Herb lemon rice has delicious citrus and herb flavors and is easily prepped on the stove top or in a rice cooker! This rice recipe goes well with Moroccan, Greek and Italian flavors.
I’m on a mission to kick boring plain rice to the curb, and this herb lemon rice is definitely helping!
With simple ingredients including fresh lemon zest and juice and dried oregano and basil, this lemon rice brings a subtle but delicious flavor to your dinner plate.
I love that the lemon herb flavors are such a great compliment to so many different flavors: Moroccan, Greek and even Italian!
And because there is no sauteeing required, this lemon rice recipe is easy to make either on the stove top or in a rice cooker.
Looking for rice recipes? Check out this post with 7 Easy Rice Recipes!
How to make lemon rice
Like the other rice recipes in this series, you don’t need to chop or sautee anything, and you can cook it either in a rice cooker (I love the Aroma 8 Cup Rice Cooker) or in a pot.
- Rinse rice under the tap using a colander. Honestly? I skip this half the time. But for the fluffiest rice, I recommend rinsing.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot (with minimum capacity of 4 cups), or a rice cooker (I love the Aroma 8 Cup Rice Cooker
)
- Cook! If you are using a rice cooker, just press the ‘white rice’ button. If you are using the stove top method, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand (covered) for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Can I use jasmine rice in this recipe? Brown rice? Any other rice? This lemon rice recipe will work well with a long grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati, but this particular recipe has only been tested with basmati. It should work as written for jasmine as well.
Brown rice *may* work, but you will need to increase the cook time as indicated on the package. Par-boiled/pre-cooked rice won’t work in this recipe.
Can I freeze this herb lemon rice recipe? YES. This rice recipe freezes well. You can freeze it in meal prep containers or in freezer bags (I love these re-usable silicone freezer bags!). Some people add a little bit of water when re-heating freeze/thawed rice, as it does end up slightly dryer than fresh rice.
Can I cook this recipe in the Instant Pot? I have not tried, but I bet it would work! I’d refer to this tutorial for Fail Proof Instant Pot Rice and remember to adjust the cooking liquid/rice ratio to 1:1.
What goes well with this herb lemon rice recipe?
This rice recipe is light and citrussy! It goes well with a lot of flavors, including Moroccan, Greek and Italian.
- Saffron Greek Yogurt Chicken
- Spiralized Cucumber Salad
- Roasted veggies tossed in this Moroccan Spice Blend or this Greek Seasoning Blend
- the Italian or Greek meatballs found in this post with Healthy Baked Turkey Meatballs 7 Ways
Tips for this herb lemon rice recipe
- I recommend rinsing your rice under the tap through a collander
- I love the Aroma 8 Cup Rice Cooker
, but if you have a large family, you might want to consider the Aroma 20 Cup Rice Cooker
- Looking for more rice recipes? Check out this Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf, this Pesto Green Rice, or this post with all 7 Easy Rice Recipes
Herb Lemon Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (refined recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 lemon zested
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
after cooking
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
Rice Cooker
- Combine all ingredients (except for lemon juice) in a rice cooker.
- Cook using the 'white rice' function.
- Stir in the lemon juice after cooking and serve.
Stove Top
- In a medium pot, combine the basmati rice and all other ingredients except for lemon juice.
- Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes before adding the lemon juice and stirring up.
Misty
Hi there! Can I just leave the oil out? We don’t use oilseed of any kind. What is the purpose of the oil? Thanks, it looks fabulous
Misty
Sorry oils not oilseed 🤣🤣
Denise
Hi Misty! You can skip the oil. I find it makes the rice fluffier but it’s not essential. Hope you enjoy!
Deneen
Hey Denise, I loved this recipe and am making it again tonight to go with lamb souvlaki. I just added a bit of dill to mine. Love a recipe for my rice cooker. Thanks again.
Denise
I love that you added dill! Great idea!
Alison
Denisse, can you make a video of it. Its good recepie, but I don’t seem to understand what goes where. It turned out bitter and could not eat. I am obviously doing something wrong I just can’t figure out what