lemon rice pilaf

Light and delicious summer dinners are the best! And this one pot Greek chicken and rice pilaf dish is exactly that! It's easy enough to pull together on a weeknight and has the most delicious lemony fresh taste!

One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice Pilaf

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

EACH olive oil AND lemon juice

red wine vinegar

garlic

salt black pepper

red pepper flakes (or more!)

oregano (or 2 tsp dried)

butter

¼ cup long grain bparboiled rice/b

chicken broth

lemon juice (see notes)

lemon

parsley

CHICKEN: Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice,...

CHICKEN: Combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano in a zip top bag. Add the chicken breasts, zip the bag and give it a good shake until the chicken breasts are evenly covered in the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining...

In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and discard marinade. Cook the chicken breasts for 4-6 minutes per side or [b]until the chicken is all the way cooked through and registers 165ºF on a thermometer[/b]. Remove the chicken to a plate. Cover loosely with a piece of foil and keep warm.

RICE PILAF: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh...

RICE PILAF: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water for 2 minutes, use your fingers to rub the rice, set aside. Place the butter in the same sauté pan and allow it to melt over medium high heat. Add the rinsed rice and allow to toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so the rice doesn't burn. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pot and allow it to come to a boil. Stir just once to break up any lump. Cover, reduce heat to low and let the rice cook for 8 minutes. At the 8 minute mark, remove the cover, the rice won't be cooked through yet, add the lemon zest and lemon slices to the rice and top with the cooked chicken breasts. Cover and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid dried up and the rice cooked through. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before topping with parsley and serving.

Delicious Greek Rice that&#39;s so easy to make and pairs beautifully with lots of Mediterranean favorites like my Chicken Gyros or Chicken Souvlaki! This easy side dish is flavor-packed with onions, garlic, lots of fresh herbs and lemon juice!

Greek Rice

olive oil (extra virgin)

onion (finely chopped)

garlic (minced)

rice (washed well)

chicken broth (low sodium,

lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

salt (or

black pepper (freshly ground)

parsley (chopped)

dill (chopped)

Cook onion and garlic:

Cook onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent and soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.

Sauté rice with onion and garlic:

Sauté rice with onion and garlic: Add the rice and cook (without liquid) until the rice turns almost translucent.

Cook the rice:

Cook the rice: Add the broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the saucepan. Cover the pan with lid and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is done, the liquid should be fully absorbed. Remove the rice from heat and leave it covered, undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Finish with fresh herbs:

Finish with fresh herbs: Uncover the saucepan and stir in the parsley and dill. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Lemon Rice Pilaf is so fluffy, flavorful, and delicious. This easy recipe simmers white rice with onions, broth, and lots of lemon for a perfect foundation under juicy chicken kabobs, gyros, or shrimp skewers.

Lemon Rice Pilaf

olive oil (or clarified butter)

onion (minced (about 1/2 medium))

rice

lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

bay leaf

Salt

In a medium saucepan, heat clarified butter or olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until rice is lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. &nbsp;

Stir in garlic and lemon zest until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice, broth, bay leaf, and salt, and bring to boil.&nbsp;

Cover, reduce heat, and cook until rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove bay leaf and fluff with a fork.

This recipe was awesome. I wasn't sure like other commenters here about the water amount, but I trusted Meggan's instructions.  I did add some dill and oregano (1/2 tsp each of dry) and all the juice from 1/2 of the lemon and some freshly chopped up mint. Wow! I'll be sharing this recipe to friends!

Easy and very very delicious!  We had it with kabobs and it was the perfect side!  Thank you!

Really good! I had to add more liquid, 1/2 cup. I served with blackened rock fish and mango salsa. Perfect pairings.

We just had this last night. I tweaked it by adding a bit more broth and then some Greek seasonings (dill, mint, oregano) extra garlic &amp; lemon. It was so good! Everyone in the house has separate allergies &amp; this amazingly suited everyone! 
Thank you for posting such a solid base recipe, I can see us using this in many ways. 
xoxo

I have made this at least a dozen times now, with either ghee or olive oil depending on my mood. It is phenomenal every time! The rice is lemony without being overwhelming and has that buttery taste of rice pilaf even when cooked with olive oil. It’s my go-to when making “fancy” rice. I’ve even subbed red onion when it was all I had on hand and it didn’t make a difference in flavor - it was just pink instead of yellow. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is a favorite and a staple in our house!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/gW5hsuHG.mp4

Anyone who has ever been to a Greek festival has tasted this simple lemon rice recipe; fragrant white rice that’s cooked in a rich broth with onions and lots of fresh lemon. It’s a tasty mainstay under chicken kabobs, gyros, you name it! It’s also about to become your new dinnertime best friend.

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Lemon Rice Pilaf

Top 3 lemon rice pilaf recipes from across the web

The most viewed lemon rice pilaf recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice Pila...

Greek Rice

Lemon Rice Pilaf

The most viewed lemon rice pilaf recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine