This Greek lemon rice is made with ladolemono toasted rice, broth, lemon pepper, onion & garlic for aromatics. Cooked and rested and then fluffed with parsley, dill, and lemon juice for a lemony, herbaceous flavor and rested again before serving. This is a garlicky lemon rice, to which you can add additional ingredients as you desire or even increase the parsley and dill. Serve with Greek chicken or souvlaki, or use in a souvlaki rice bowl. It’s a simple Grecian rice that cooks up tender and then firms up a bit when the lemon juice is added.
Greek Lemon Rice Ingredients
Rice, ladolemono, Onion, Garlic, Lemon Pepper, Broth Powder or Bouillon Cube, Stir-in (Lemon Juice, Parsley, and Dill).
Rice
Use white American rice or jasmine rice. You can use basmati, but the white or jasmine rice is better suited. There is no need to soak or rinse, since the rice is going to get toasted in the pan. Just add the rice with ladolemono to the skillet over medium heat and toast the rice for about 5 minutes.
Broth
Chicken is commonly used for Greek lemon rice and helps to contribute that yellow color too. For a vegetarian take, vegetable bouillon or broth powder can just as easily be used. Although, you lose out on the yellow color. But this can be somewhat remedied by adding in a bit of turmeric, entirely optional.
Lemon
While the best flavors will be through the use of whole lemons with their juices squeezed out and a bit of lemon zest with pepper. I usually have a bottle of lemon juice and use this. To substitute the lemon zest & pepper, I use lemon pepper. If you opt to use real lemon juice, then also zest the lemon and add the desired amount of black pepper.
The tanginess can be adjusted to suit your taste. Anywhere from 1 to 4 Tbl of lemon juice can be added. 3 Tbl of lemon juice seems to be ideal. You can even use 1 lemon zested and juiced, then top up with bottled lemon juice to give you the desired amount.
Lemon Pepper
Lemon pepper is used in the main recipe because I usually have only bottled lemon juice on hand. If you were to use a fresh lemon or two, then use the desired amount of zest from one lemon with the juice of one or two lemons and some black pepper instead of using lemon pepper.
Garlic & Onion
Garlic & onion are always present in Greek lemon rice, and you can certainly increase the amounts to suit your taste. Dice the onions and mince the garlic. Both of these are tossed into the pan after toasting the rice in butter, just to cook briefly before adding the water and chicken bouillon cubes.
Greek Lemon Rice Herbs
The most common are parsley & dill. Fresh parsley & dill are preferred, but you can use dried too. The amounts are really preferential; you can go with as much as you like.
A small amount of turmeric can be added to yield a more yellow color. Especially useful if using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. But even when using chicken broth, the turmeric will help create a more yellow color.
Black pepper or red chili flakes can be added for a bit of heat.
Rice to water ratio
I find across the board that a 1:1 ratio is ideal. However, if you find that your particular brand of rice cooks up too firm at this ratio. Then try adding an additional 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water. The goal is to get individually firm but tender rice with no breakdown of the exterior. Just whole, plump, tender, but firm rice grains.
Stovetop Greek Lemon Rice
Toasted Rice
Heat a pan over medium heat with 2 Tbl of ladolemono and rice. No need to wash or rinse the rice. It can go straight to the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until the rice is no longer sticking.
Aromatics
Add diced onion and coarsely chopped garlic to mix through for about 30 seconds.
Boil & Simmer
Add water, bouillon cubes or powder, and lemon pepper. Mix while returning it to a boil if not already. Ensure the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved and mixed through.
Cover and reduce the heat to low. Leave it be for 20 minutes.
Rest
Do not remove the cover. Just shut the heat off and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, parsley, and dill in a small bowl. After resting it will look like this.
Stir In and Rest
Empty the stir-in with lemon juice, parsley, and dill into the pan over the rice.
Fluff & Rest
Scrape the bottom and mix to fluff the rice. Cover and rest an additional 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 C Rice - Like American White, or Jasmine Rice
- 2 Tbl ladolemono - can use Butter instead
- 1 Med Onion - Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic - Coarsely chopped
- 2 C Water
- 2 Cube Chicken Bouillon - or equivalent to Chicken Powder
- 1 tsp Lemon Pepper
Stir In
- 3 Tbl Lemon Juice - or 1-2 lemons
- 1-2 Tbl Fresh Parsley & Dillweed - each or 1 tsp or more of dried each
Instructions
- Toasted Rice: Combine the Greek Ladolemono ingredients together. Toast the rice in Ladolemono over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the diced onions & chopped garlic to mix in and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Boil & Simmer Low: Add the water, bouillon cubes, and lemon pepper and mix well while bringing back to a boil if not already. Ensure the bouillon cubes are completely dissolved. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover for 20 minutes.
- Rest: After 20 minutes, shut the heat off but leave the skillet still covered on the burner for 10 minutes to rest.
- Fluff & Stir In: Stir in the lemon juice and herbs. Fluff the rice and cover to rest an additional 10 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust.
Notes
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