This Greek style rice is so easy to make and is the perfect side dish for your greek chicken or souvlaki.
With just a handful of ingredients, you can make this restaurant style Greek rice pilaf at home! Tender fluffy rice, soft sweet onions, plenty of lemon and fresh oregano! So good!
Greek rice is wonderful served hot or allow it to cool and serve it at room temperature as part of a picnic. Or portion it out with some grilled chicken and fresh spinach for your lunch prep!
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How to make flavor-packed rice
Rice is often thought of as the boring bland side dish, and sometimes that is exactly what you need, but if you want to turn your plain boiled rice into something packed with taste then try making a pilaf!!!
To make rice pilaf, you want to start with a base of onions and then cook the rice in a broth rather than water. Once the rice is finished be sure to add extra flavor with fresh herbs or spices and extra salt and pepper.
What is a pilaf?
A pilaf (also know as a pilau) is when rice is cooked over a low heat with broth or stock and a selection of other herbs or spices.
The resulting rice is tender and fluffy and packed with the cooking flavors.
How to make a Greek Style Rice Pilaf
To start the onions and garlic are cooked until soft and sweet in plenty of extra virgin oil. The rice is then tossed through this oil until it gets a slight glass-like look. Then lemon juice and zest are stirred through and vegetable broth is added before the rice is simmered gently until tender.
To finish the rice is spritzed with lemon juice, garnished with plenty of fresh oregano and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
So much flavor! You could eat this Greek rice pilaf by the spoonful on its own!
Tips for making Greek Rice
- Sweat the onions off until soft and sweet to add extra flavor.
- Use long grain rice for fluffy grains.
- Use fresh lemons to get the perfect freshness.
- Use a great quality vegetable/chicken broth.
- Finish the dish with a good extra virgin olive oil.
- If you have them use fresh herbs, they add so much.
What to serve with Greek Style Rice?
This Greek style rice is wonderful served with:
- Greek Chicken with Lemon and Dill
- Greek Chicken Thighs with Feta and Black Olives
- Garlic Greek Chicken Breasts
- Greek Salmon with Lemon and Dill
- Greek Baked Meatballs (The Mediterranean Dish)
- Grilled Calamari (Greedy Gourmet)
- Slow Cooker Greek Chicken (Nerdy Mamma)
- Greek Shrimp (Love & Good Stuff)
- Greek Oven Baked Fish (Scrummy Lane)
- Easy Ground Lamb Kofta (Wholesome Yum)
- Homemade Chicken Souvlaki (Unicorns in the Kitchen)
Enjoy x
For more delicious side dishes why not try:
- Braised Celery
- Creamy Four Cheese Pasta
- Sautéed Kale and Bacon
- Simple Pea Mash
- No Cream Italian Herb Pasta
- Garlic Green Beans
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Greek Style Rice Recipe (Greek Pilaf)
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin oil
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 lemons
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
For garnish
- 3 tablespoon chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion into small chunks then peel and mince the garlic.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan/ deep frying pan (Use one you have a lid for)
- Add in the onions and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes until soft, Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the olive and onion mixture.
- Add the zest and juice of one lemon, the dried oregano and then pour in the hot vegetable broth.
- Bring to a simmer then cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.
- Once the time is done, remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
- Once this time is done, remove the lid and squeeze over the juice of the remaining lemon.
- Taste the rice for salt, then garnish with your fresh herbs and finish with extra virgin olive oil and plenty of black pepper and salt if needed.
Jacki says
I’d like to make this tonight but I don’t have fresh oregano. Would I use dried?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Jacki,
I would just leave out the fresh oregano. You have the dried in the rice, the fresh is more for garnish, so I would just suggest skipping it.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
A. says
Can I use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth?
Claire McEwen says
You sure can 🙂
Cx
Tracy says
Can you make this ahead in the morning and then reheat for dinner?
Claire McEwen says
You could definitely make this in advance and then reheat it.
I would save the fresh herbs and olive oil garnish for when you reheat it.
I hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Topher Makkreel says
Made for the first time with pork souvlaki. Sooo good. Thanks for this amazingly easy recipe with so much flavor.
Claire McEwen says
I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Pork souvlaki sounds like a great main dish to have with the rice!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
Cx
Misty says
Thank you. My family loves this rice dish, I make it every time I make Greek food. It’s super easy to make, which great for this super busy mom.
Karen says
Had this with Chicken Souvlaki tonight! They were perfect together. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Claire McEwen says
Oh the rice would have been wonderful with your chicken souvlaki. So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Cx
Misty says
Thank you for this recipe. I make it every time we make Greek food.
Claire McEwen says
Misty, thank you so much for the lovely comment.
So pleased you enjoyed the rice 🙂
Cx
Inga says
I made it once 2 weeks ago and it was a hit with my family. I was asked to make it again a few days ago (I thought it was too soon to make it again as my family tires of dishes if we repeat them too often). Again it was delicious. This morning my teenaged daughter asked me for your recipe. She said that this is a keeper!
Nikki says
This sounds delicious. I want to make but wondering if I can do this in the rice cooker?
Claire McEwen says
I have never tried that.
Sorry I can't be more help
Cx
Melissa says
Made this tonight and it was delicious! We had it as a side to Greek chicken skewers. Thank you!
Claire McEwen says
So pleased you enjoyed it, it is one of my kids favs 🙂
perfect with greek chicken skewers!
Cx
Maria G Perez says
Easy and very flavorful
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Maria 😀
Mandi says
This was really tasty and easy to make. Thanks!!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am pleased you enjoyed it Mandi Cx
Marjory says
Love this recipe which captured Greek flavors perfectly. We had falafels with it and everybody loved it.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased that the family enjoyed it Marjory. I think it would make the perfect side dish for falafels!! What a great dinner idea.
Ashley says
We love making this rice as a side to grilled chicken. So good!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Ashley, it is just the perfect side for summer grill-outs isn't it?
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject says
Totally trying this recipe.