheating, one to two minutes should be long enough. Make sure that you stir occasionally to ensure that the tomato rice is entirely warmed through.

More Healthy Rice Recipes

WATCH HOW TO MAKE Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf HERE:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!

greek lemon rice pilaf recipe,greek lemon rice pilaf,Greek lemon rice,greek lemon rice recipe,30 minute meals,easy lemon rice,greek recipes in english,how to make lemon rice,lemon dill rice,lemon garlic rice,lemon rice,lemon rice pilau,lemon rice recipe,lemon rice side dishes,mediterranean lemon rice,one pot,recipe,rice,greek rice pilaf,lemon rice pilaf greek,lemon rice recipe greek,how to make greek lemon rice,how to make greek lemon rice pilaf

rice, beans & grains, vegetarian, vegan

Greek, Mediterranean

Yield: 3 Cups

Author: Anadi

Easy Traditional Greek Lemon Rice Pilafhttps://youtu.be/txcNzngNVuoLearn how to make the best Easy Traditional Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf! This Greek lemon rice recipe will show the simple ingredients needed to make a one-pot healthy rice pilaf featuring lemon juice, vegetable broth, basmati rice, garlic and fresh dill. Serve this simple Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf with your favourite Greek mains or any meal you want!2023-06-19

Traditional Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf

A minimalistic rice recipe that’s full of wonderful flavours and so fast to make, this Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf will certainly be a new favourite! Pair it with potatoes, skewers or anything your heart desires, this simple Greek rice will give you fluffy and delicious rice every time!

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Cook ModePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 Cup vegetable broth
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
2-3 cloves of garlic
fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
salt to taste

Instructions

Rinse 1 cup rice with cold water until water runs clear.
Heat a pot or saucepan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add garlic and saute for thirty seconds to one minute. Add washed rice to the pot and sauté for 1-2 minutes while stirring often.
Add 1 1/2 Cups of broth and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Then, lower heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and fluffy.
Once the rice is cooked, let it sit for at least 10 minutes before stirring or serving. Then, add fresh parsley and fluff the rice with a fork.