Easy 2-Cup Mediterranean Lemon Rice in the Rice Cooker
Make Mediterranean lemon rice in the rice cooker with Nishiki Rice, lemon, dill, and broth. An easy 6-serving side for Greek shrimp saganaki and weeknight dinners.
This post may contain affiliate links. We only recommend products we personally use and love (please see our full affiliate disclosure). If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep this blog running. Thank you so much! 💕
I made this Mediterranean lemon rice because I planned a week of Mediterranean recipes and wanted a side that could sit next to all of them. I loved how it turned out. I also loved that I already keep chicken broth in the fridge for ramen or udon, so this did not need a store run or an online order.
I skipped parsley on top because I planned to serve it with cilantro. You can add whatever you please. We ate it with Greek shrimp saganaki, and the lemon rice made the tomato-feta sauce taste complete.
As someone used to plain rice, it is amazing to have so many rice dishes to choose from. Next up is Mexican rice, and cilantro lime rice for my husband’s work lunches. I cannot wait to share those too. For now, this is the rice cooker version I actually made: Nishiki rice, everything mixed in together, no sauté pan.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Lemon Rice
- One pot: rice, onion, lemon, oil, and broth go straight into the cooker
- Uses the chicken broth you may already keep for soup or ramen
- Lemon and dill taste bright next to shrimp, chicken, or roasted vegetables
- Nishiki stays a little sticky, which is perfect under saucy saganaki
- Makes enough for dinner plus leftover lunch bowls
Mediterranean Lemon Rice Ingredients
This is lemon-Mediterranean rice written for a rice cooker and short-grain Nishiki, not stovetop basmati.
Smart swaps
- Vegetable broth if you want it meatless
- Grated onion if you do not want any raw bite
- Dried oregano or a pinch of turmeric with the dill
- Parsley on top if that is more traditional at your table
- Cilantro on the side, which is what we used with shrimp saganaki
How to Make Mediterranean Lemon Rice
- Rinse the Nishiki until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
- Add the rice to the rice cooker pot.
- Add onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in enough broth so broth plus lemon juice equals 2½ cups.
- Stir once. Cook on the regular white-rice setting.
- Rest 10 minutes, fluff, and serve with cilantro.
Nothing gets sautéed first, so chop the onion very fine — or grate it — so it melts into the rice.
Tips for the Best Mediterranean Lemon Rice
- Count lemon juice inside the 2½ cups of liquid, not on top of it.
- Nishiki wants less water than long-grain rice. 2 cups rice to 2½ cups total liquid is the match for most cookers.
- Let it rest before you open the lid. That finishes the steam.
- Taste after fluffing. Add a squeeze of lemon if you are serving it with tomato-feta shrimp.
- Cilantro is not the classic Greek finish. It is still excellent with saganaki.
Make-ahead: Cool, refrigerate up to 4 days, and reheat with a splash of broth. Good for work lunches.
What Inspired This Mediterranean Lemon Rice
Lemon, olive oil, dill, and broth are the quiet backbone of a lot of Greek home sides — rice that tastes like the rest of the plate instead of a blank scoop.
It was inspired by the lemon-and-herb grain cooking in Aglaia Kremezi’s The Foods of the Greek Islands — simple Mediterranean rice that lets seafood and tomato sauces shine.
Recipe Card
Rice Cooker Mediterranean Lemon Rice (Nishiki)
Equipment
- Rice cooker
- Fine mesh strainer
- Microplane or zester
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Fork, for fluffing
Ingredients
- 2 cups Nishiki rice rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
- 2½ cups liquid total: low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth including the lemon juice in that 2½ cups
- Juice of 1–2 lemons start with 1 lemon if you like it milder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2–3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small–medium onion finely chopped or grated
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 1 tsp dried dill
- Salt and black pepper
Optional:
- pinch of oregano or turmeric
- Fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the Nishiki well and drain.
- Put the rinsed rice in the rice cooker pot.
- Add onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Add oregano or turmeric if using.
- Pour in enough broth so the total liquid (broth + lemon juice) is 2½ cups.
- Stir once so everything is mixed through the rice.
- Close the lid and cook on the regular white-rice setting.
- When it finishes, let it rest 10 minutes on Warm before opening.
- Fluff gently. Serve with chopped cilantro on top or on the side.
Notes
- I did not add parsley because I planned to serve this Mediterranean lemon rice with cilantro. Use either.
- Nishiki will be a bit stickier than basmati. That is normal and works well with shrimp saganaki.
- Chop or grate the onion fine so it cooks through. Nothing is sautéed first.
- Taste after cooking and add more lemon if you want it brighter with tomato-feta shrimp.
- This is the first of several rice posts. Mexican rice and cilantro lime rice are next.
Worth Making Again
If you grew up on plain rice and want a side that tastes like the rest of a Mediterranean plate, make this Mediterranean lemon rice first. It is pantry-friendly, rice-cooker easy, and ready for shrimp, chicken, or whatever you cook next. I am already looking at Mexican rice and cilantro lime rice for lunches.
If you try it, tell me what you paired it with — saganaki, chicken, or just a pile of cilantro on the side.
Visit our YouTube channel to browse more easy recipes, air fryer hacks, and family-friendly meals!
You can find the ingredients for this recipe in my Amazon and Walmart storefronts.
