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+ servings

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice (stove top or rice cooker) infused with bright, fresh lemon and zippy dill and the option of butter and feta!  This recipe transforms regular rice into exotic, tantalizing Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf with just a few ingredients!  It’s wonderfully easy and so good you will be eating straight from the pot.  I’ve included directions for stove top or rice cooker and fun ways to customize your Lemon Rice!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cups basmati rice well rinsed and drained*
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1 TBS EACH fresh dill, parsley OR 1 teaspoon EACH dried
  • 1/4 tsp EACH pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin

ADD LATER (optional)

  • 1-2 tablespoons butter or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup feta
  • lemon juice to taste

Instructions

STOVE TOP (See Notes for RICE COOKER)

  • Sauté onions: Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan (with a lid) over medium high heat. Sauté onions until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Sauté rice: Add rice, garlic and lemon zest and sauté for one additional minute. Stir in chicken broth, water, lemon juice and all seasonings.
  • Simmer: Bring to a boil then reduce heat to LOW, cover, and cook 12-15 minutes, or just until water is evaporated and rice is tender, stirring once at 8 minutes and replacing lid. If your liquid is evaporated but your rice is still quite undercooked (keeping in mind it will steam for 10 minutes once removed from heat), then add a little additional liquid and continue to cook.
  • Let rest: Once water is evaporated, remove from heat, stir, cover and let sit 10 minutes.
  • Add lemon: Taste and add 1-2 tablespoons additional lemon if desired (I add one tablespoon). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • Optional: stir in 1-2 tablespoons butter or more to taste. You can stir feta into entire rice pot or add it to individual servings.

Notes

*You can also use brown rice and adjust the amount of water/broth and cook according to brown rice directions.
 

Rice Cooker Directions

Add rice (long grain white or brown), chicken broth, water and lemon juice (adjust water amount according to your rice cooker), 1 teaspoon garlic powder (instead of garlic cloves) and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (instead of onion) and all of the remaining ingredients to your rice cooker except for butter and feta.
Set rice cooker to white or brown rice cook setting according to which rice you are using. Once rice is cooked, stir in butter to melt followed by feta.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and add 1-2 tablespoons additional lemon if desired (I add one tablespoon).

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • Use basmati rice for best results. Other types of rice will likely stick together and can easily get mushy (see above section). Basmati rice also reheats much better.
  • Rinse and drain rice thoroughly:  rice contains a lot of starch which will cause the rice to stick together and can even make it mushy once cooked. To eliminate the mushy problem, it is crucial to remove the extra starch from the rice by rinsing it with cool water in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear – don’t shortcut this process!
  • If liquid evaporates before rice is done: then add just a little liquid, keeping in mind that the rice will continue to steam for 10 minutes once it’s removed from heat, so it doesn’t need to be 100% cooked once liquid is gone.
  • If rice is still wet: don’t worry, it will continue to absorb the 10 minutes while it is steaming.  When you remove the lid after 10 minutes, you can let the rice sit an additional 5-10 minutes to dry out.
  • Let it steam:  don’t shortcut the 10-minute steaming process as it gives the rice time to finish cooking and firm up which in turn, makes it fluffier.
  • Use a fork to fluff the rice: instead of a spoon or a spatula because the tines help separate the rice grains whereas a spoon can mash or break the grains.
  • Add lemon to taste.  I suggest tasting the cooked rice and adding additional lemon juice for a fresh, bright lemon pop. I also like adding more lemon juice after the Lemon Rice is cooked because each person can customize their own rice if they prefer.
  • Salt and pepper to taste: if your rice tastes like it's missing something - it is probably salt.  Season with freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste.

HOW TO STORE & REHEAT

This Lemon Rice recipe stores beautifully!
  • Refrigerate:  Let Greek Lemon Rice cool to room temperature then transfer to a tightly covered airtight container or to several small containers for meal prep. Store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
  • Microwave: For small portions, microwave rice in a microwave safe container with a couple teaspoons water for 60-90 seconds or until warmed through.
  • Stove:  For larger portions, transfer Greek Rice to a nonstick skillet along with a dash of water or chicken broth.  Heat over medium heat, stirring often until warmed through.

HOW TO FREEZE 

This easy Lemon Rice recipe can also be frozen:
  • Let the rice cool completely before transferring to a freezer bag (recommended) or freezer-safe airtight container.  If using a bag, squeeze out as much excess air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
  • Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Let rice defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Reheat in the microwave or stove as directed above.