Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf

Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf is a light and delicious side for your Mediterranean meal! A delightful hint of lemon and garlic with fresh dill and parsley will transport you to a cliffside café overlooking the aqua water of the Mediterranean Sea. Make this for family and friends – they’ll all be asking for the recipe!

Mediterranean Diet – The Best of the Best

I am one to always boast about the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle because of its health benefits. It has consistently been rated as the healthiest diet/lifestyle to follow because people stick with it. You won’t lose weight as fast as Keto, but most people do lose more weight overall because it doesn’t make unrealistic demands.

Another awesome reason to to try out the Mediterranean diet is because the food is all natural, fresh, and tastes amazing! You don’t have to find strange alternatives.

Here is a side dish that can be used with many meals, is delish, and easy to make.

 Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is more of a method of cooking rather than a type of rice. Here, you slightly toast the rice in butter first before adding the liquid. This releases a rich and nutty taste that is simply amazing. Additionally, Rice Pilaf also uses stock instead of water, chicken stock in this case. As with this recipe, you will often find a small football-shaped pasta called Orzo in rice pilaf.

Toasting the Rice. Toasting the rice and orzo is a delicate, but rather simple process. You want to be sure all the rice gets toasted, so be sure to stir frequently, but not too much. The rice need to touch the bottom of the saucepan to toast. Another caution is to make sure the rice doesn’t burn.

What Ingredients Are in Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf?

• Butter
• Onions, diced small
• Basmati Rice (or other long grain rice)
• Orzo
• Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• Fresh Dill, chopped
• Lemon Juice
• Fresh Parsley
• Garlic Powder
• Kosher Salt

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Basmati Rice – basmati rice works best for Mediterranean foods. But you can sub jasmine rice, long grain white rice, or long grain brown rice.

Chicken or Vegetable Stock – use Vegetable Stock to make this vegetarian/vegan.

Orzo – replace the orzo with lentils for a nice variation.

How Is Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf Made?

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are soft, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add in the rest of the butter. once it melts, add the rice and orzo. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn, but not too much as you want it to contact the bottom to heat up.
3. Pour in the stock, lemon juice, garlic powder, and the rest of the salt. Stir well.
4. Turn the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Once finished, stir in the dill and parsley.

What Can I Do with the Leftovers?

The leftovers will keep nicely in fridge for us to 5-7 days in an airtight container. This reheats nicely on the stove or in the microwave.

Can I Freeze Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf?

Yes. This will freeze very well. You can thaw this on the counter or in the microwave. To reheat, you can use the stove or the microwave.

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Lemon Garlic Rice Pilaf

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword pilaf, rice, rice pilaf

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup Onions, diced small
• 1 cup Basmati Rice (or other long grain rice)
• 2 Tablespoons Orzo
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are soft, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Add in the rest of the butter. once it melts, add the rice and orzo. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn't burn, but not too much as you want it to contact the bottom to heat up.

3. Pour in the stock, lemon juice, garlic powder, and the rest of the salt. Stir well.

4. Turn the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

5. Once finished, stir in the dill and parsley.

Recipe Notes

• Use Vegetable Stock to make this vegetarian/vegan.
• Replace the orzo with lentils for a nice variation.