How to Make Greek Rice

This Greek rice recipe is a quick and easy take on chicken fried rice, but includes healthful Mediterranean ingredients like chickpeas, feta cheese and olives.

A quick and easy Mediterranean Rice Recipe

While I don’t officially follow the Mediterranean diet, those flavors always appeal to me, and I could enjoy them for pretty much every meal, without issue.

Either I’m snacking on olives and feta cheese, taking Greek layer dip to a party, or making Greek lasagna or gyro pizza for dinner.

Today, I’m taking some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors and turning them into a fried rice-inspired Greek rice recipe that is a complete dinner in one bowl.

What is Mediterranean Rice?

I like to use the same techniques of a classic Chinese fried rice that I learned in culinary school to make everything from breakfast fried rice to kimchi fried rice to this Greek rice recipe.

The technique is simply using a wok or very large skillet, over high heat, to cook a protein, then vegetables. Add cooked rice and cook until it gets a little bit golden brown.

Make a well in the center of the mixture, add raw egg, and cook until you have scrambled egg bits that you can stir to incorporate into the rice. Add any remaining ingredients, season, and eat!

The technique itself doesn’t have to be reserved for Asian flavors. You can get creative and use whatever flavors you want.

Right down to the scrambled egg, this Greek fried rice recipe follows the classic technique, while also incorporating things like chicken, chickpeas, olives and feta cheese.

Seasoned with just a bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper, this fun, affordable Mediterranean rice recipe can be on the table in no time.

Greek Rice Recipe ingredients

• oil – I recommend vegetable or canola oil for making fried rice.
• chicken – Just like my orange ginger chicken, I use a large chicken breast, finely chopped. Chicken thigh is delicious in this Mediterranean rice recipe and chicken stroganoff, too.
• onion – I like to use a red onion for color, but white onion is a good substitute in this Greek fried rice recipe.
• rice – you will need 3 cups prepared rice. More on that below.
• eggs – 2 large eggs will do the trick.
• chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – make sure you drain and rinse them. I also love chickpeas in my Greek yogurt pasta!
• parsley – I like to add a bit of green freshness by incorporating fresh parsley into this Mediterranean fried rice.
• feta cheese – buy a block and crumble it yourself for the best flavor. I also love feta on top of Greek yogurt mashed potatoes and in watermelon feta salad.
• tomatoes – I like to use quartered grape tomatoes, but chopping up a larger tomato is fine, too. If you end up with extra grape tomatoes, try my blistered tomatoes.
• olives – pitted kalamata olives, cut in half, are my favorite for this Greek rice recipe.
• lemon juice – this seasons the rice with brightness and acidity. Lemon lovers will also love my lemon smoothie!
• salt and pepper – because unseasoned rice will be bland.

Can I use a different protein in this Greek Style Rice?

Totally! While I used chicken breast this time around, chicken thighs actually have even more flavor (which is why I use them for almond crusted chicken), so I love them in this Greek rice recipe, too.

Not into chicken? How about using shrimp? Buy a little extra shrimp to make shrimp wonton soup another time.

Even ground or finely chopped pork would work in this Mediterranean rice recipe. I’ve even been known to make this Greek fried rice recipe with leftover, chopped up turkey meatball recipe air fryer or leftovers from a lamb sandwich platter.

Greek Rice FAQs