Making lemon rice doesn’t have to be a complicated process. This is our simple 5-ingredient recipe.
If you are looking for a simple side dish that tastes delicious and isn’t difficult to make then this is perfect for you.
Plain rice is perfectly fine. There are just so many ways to turn rice into an amazing side dish but right now I am loving this lemon rice recipe, especially for fish and seafood entrees.
There is just something about adding fresh lemon zest to a dish that gets my taste buds happy.
Note that our recipe below is really simple to follow. It almost seems too simple but sometimes the most delicious recipes truly are simple.
Last night we cooked the most amazing sirloin steaks with very few ingredients.
What makes this lemon rice dish stand out is that we don’t compete with the lemon and garlic by adding too many ingredients.
Simple food is often delicious food.
What kind of rice should you use?
We love making this dish with basmati rice.
It is fragrant and has such a beautiful aroma to it. It also has a bit of a nutty flavor so it is perfect for simple recipes.
However, you could also make it with plain white rice. Don’t stress over this too much.
Use whatever rice you have on hand. Frankly, cauliflower rice would work as well.
This is exactly why we left the recipe below so flexible.
Different kinds of rice are cooked in different ways so just follow the directions that come with your rice.
Check out these articles:
- How to Reheat Rice 3 Ways (Plus Tips)
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice Yummy and Healthy
- How to Cook Rice Perfectly
- Easy Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
Tips on cooking rice perfectly
We have an entire article dedicated to this topic that you should check out, linked above but here are a few of our favorite tips.
- Before you cook the rice, rinse it several times. This will remove some of the starch and as a result, it will be less sticky.
- Let your rice rest in the pan for 20 minutes before serving it. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pan and then put the lid over that. This sounds crazy but the results are AHmazing.
- Cook the rice in vegetable broth instead of water.
Lemon rice recipe (5 ingredient recipe)
Easy lemon rice recipe. This recipe only requires 5 ingredients. We use basmati rice, lemon juice, minced garlic, butter, and lemon zest.
Ingredients
- 1 c basmati rice
- 1 T butter
- 2 T lemon juice
- ¼ t lemon zest
- 1 t minced garlic
Instructions
- Cook the basmati rice according to the package directions. (We also have our special guide to cooking basmati rice.
- Add the butter, lemon juice, and minced garlic to cooked rice. Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Serve on the plate and sprinkle lemon zest on top.
Notes
If you don’t have basmati rice, use white rice or wild rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Jenny
Saturday 10th of September 2022
What makes it yellow…. Nothing listed in this recipe.
Naomi Charles
Wednesday 15th of July 2020
Thanks for this simple recipe.these are ingredients I can easily get here in Nigeria.Though I've not tried it but I know it will be nice because it looks like the simple fried rice we cook here on days we don't have all the necessary ingredients.but it still comes out very nice.Thanks.Always enjoy your site.
Naomi Charles
Monday 13th of July 2020
Hello,please how do I make the vegetable broth that is required to cook this Lemon rice.