Greek Orzo with Lemon and Herbs (2024)

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Updated: Oct 23rd 2023 • Published: Sep 11th 2019 • 44 Comments

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3.98 from 289 votes

This Greek Orzo with Lemon and Herbs makes the best side dish for fish, chicken, steak, lamb or shellfish. You can even serve this with roasted veg and keep it vegetarian.

It is quick to cook and packed with flavor. In under 15 minutes, you can have this fresh and delicious pasta side dish ready for the table.

You can serve it hot or cold and it tastes wonderful the next day, making it great for lunchboxes.

Quickly Jump to:

Orzo Pasta

Orzo is a small shaped pasta. Its small size makes it perfect for serving as a side dish.

You can read more about Ozro over in my Meatball Orzo post.

How to make Greek Orzo

To give this the wonderful flavors of Greece, we start by frying onion and garlic in plenty of extra virgin olive oil. The orzo is added along with oregano, dill and lemon zest. This is cooked for a minute and then broth/stock is added. (I use chicken stock but you can easily use vegetable broth)

Once everything is cooked the finished orzo is dressed with a little more lemon zest, a spritz of lemon juice and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Delicious, simple perfection!

What to serve with Greek Orzo

The beauty of this side dish is you can literally serve it with almost anything. Whilst it is Greek Inspired, the flavors work just as well with a steak as they do greek chicken breasts.

Some of our favorites to serve with it are:

Greek Salmon
Greek Chicken with Oregano
Lemon Dill Chicken
Greek Chicken Thighs
Steak with Blue Cheese Butter
Scallops with Lemon and Paprika

How to store leftovers

This Orzo pasta makes a great lunch the following day. To ensure the pasta is still perfect, you want to drizzle over about 1 tablespoon extra olive oil (I like extra virgin olive oil here). This stops the pasta from clumping together.

Place it in an airtight container and it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can take it for lunch as it is, or add some poached chicken, smoked salmon, or leftover steak.

Enjoy x

For other great pasta side dishes why not try:

Easy Creamy Four Cheese Pasta
Easy Creamy Herb Pasta
No Cream Italian Herb Pasta
Tomato Orzo Salad
Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil
Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

Get the Recipe

Greek Orzo with Lemon and Herbs Recipe

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

This Greek Orzo with Lemon and Herbs makes the best side dish for fish or chicken. It is quick to cook and packed with flavor. In under 15 minutes, you can have this fresh and delicious pasta side dish ready for the table. You can serve it hot or cold and it tastes wonderful the next day, making it great for lunchboxes.

3.98 from 289 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Course Side

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4

Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients

½ onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - plus more to serve
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup orzo
1 lemon
2 ½ cups vegetable/chicken broth - see note 1
Fresh dill - optional garnish

Instructions

Finely chop the onion and garlic.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic, and salt, then cook gently until softened (about 2-3 minutes)
Add in the oregano, dill and black pepper. Then stir in the orzo until well coated in the oil and herbs.
Add the zest of the lemon and then pour over the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer the orzo for 10 minutes or until cooked through. (There should be very little liquid left once cooked - see note 1)

Notes

The orzo is cooked in simmering stock. It should absorb all of the stock with maybe a little left at the end of cooking time. This can just be drained away. If you find your broth has evaporated your heat may be too high, but don't worry, just add extra broth or salted boiling water until the orzo is cooked.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Nutrition is per serving

For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Gayle de Bruyckere says
October 31, 2023 at 5:41 pm

I made this tonight and served it with Greek marinated chicken, but it would also be great with salmon . I didn’t have dill so used lemon thyme, I also added some frozen peas in the last five mins. Will definitely make this again.
Reply
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- Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
  November 01, 2023 at 10:54 am
  
  Oh your lemon thyme sounds delicious!
  Cx
  Reply
Angelica says
April 25, 2023 at 6:03 am

I’ve made this before and loved it! I want to make it again tonight but have no chicken broth or stock, any substitution suggestions?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 25, 2023 at 10:41 am
  
  It will work with any stock/broth if you have veg stock.
  If not you can make it with just water but add some extra salt and a bit of onion powder.
  I like to always have a jar of better than bouillon in the cupboard as I run out of broth so often. It isn't the cheapest but it lasts a long time 🙂
  Hope that helps
  Cx
  Reply
Lisa Gautreau says
October 26, 2022 at 5:40 pm

I work at a palliative care hospice and made this for our patients yesterday. They loved it. Having a dinner party at home tonight and serving this tonight for my own guests. Thank you for this great recipe. 🇨🇦
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  November 15, 2022 at 12:40 pm
  
  Oh I am so happy that the patients enjoyed the orzo. And to make it at home as well, so happy you loved the recipe that much 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Julie says
August 01, 2022 at 9:03 am

I made this tonight and I added some crumbled Feta to it after it was all cooked. It was a nice touch!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  August 05, 2022 at 1:36 pm
  
  Feta at the end sounds perfect 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Linda H says
May 16, 2022 at 6:38 am

I used the scale for (2) servings and the amounts are spot on. A little liquid at the end of cooking but once cooled the orzo soaked it up just fine. I made this with Greek marinated chicken kabobs and this orzo was a great side dish for it.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  May 25, 2022 at 5:12 pm
  
  Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
  I am so pleased you ended it, it is one of our favourite easy side dishes 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Laura says
April 29, 2022 at 10:05 pm

Recipe was so good! I added a little bit of feta at the end and it just added a nice, rounded flavor to it. Will definitely make again.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  May 03, 2022 at 4:35 pm
  
  Love the addition of the feta 🙂
  Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment
  Cx
  Reply
Diana says
February 04, 2022 at 11:08 am

Excellent. Made this tonight. Family loved it.
Reply
Murial says
November 12, 2021 at 8:59 am

Love this. Saved under Best Ever recipes.
Reply
Kristyn says
October 09, 2021 at 7:20 am

I was SO excited to try this recipe but it just turned into nasty goop. Sigh. No side dish tonight lol
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  May 26, 2022 at 1:51 pm
  
  Oh I am sorry to hear that.
  I am wondering if the simmer was too low so the broth didn't evaporate enough?
  Cx
  Reply
John Z. says
August 09, 2021 at 2:54 am

I followed this recipe exactly as written today. While it was delicious, 2 1/2 cups of broth is too much. I had a lot of liquid and didn't want to lose all the herbs and flavor by pouring it off down the drain, so I turned off the heat and added some instant rice (Minute) to soak it up. Also, my instinct was to cover the pot while it cooked. When I realized the broth wasn't being absorbed enough, I took the cover off. I'd suggest cutting back on the liquid.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  August 16, 2021 at 3:59 pm
  
  Pleased you enjoyed the flavour John. I don't usually cover the pot while it cooks so that could be the difference.
  I will update the recipe to make that clear.
  Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
- Amy says
  July 26, 2022 at 11:41 pm
  
  You didn’t follow the recipe. That’s on you. It doesn’t say to cover the pot. So you didn’t actually follow the recipe.
  Reply
Carla Hamann says
July 28, 2021 at 8:02 am

This is an absolutely wonderful dish as is but also great base to add in other vegetables and proteins. We loved it 's flavor and simplicity.
Reply
Mike Larkin says
July 26, 2021 at 3:43 am

Not nice I'm afraid. Cooked it for two and it made enough to build a small wall. Also very stodgy. I rinsed the final product with boiling water but it was stiff the consistency of day old porridge. A waste of 300 g of orzo unfortunately. I don't like to criticise but I wouldn't want to repeat cooking this. 4 tablespoons + of olive oil for 2.
Reply
Ernestine says
July 18, 2021 at 11:14 am

It was not only the perfect side dish for trout, but it was fast. I used the lemon for the fish. Thank you so much! I'll be preparing this again and again. fast
Reply
Kathleen says
June 17, 2021 at 12:43 am

I've made this lovely recipe before but was wondering if it would pair well with Pork tenderloin medallions with chutney & cream sauce. Thank You
Reply
sam says
April 11, 2021 at 5:16 am

I MADE THIS AND WE LOVED IT!! ITS HARD TO FIND GOOD RECIPES ANYMORE WHEN YOU'VE CHANGED TO A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING.
WE DONT DO PASTA ANYMORE, UT IS A GOOD TREAT! THANK YOU!!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  April 11, 2021 at 11:37 am
  
  Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed dit Sam 😊
  Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment
  Cx
  Reply
- Elle says
  October 25, 2023 at 7:56 am
  
  Orzo is pasta
  Reply
Amanda says
January 24, 2021 at 3:39 am

Do I need to cover the orzo during the simmering time?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  January 28, 2021 at 10:37 am
  
  Hi Amanda, I don't cover the dish when I make it, but the broth/stock should be at a gentle simmer, so it doesn't evaporate too quickly.
  Hope that helps 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Amanda says
November 12, 2020 at 7:38 am

I made this tonight and it was so good and easy to make! Will definitely be making it again!
Reply
Liz says
September 21, 2020 at 5:47 am

Recipe says lemons but only asks for zest in directions? There is no lemon juice in the recipe?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 26, 2020 at 7:31 pm
  
  I just use the zest in the recipe as it gives so much flavour without adding any sourness!
  Hope that helps 🙂
  Cx
  P.s I save them for a sneaky G&T 😉
  Reply
AJ says
August 22, 2020 at 4:23 am

Delicious and thank you for the storage tips! I added more lemon juice after I reheated the dish.
Reply
Suzie Houghton says
July 29, 2020 at 2:10 am

I loved the flavor but after it sat for a while it became very starchy. Should I rinse the orzo beforehand like you do rice?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  September 21, 2020 at 12:12 pm
  
  Hi Suzie,
  I have never rinsed the orzo before, but I guess each brand might be a little different. Rinsing it sounds like a good idea to try and remove some starch before you cook it.
  Hope you try the recipe again 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Mary says
July 17, 2020 at 2:32 am

Do you ever put the juice from the lemon in?
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  July 21, 2020 at 3:51 pm
  
  You can squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta at the end, but I tend to cut the lemon into wedges and then let people add it to their portions at the table.
  Hope that helps 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Bethany Watkins says
May 07, 2020 at 5:47 am

This is my go-to side dish with pork souvlaki and Greek salad. Thank you for the simple, yet very tasty, recipe!
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  May 08, 2020 at 3:49 pm
  
  Thank you so much Bethany, I love the simplicity of Orzo too 🙂
  Pork Souvlaki sounds perfect!
  Cx
  Reply
Sarah says
March 15, 2020 at 4:22 am

I'm making this wonderful dish tonight to go with my Cilantro Lemon chicken. This is about the fourth time I'm using this Orzo recipe and my husband and myself love it. Thank you so much.
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  March 15, 2020 at 10:23 am
  
  Thank you Sarah! I am so pleased you enjoyed it!! I haven't tried it with cilantro lemon chicken, but I am going to as that sounds a great combo!!!
  Honoured that you have cooked my recipe so many times 🙂
  Cx
  Reply
Chris says
January 19, 2020 at 1:04 pm

I love that you can change the servings and it calculated it out! 😮 thank you! Can’t wait To try
Reply
- Claire McEwen says
  January 20, 2020 at 6:05 am
  
  So pleased you like the feature, it is something I love too 🙂
  Reply
  - Eileen Gunning says
    July 31, 2021 at 9:29 am
    
    Great recipe. Love that it’s done in one pot. It’s so easy. I served with grilled halibut, broccolini and fresh dill from the garden. I will be making this often with chicken souvlaki and green salad. Thank you
    Reply
    - Claire McEwen says
      August 02, 2021 at 9:01 am
      
      Oh your menu sounds delicious!
      So happy that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
      Cx
      Reply