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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Easy Greek Rice

    Published: Apr 28, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    132 shares
    • 70
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat
    A bowl of Easy Greek Rice with a text title overlay.

    Greek Rice is an easy, light and fresh side dish that is ready in under 30 minutes. Light and fluffy rice mixed with a generous amount of lemon, some shallots, garlic and then oregano and parsley for lots of added flavour. Perfect with grilled chicken or fish, and a delicious addition to a BBQ. Rice dishes don't need to be boring!

    A large bowl of cooked rice, topped with chopped herbs and slices of lemon.

    Greek rice is all your favourite light and fresh flavours from Greece, stirred in to rice. A simple side dish that is bursting with flavour. Just a few ingredients and minimal effort, this side can be eaten hot or cold and it will bring a little bit of sunshine into your life.

    If you want to try some other recipes that make rice a little more exciting, then why not try our Coconut Rice, Easy Coconut Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Turmeric Rice, The Best Spanish Rice or Mediterranean Rice Salad?

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make Greek rice - Step by step
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More rice recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Delicious Greek flavours
    • Just a few ingredients
    • Easy to adapt
    • Perfect for a BBQ
    • Can be eaten hot or cold

    Ingredients needed

    All the ingredients needed to make this recipe with text overlay labels.
    • Rice - We have used white long-grain rice for this recipe. You could swap it for brown rice, which would give it a bit of a nutty flavour.
    • Oil - Try to use the best quality olive oil that you can, as you really will be able to tell the difference. Extra virgin olive oil is always the best way to go. You could leave the oil out if you wanted to, and just cook the onion and garlic in a little water, but it wouldn't have the same flavour.
    • Shallots - You could swap these for a small brown onion, however we find that shallots add a nice subtle sweetness to the dish.
    • Garlic - Fresh garlic is always best.
    • Stock - We used chicken stock for this recipe, as we find it has a richer flavour. However, if you wanted to keep this dish vegetarian/vegan then you could use a vegetable stock instead. Try to use the best quality stock, and go for low salt if you are making this for little ones.
    • Lemon - This is what really gives the whole dish it's flavour. It adds a punchy a zesty flavour, and the more lemon the better we say! We used lemon juice and zest to make it extra lemony.
    • Oregano -  It isn't a Greek dish without oregano, right?
    • Parsley - We always use fresh, as it really lightens up the finished dish. You could swap it for dried if you prefer, but it won't have the same flavour. If you don't like parsley, then you could swap it for dill which also goes really well. Or, use a mixture of the two.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make Greek rice - Step by step

    One: Add the oil to a large pan and gently soften the shallots and garlic, about 3-4 minutes.

    Two shot collage ofchopped shallots before and after cooking in a pan.

    Two: Add the rice and stir and cook for about 1 minutes more, until the rice starts to go translucent.

    Two shot collage of rice added to the pan, before and after cooking.

    Three: Add the stock, oregano and half the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and cook on a gentle heat, with the lid on, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave with the lid on for 10 more minutes.

    Stock and oregano added to the pan.

    Four: Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork and add the remaining lemon juice, zest and parsley and mix well.

    Two shot collage of the cooked rice with herbs and lemon zest added, before and after mixing.

    What to serve it with

    This side dish goes with pretty much anything. Grilled chicken or fish, or anything on a skewer. It's also nice to serve up at a BBQ and makes a nice change from potato salad. Here are some of our favourite recipes to serve alongside this:

    • Greek Chicken Skewers
    • Grilled Halloumi Flatbreads
    • Greek Turkey Burgers
    • Tzatziki
    • Greek Lamb Souvlaki
    • Spiced Lamb Flatbreads
    • Spiced Lamb Burgers
    Cooked rice mixed with chopped parsley and lemon zest. A lemon slice is on top.

    FAQs

    Is Greek rice the same as ‘spanakorizo’?

    Spanakorizo is a Greek style pilaf, which is very similar to what we have made here, but it also has lots of spinach in it. You could add some chopped spinach to this at the same time as the stock.

    Can you make Greek rice with a packet of microwave rice?

    Yes, if you are short on time then you can use a packet of microwaveable rice (that can also be fried in a pan). Just heat some oil in a pan, add the rice, garlic and shallots and cook for 2 minutes and then stir in the lemon and parsley.

    What other herbs can I use?

    We love parsley and lemon together. However, you could swap the fresh parsley for dill, rosemary or tarragon. 

    Can I make this in advance?

    Yes, you can make this Greek rice in advance. Allow it to cool and then put it in an air tight container in the fridge. You can then reheat it in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes.

    How long does Greek rice last for?

    If you have leftovers, then it will store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 days.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • The lemon flavour of this dish will really depend on how juicy your lemons are. If you lemons don't have much juice in them, then you may need to use another one.
    • You don't have to "toast" the rice in the pan before you add the stock, but we finds it adds a little bit of a nutty flavour which we love.
    • Don't skip the step of leaving the pan off the heat with the lid on. The rice needs those extra 10 minutes to cook and give you the best light and fluffy rice.
    • If you want to adapt the recipe to make more or less, just remember that rice should have a 1:2 ratio of rice to liquid.
    • To finish this dish off, you could crumble on some feta. The perfect addition to any Greek dish.

    More rice recipes

    • Mediterranean Rice Salad
    • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Easy Turmeric Rice
    • The BEST Easy Spanish Rice

    If you’ve tried this Greek rice recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A bowl of easy Greek rice topped with chopped parsley and slices of lemon.

    Easy Greek Rice

    Greek Rice is an easy, light and fresh side dish that is ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect with grilled chicken or fish, and a delicious addition to a BBQ.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    5 from 22 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Greek
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Standing time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 32 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 268kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
    • 4 Shallots
    • 2 Garlic clove
    • 200 g Long grain white rice
    • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
    • 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
    • 6 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
    • 500 ml chicken stock
    • 15 g Curly parsley - finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Add the oil to a large pan and gently soften the shallots and garlic, for about 3-4 minutes.
    • Add the rice and stir and cook for about 1 minutes more, until the rice starts to go translucent.
    • Add the stock, oregano and half the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and cook on a gentle heat, with the lid on, for 15 minutes.
    • Turn the heat off and leave with the lid on for 10 more minutes.
    • Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork and add the remaining lemon juice, zest and parsley and mix well.

    Notes

    • The lemon flavour of this dish will really depend on how juicy your lemons are. If you lemons don't have much juice in them, then you may need to use another one.
    • You don't have to "toast" the rice in the pan before you add the stock, but we finds it adds a little bit of a nutty flavour which we love.
    • Don't skip the step of leaving the pan off the heat with the lid on. The rice needs those extra 10 minutes to cook and give you the best light and fluffy rice.
    • If you want to adapt the recipe to make more or less, just remember that rice should have a 1:2 ratio of rice to liquid.
    • To finish this dish off, you could crumble on some feta. The perfect addition to any Greek dish.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth

      May 03, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      I love all the flavors in this rice! So delicious and an easy side! My hubby and I love pairing this rice with fish, and it's so tasty!

      Reply
    2. Diana Reis

      April 30, 2021 at 10:40 pm

      5 stars
      Love how the lemon zest brightens this up. It turns out just right.

      Reply
    3. Tara

      April 30, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      Oh yum! I love how the rice comes together so easily. Definitely perfect for summer grilling season and beautiful styling too.

      Reply
    4. Sharon

      April 30, 2021 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      This rice comes out so fluffy. The shallots and lemon zest add so much flavor.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        May 02, 2021 at 4:10 pm

        5 stars
        Love all the fresh bright ingredients in this rice. And it goes with everything so we'll be making with our grilled meats all summer long.

        Reply
    5. Liz

      April 30, 2021 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love the flavors in Greek food and I'm always looking for more side dish ideas! This is perfect!

      Reply
    6. Tania

      April 30, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! I followed your step by step directions and it came out just perfect.
      Will definitely keep this recipe.
      Thank you!

      Reply
    7. Adrianne

      April 30, 2021 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love the simple ingredients for this recipe! Am making fish on the weekend so will give it a go with that, cheers.

      Reply
    8. Emily Flint

      April 30, 2021 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      This rice was so easy to make and the flavors were perfect! I served this with chicken and had zero leftovers!

      Reply
    9. Nathan

      April 30, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      My roommates and I eat a lot of rice, but we've definitely not tried anything like this Greek rice! Looks super tasty, I'll definitely be putting this on our list of recipes!

      Reply
    10. Wanda

      April 30, 2021 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      This will be perfect with our favourite chicken kabobs! Can't wait to make this rice recipe!

      Reply
    11. Kyndra Holley

      April 30, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      Love all the fresh herbs. This looks delicious and like it would pair perfectly with so many main dishes.

      Reply

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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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