If you're looking for a simple way to take plain rice up a level, this Lemon Garlic Rice is perfect! It's one of my favorite ways to make rice and goes well with any main course. Just a couple of extra ingredients can really make the difference. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 😊
As a dietitian, I love starting the week with meal prep or ingredient prep by making a few things I can use in various dishes throughout the week. This garlic lemon rice is a great side dish and an easy base for bowl style recipes. I like to serve it in a Buffalo Chicken Bowl or Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl with chicken feta meatballs and a simple tomato cucumber salad or with oven baked chicken and roasted broccoli or cauliflower and carrots! Add a dollop of tahini yogurt sauce or homemade hummus on top.
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my cilantro lime rice or bone broth rice! If you want more rice dishes that are a complete meal in one pan try my Unstuffed Pepper Skillet, Broccoli Chicken Rice, or Chicken Taco Rice Skillet.
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This lemon garlic rice is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- Rice - I like to use jasmine rice for this recipe because it's fluffy and slightly sticky compared to regular long grain rice. You can use whatever your favorite rice is! Basmati rice or regular long-grain rice work. Brown rice has slightly more fiber than plain white rice.
- Fresh Lemons - fresh lemon juice adds moisture and the zest adds tons of lemon flavor. It also provides some vitamin C.
- Garlic Powder - I cook the rice with garlic powder so the flavor really gets into the rice. You can get garlic powder at most grocery stores. If you want to substitute with fresh garlic cloves, I suggest to grate or mine a couple cloves of garlic finely.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - just a little bit of olive oil helps everything combine evenly and provides heart-healthy fatty acids that have been shown to support hormone health and brain health. You can use butter if you prefer a garlic butter rice.
- Parsley - chopped parsley adds a ton of fresh flavor and also some antioxidants. Feel free to substitute with different fresh herbs like basil, dill, or cilantro.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie everything together.
How to Make Lemon Garlic Rice
Below are the instructions for how to make this Greek lemon rice in just a few easy steps. Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Rinse the rice under cool water in a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the excess starch. Then add the rinsed rice, water, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a saucepan. Give it a stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, give it another stir, reduce heat to low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let simmer for 15 minutes or according to the timing on the package.
- Step 2: Remove the rice from the heat and let it sit at least 10 minutes with the lid on. Then fluff the rice with a fork and add the parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix it to combine and add more salt as needed.
Hint: for best results, fluff the rice after cooking and before adding the other ingredients.
Dietitian Tip
White rice is slightly lower in fiber and antioxidants than brown rice and it has a higher glycemic index. By adding a bit of olive oil and the citrus juice from the lime and cooling the rice before eating it, you can reduce the glycemic index a bit. But if you want to get more dietary fiber, use brown rice! The difference is that brown rice is a whole grain whereas white rice has had the bran and germ of the grain removed. Just be aware that brown rice takes longer to cook so follow the instructions on the package for cook time.
Variations
The best part about this delicious side dish is you can customize the recipe to your liking. Below are some suggestions for variations, but feel free to get creative.
- In a Rice Cooker - you can totally do this in a rice cooker. Just add the water, rice, olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook the rice and add in the lemon juice, zest, and parsley when it's cooled a bit.
- Spicy - add a kick with some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Fancy - turn it into a loaded lemon rice by adding in sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, asparagus, or green peas.
Ideas for Serving Lemon Garlic Rice
Below are some ideas for how to serve this easy lemon rice recipe.
- Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl - add it to a Greek bowl with chicken feta meatballs, yogurt dill sauce, and a Greek salad.
- As a Simple Flavorful Side Dish - it makes the best side dish when you're serving your favorite protein like oven-baked chicken, smoked paprika salmon, hot honey shrimp, or ground beef taco meat. Add 1-2 vegetable side dishes like roasted broccoli, roasted carrots and cauliflower, honey thyme carrots, or an arugula salad.
- In a Buffalo Chicken Bowl - add it to a bowl with pan seared buffalo chicken or buffalo chicken salad, romaine lettuce, and homemade Greek yogurt ranch.
Equipment
You'll need a good saucepan for this recipe. I use my Caraway saucepan and love that it's non-toxic PFOA and PTFE-free.
Storage for Lemon Garlic Rice
- Refrigerator - store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
Here are some tips for making the perfect rice when cooking rice on the stovetop.
- Rinse the rice under cold water in a mesh strainer before cooking. This helps get rid of some of the starch and will prevent the rice from becoming gummy while it cooks.
- Use a liquid measuring cup to measure the water or broth you will cook the rice in. This helps ensure accuracy.
- Don't remove the lid from the pot while the rice cooks! It will release some of the steam.
- After the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, covered, before removing the lid.
- For more flavorful rice, you can cook it in chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock. I don't find it to be necessary for this rice since there are a few additional ingredients at play that are adding flavor already.
FAQ
I like to use jasmine rice for this recipe because it cooks quickly and is fluffy and a little bit sticky. But you can use your favorite rice! Long-grain white rice works great because it's fluffy and will absorb the flavors well similar to Jasmine rice. Brown rice is a higher fiber option, but takes longer to cook.
If your rice turns out sticky, it's likely either because it's overcooked or too much water was used when cooking the rice.
Yes, this is a gluten-free recipe.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Lemon Garlic Rice:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Garlic Rice with Herbs, Side Dish Recipe
Equipment
- 1 saucepan (or rice cooker)
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (about half a large lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (zest of about half a large lemon)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cool water in a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the excess starch. Then add the rinsed rice, water, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a saucepan. Give it a stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, give it another stir, reduce heat to low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let simmer for 15 minutes or according to the timing on the package.
- Remove the rice from the heat and let it sit at least 10 minutes with the lid on. Then fluff the rice with a fork and add the parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix it to combine and add more salt as needed.
Notes
- Rinse the rice under cold water in a mesh strainer before cooking. This helps get rid of some of the starch and will prevent the rice from becoming gummy while it cooks.
- Use a liquid measuring cup to measure the water or broth you will cook the rice in. This helps ensure accuracy.
- Don't remove the lid from the pot while the rice cooks! It will release some of the steam.
- After the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, covered, before removing the lid.
- For more flavorful rice, you can cook it in chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock. I don't find it to be necessary for this rice since there are a few additional ingredients at play that are adding flavor already.
- Refrigerator - store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
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