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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Lemon Herb Rice

Last Modified: Nov 28, 2023. Originally Published: Mar 12, 2021 by Janessa.

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With a bright lemon herb flavor and a creamy texture, this easy rice dish is delicious alongside a variety of main dishes. This tasty recipe is a simple way to elevate your plain rice.

Jump to:
  • The Ingredients
  • The Method
  • Leftovers and Storage
  • Make it Your Own
  • Serving Ideas
  • And if you liked this recipe...
  • Recipe Card
  • Comments
Two plates with lemon herb rice alongside pork and asparagus.

It's always good to have a few solid go-to side dishes in your back pocket and this Lemon Herb Rice is begging to be added to your repertoire!

With a creamy texture, it tastes like something worthy of a special meal (almost like a risotto!), but it happens to be easy enough to make any day.

It can easily be scaled up or down, you can customize it to add vegetables and it even freezes well!

And if you'd like, you can turn it into an easy one-pot meal with this Lemon Herb Shrimp Rice Skillet recipe.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for lemon herb rice.
  • Butter- Salted or unsalted butter can be used. If you need the dish to be dairy free, you can use olive or avocado oil instead.
  • Garlic- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder can be used instead. Add it at the same time as the Italian herbs.
  • Long Grain White Rice- Use a long grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati for this recipe.
  • Lemon Juice- You need about ¼ cup of lemon juice which is approximately one lemon.
  • Italian Herbs- You can use a premixed blend of dried Italian Herbs or any combination of parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, savory, etc. that you have on hand.
  • Fine Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper

The Method

1. Melt Butter. Heat a deep skillet or pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasty, about 1-2 minutes.

Garlic sautéing in butter.

2. Toast rice. Add the rice to the garlic butter and stir to coat. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Rice toasting in garlic butter.

3. Simmer. Add remaining ingredients, cover and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice is tender.

Water and herbs added to pot with rice.

4. Serve.

Leftovers and Storage

To Store: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Rewarm in the microwave until heated through, adding a splash of water if it seems dry.

Make it Your Own

  • Make it cheesy- Stir in ⅓ cup (1 oz) of shredded Parmesan at the end plus top with additional as desired.
  • Use fresh herbs- If you have fresh Italian herbs on hand, use 2 tablespoons finely chopped in place of dry and garnish with additional herbs at the end.
  • Add some vegetables- After 8-10 minutes of cooking, stir in either 1 cup of frozen peas, 5 oz (5 cups) of fresh spinach or both! Continue to cook for 4-7 minutes until rice is tender and vegetables are warmed through.
  • Make it Dairy Free- Use olive oil in place of butter.

Serving Ideas

This Herb and Lemon rice is a versatile side for so many dishes! Try it alongside fish (such as Lemon Garlic Herb Cod), chicken or steak. Baked Herb Tomato Zucchini or Honey Oat Bread would be nice complements as well.

Lemon herb rice on a plate.

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And if you liked this recipe...

...you might also like:

  • Lemon Herb Shrimp Rice Skillet
  • Onion Roasted Potatoes
  • Italian Sausage Rice Skillet
  • Chimichurri Rice

Recipe Card

Bowl of lemon herb rice with a wooden serving spoon.

Lemon Herb Rice

A super simple side dish for a variety of meals. Its creamy texture will remind you of Risotto but with much less work!
5 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 284kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 and ½ cups long grain white rice
  • 2 and ¾ cups water
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric
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Instructions

  • Heat a deep non-stick skillet or pot over medium heat and add butter.
  • Once butter is melted, add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add rice to skillet and stir until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add water, spices and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
  • Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and creamy.

Notes

Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, adding a splash of water if it seems dry.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 616mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

More ideas for Side Dishes!

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  • Sweet potato wedges on a plate.
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  • Potato fritters on a plate with dip.
    Potato Fritters
« Pumpkin Chicken Soup with Rice
White Chicken Chili with Kale »

Comments

    5 from 39 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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  1. Sheila says

    March 22, 2021 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    This rice is sooooo delicious. Cannot wait to make it again. Don’t know if I’ll ever eat plain rice again. Thanks

    Reply
  2. Mirlene says

    June 27, 2022 at 12:58 pm

    5 stars
    Your lemon and herbs rice is one of our favorites to have for dinner. I have made it with fish and chicken the past few nights. My family always requests it!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      June 27, 2022 at 1:00 pm

      I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Mirlene!

      Reply
  3. Tavo says

    June 27, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    This lemon rice was perfect as a side dish for our Sunday brunch! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Dana says

    June 27, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    5 stars
    We loved this rice! It's just the perfect flavor to compliment any main. So nice to have up your sleeve for weeknight dinners!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      June 27, 2022 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you for your kind review, Dana!

      Reply
  5. Sara Welch says

    June 27, 2022 at 2:45 pm

    5 stars
    Enjoyed this with dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! Perfectly tangy and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      June 27, 2022 at 3:31 pm

      I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sara!

      Reply
  6. Tayler says

    June 27, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    5 stars
    This is my absolute new favorite rice recipe! It's so simple yet flavorful!

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      June 27, 2022 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you for your kind review, Tayler!

      Reply
  7. annette c marchbanks says

    August 09, 2024 at 10:25 am

    5 stars
    What a lovely, easy to make recipe. I served it with your fish tacos and shrimp tacos for a dinner party. Definitely will make over and over.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      August 11, 2024 at 5:01 pm

      I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Annette! Thank you for your kind review.

      Reply
  8. Louise says

    January 13, 2025 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    We absolutely love this rice. The best side dish with fish.

    Reply
    • Janessa says

      January 13, 2025 at 9:16 pm

      Thank you for your kind review, Louise!

      Reply
Janessa

Hi, I'm Janessa and I'm passionate about sharing recipes that are made with wholesome ingredients, are quick and easy and most importantly, delicious!

More about me →

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