Lemon Rice is packed with bright bold flavor and is the perfect side to all your favorite Mediterranean main courses! With just a few simple ingredients, this beautiful fluffy rice comes together easily in less than an hour.
This post may contain affiliate links. Our disclosure policy.
Simple ingredients, big Mediterranean flavor
When it comes to Mediterranean recipes, lemon is often the star of the show. From my Greek lemon chicken and potatoes to lemon chicken orzo soup and this lemon rice, the bright citrus flavor is unmistakable.
In addition to lemon, this simple rice dish combines onions and garlic, fresh herbs, and chicken stock and comes together easily; it’s the perfect lemony alternative to rice pilaf and is great alongside almost any main course!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Rice. I use long-grain rice for my Greek lemon rice. Be sure to rinse the rice to remove excess starch. This will yield fluffier rice.
- Lemons. I use fresh squeezed lemon juice as well as lemon zest to give this dish its lemony flavor.
- Stock. If possible, use homemade chicken stock, or chicken stock made from low-sodium chicken base. You can make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead.
- Herbs. Fresh dill and fresh parsley give my lemon rice additional flavor and brightness.
- Turmeric. This ingredient contributes to the yellow hue of the rice. You can omit it if you prefer.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
How to make lemon rice
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Wash the rice in a fine mesh strainer with cold water until the stream turns clear then place the rice in a bowl and soak it in cold water for 5 minutes before draining. In a large pan over medium heat the olive oil and once shimmering, add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the rice and mix well to coat in the oil.
- Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, salt, and turmeric and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat to low.
- After 20-25 minutes the liquid should be mostly absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes, then remove the lid and add the parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Top tip for fluffy rice
For the fluffiest lemon rice, be sure to rinse your rice! This helps remove some of the starch and prevents the rice from becoming gummy. I also take an extra step to soak the rice in cold water and include this in the recipe instructions.
More amazing sides
If you love this lemon rice, give these other recipes a try!
If you’ve enjoyed this Lemon Rice recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
Watch us on YouTube, follow along on our Facebook Page, and become a Patreon member to receive access to exclusive full-meal videos and content.
Lemon Rice (Easy Greek Side)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) long grain rice rinsed
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups (720ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
Instructions
- Wash the rice in a fine mesh strainer with cold water until the stream turns clear. Place the rice in a bowl and soak with cold water for 5 minutes then drain.
- Heat the olive in a large pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion along with a pinch of salt and saute until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the rice and mix well to coat. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, salt, and turmeric and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat to low.
- After about 20-25 minutes the liquid should be mostly evaporated. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit covered for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and mix in the parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Fluff with a fork and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Rinse the rice. Rinsing the rice until the water turns clear will help make the rice fluff better and improve the final texture, making it less gummy.
- Color. Turmeric will turn the rice bright yellow, but feel free to omit. The taste will be pretty much the same.
- Make it vegetarian. Simply sub vegetable stock for chicken stock.
- Leftovers. Lemon rice can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Follow Me
Lemon rice is a great fresh side for any dish. So fresh and full of flavor! The parsley and dill are so fragrant. I served it with steamed shrimp. Will definitely share this recipe with my family🤗
We’re so glad you enjoyed, Carol!
Well done. Very nice to make and to taste
Thank you
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Christine!
I have a rice cooker. I am wondering if I could use that as opposed to cooking rice on the cooktop. I am hoping to prepare this soon.
Hi Lelanna, yes, you can definitely use a rice cooker for this one. You may need to use a little less liquid.
What is a good meal to serve the rice with?
Hi Jamie, this rice would be great with so many of our main courses, but the ones I would recommend would be Italian chicken cutlets, lemon garlic grilled lamb chops, spinach stuffed flounder, leg of lamb (either our boneless recipe or bone in), and garlic butter roasted chicken.