Greek Style Rice (Greek Pilaf) (2024)

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Updated: Apr 18th 2023 • Published: Jul 17th 2019 • 29 Comments

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3.95 from 51 votes

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 Pork Tenderloin
Greek Baked Meatballs (The Mediterranean Dish)
Grilled Calamari (Greedy Gourmet)
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)

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

This easy Greek style rice is so easy to make and makes 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! It 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!

3.95 from 51 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4

Calories 274 kcal

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.
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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.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Nutrition is per serving

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Carla says
June 07, 2023 at 3:41 pm

is the lemon flavour quite noticable like greek lemon potatoes - just cause my boys aren't big fans of that ??
Reply
- Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
  June 08, 2023 at 4:34 pm
  
  Hi Carla,
  It isn't a subtle lemon flavor, but you could definitely use less or leave it out completely. The Pilaf would still be really flavourful. And them serve some lemon on the table for people to add their own if they like.
  Hope that helps
  Cx
  Reply
Jacki says
April 14, 2022 at 12:12 am

I’d like to make this tonight but I don’t have fresh oregano. Would I use dried?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 15, 2022 at 11:47 am
  
  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
  Reply
A. says
September 08, 2021 at 4:26 am

Can I use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 09, 2021 at 1:15 pm
  
  You sure can 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Tracy says
March 28, 2021 at 10:43 am

Can you make this ahead in the morning and then reheat for dinner?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  March 30, 2021 at 2:02 pm
  
  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
  Reply
  See Also
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Topher Makkreel says
February 04, 2021 at 9:36 am

Made for the first time with pork souvlaki. Sooo good. Thanks for this amazingly easy recipe with so much flavor.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  February 04, 2021 at 10:09 am
  
  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
  Reply
Misty says
November 06, 2020 at 11:21 pm

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.
Reply
Karen says
July 20, 2020 at 7:37 am

Had this with Chicken Souvlaki tonight! They were perfect together. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  July 21, 2020 at 3:38 pm
  
  Oh the rice would have been wonderful with your chicken souvlaki. So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Misty says
July 12, 2020 at 1:42 am

Thank you for this recipe. I make it every time we make Greek food.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 21, 2020 at 12:15 pm
  
  Misty, thank you so much for the lovely comment.
  So pleased you enjoyed the rice 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Inga says
July 10, 2020 at 5:35 pm

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!
Reply
Nikki says
July 01, 2020 at 10:15 am

This sounds delicious. I want to make but wondering if I can do this in the rice cooker?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  July 03, 2020 at 12:18 pm
  
  I have never tried that.
  Sorry I can't be more help
  Cx
  Reply
Melissa says
April 24, 2020 at 5:47 am

Made this tonight and it was delicious! We had it as a side to Greek chicken skewers. Thank you!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 27, 2020 at 1:47 pm
  
  So pleased you enjoyed it, it is one of my kids favs 🙂
  perfect with greek chicken skewers!
  Cx
  Reply
Maria G Perez says
January 07, 2020 at 7:24 am

Easy and very flavorful
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  January 07, 2020 at 11:51 am
  
  Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Maria 😀
  Reply
Mandi says
September 27, 2019 at 8:51 am

This was really tasty and easy to make. Thanks!!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 27, 2019 at 9:58 am
  
  Oh I am pleased you enjoyed it Mandi Cx
  Reply
Marjory says
August 04, 2019 at 2:13 am

Love this recipe which captured Greek flavors perfectly. We had falafels with it and everybody loved it.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  August 04, 2019 at 9:03 am
  
  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.
  Reply
Ashley says
August 03, 2019 at 11:13 pm

We love making this rice as a side to grilled chicken. So good!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  August 04, 2019 at 9:03 am
  
  Thank you Ashley, it is just the perfect side for summer grill-outs isn't it?
  Reply
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject says
July 28, 2019 at 4:41 pm

Totally trying this recipe.
Reply