Greek Lemon Rice

4.72 from 7 votes

Traditional Greek rice flavoured with lemon

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: people

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Helen Bitzas

Rinse the rice. Place it in a bowl with cold water and stir it around with your fingers. Drain. Repeat 3 times. Finish by rinsing it with cold water. If you have time you can even soak the rice for 30 minutes to several hours before rinsing it.
1 ½ cups uncooked long grain rice
Place your rice in a large pot. Add the bay leaves and enough water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat until the rice is cooked. When the rice is cooked, drain the rice, and discard the bay leaves. If you notice that the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice is still not cooked, add more water (ideally very hot or boiling water).
Alternatively, you can cook your rice according to the directions on the package.
2 or 3 bay leaves
While your rice is cooking, finely chop your onion.
1 medium size yellow onion
In a medium size pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside until the rice is ready.
1/4 cup olive oil
Add the cooked rice to the pot containing the olive oil and onion and stir well to combine. Next add the lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Serve and enjoy!