Greek Lemon Rice (Rizi Lemonato)

Name: Greek Lemon Rice (Rizi-lemonato)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion (medium size, diced); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 cup arborio rice; ½ cup dry white wine; 2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken); ⅓ cup butter; 2 lemons; sea salt; freshly ground pepper

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Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves | Last Updated: March 11, 2025

A yellow plate with greek lemon rice and a spoon.

This Greek lemon rice — or rizi lemonato, as we’d say in Greek — is tart, creamy, fragrant with dill and oregano, and ready in about 25 minutes. It is the perfect side dish for roast chicken, grilled fish, lamb meatballs, or really anything that wants a bright, lemony companion on the plate. I use arborio rice to make it rich and a little silky, almost like a risotto, which is, honestly, the best decision I ever made for this recipe.

If you’re a fan of our delicious Greek Lemon Rice (Rizi Lemonato), you’re in for a treat with our Chicken and Rice, Baked Rice with Okra & Feta, and Chicken Meatballs With Lemon Rice!

A yellow plate with greek lemon rice, lemon wedges and a spoon.

Overview

What do Greeks actually make instead of lemon rice?

Here is something I love telling people: in Greece, lemon rice as a standalone recipe does not really exist. What we make is pilafi, plain long-grain or medium-grain rice, cooked simply, and served next to whatever is the star of the meal. The magic happens when the sauce from that main dish — a lemon roast chicken, slow-cooked pork steak, or braised short ribs — soaks into the rice on your plate. That sauce is what creates the “lemon rice.” The rice itself is just the vehicle.

So Greek lemon rice, in the form you find it all over American food blogs, is a Greek-American creation. Think of it like spaghetti and meatballs. Italian-American, beloved, delicious, and not something you’d find on a table in Rome. Rizi lemonato is our version of that story. And you know what? I am completely here for it. Because when you make lemon rice intentionally — toasting the rice with onion and garlic, building layers of flavor with wine and stock, and finishing with butter, lemon zest, and fresh dill — you get something really wonderful. Something that does not need a stew next to it to shine. This is that recipe.

Why you will love Greek Lemon Rice

It’s deeply flavorful. Toasting the onion, garlic, and rice in olive oil before adding any liquid builds a savory base that plain rice recipes skip entirely.
Arborio rice makes it special. Most lemon rice recipes use long-grain white rice. Using arborio gives this dish a creamy, slightly luxurious texture — think risotto’s less fussy cousin.
The lemon is layered. Lemon peel goes in with the onion at the start, lemon juice and zest finish the dish. That double application is what gives this rice its bright, complex lemon flavor rather than just a sharp hit of acid.
It‘ i‘s a true Greek-American classic. This is rizi lemonato — a dish born from the Greek love of lemon and the American habit of making everything a recipe. It is not traditional, and it is completely delicious.

Here is what you need

White wine, lemons, rice, salt and pepper, stock, an onion, dill, oregano and dill on a wooden surface.

Rice—I used arborio rice in this recipe, which is used for making risotto. I prefer my lemon rice to be rich like a risotto. You may use basmati or other long-grain rice instead.
Lemons—the peel, zest and juice will be used in this lemon rice.
Onions—diced, they are sauteed with the rice and lemon peel.
Butter—it goes in at the end for added creaminess.
Wine—I used retsina for this recipe. It’s an intense, dry Greek white wine made with Aleppo pine resin, produced in Greece for at least 2,000 years. It is very traditional and great for cooking, not so much for drinking, although it has some true fans (Karini, I am looking at you). Please use any dry white wine that you like. Omit from recipe if alcohol is not desired.
Stock—vegetable or chicken.
Dried oregano, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Dill—the grassy, fragrant herb adds a fresh note.

How to make lemon rice

Peel one of the lemons and zest the other.
Place a skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and let it get hot.
Add the onions and as much lemon peel as you like, lower the heat to medium, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions soften.
Add the dried oregano and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn the heat back up to high and add the rice. Stir and sauté until translucent.

Rice, lemon peel and stock in a skillet.

Add the wine and turn down the heat to low. Cook until the wine evaporates, then add the stock.
Stir the rice, cover it, and turn the heat to low.

Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir to incorporate. Add lemon zest and gradually add the lemon juice, tasting occasionally to ensure rice is not too bitter.

A wooden spoon stirring lemon rice with dill.

Add chopped dill, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir and serve immediately.

How to serve lemon rice

Lemon rice is a flavorful side dish that pairs well with various dishes. Here are some great options to enjoy with lemon rice:

FAQs

Rizi lemonato is the Greek term for lemon rice. Rizi (ρύζι) means rice, and lemonato means lemon-flavored. As a standalone recipe, it’s mostly a Greek-American creation — in Greece, rice is traditionally served as pilafi alongside a main dish, where the sauce does the lemon flavoring.

Pilafi is the traditional Greek way of serving rice — plain, simple, toasted with butter, cooked in broth, meant to accompany a protein with a sauce. Greek lemon rice (rizi lemonato) is a more developed, Greek-American recipe where lemon is cooked directly into the rice with herbs, aromatics, and butter.

I use arborio rice because it gives a creamy, slightly rich texture similar to risotto. You can also use long grain white rice or basmati — just be mindful that cooking times will differ. Traditional Greek pilafi typically uses medium or long grain rice.

It pairs beautifully with saucy dishes like our turkey meatballs and gravy, slow-roasted lamb shanks, braised pork shoulder, or a glorious beef stew stifado. Anywhere you’d want a bright, lemony side dish to balance rich flavors.

Yes. Simply omit the wine and add a little extra stock in its place. The wine adds depth and a subtle acidity, but the lemon juice and zest carry the flavor beautifully on their own.