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 shallow gray bowl filled with a Greek rice recipe containing chicken, vegetables, chickpeas and feta cheese.

A quick and easy Mediterranean Rice Recipe

I love a complete dinner all in one dish, where I don’t have to mess with side dishes. With protein, vegetables and rice all in one big skillet, this Greek Rice recipe shows up on our meal plans often.

If you’re a lover of Greek salads with olives, tomatoes, chickpeas and feta, you’ll love this satisfying rice dish for dinner.

It’s a great way to use up leftover cooked rice, and endlessly adaptable to use up any odds and ends you might have in the fridge!

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 vegetarian 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.

A gray bowl sits on top of a blue and white striped napkin, filled with a Mediterranean rice recipe made with chicken, tomatoes, olives, herbs and feta cheese.

Greek Rice Recipe ingredients

  • oil – I recommend vegetable or canola oil for making fried rice.
  • chicken – Just like my best orange chicken recipe, I use a large chicken breast, finely chopped. Chicken thigh is delicious in this Mediterranean rice recipe and my recipe for 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.

How to Make Greek Rice

  1. CHICKEN. Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through.
  2. ONION. Add the onion and cook 1 minute.
  3. RICE. Add the rice and cook 3 minutes, while stirring.
  4. EGGS. Push the rice to the sides of the pan to create a well in the center of the pan, and crack the eggs into the well. Cook the eggs, while scrambling, until they are fully cooked.
  5. REMAINING INGREDIENTS. Add the chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, parsley, olives, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss until everything is well combined.
A gray bowl sits on top of a blue and white striped napkin, filled with Mediterranean fried rice made with chicken, tomatoes, olives, herbs and feta cheese.

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.

How to serve Mediterranean Rice

  • MAIN COURSE – Serve this Greek rice as an all-in-one main course. It has protein, vegetables and grains all in one dish, so you truly don’t even need any side dishes with it.
  • SIDE DISH – You can also serve this Mediterranean rice recipe as a side dish. It’s a nice compliment to lamb lollipops, although feel free to omit the chicken from the rice if you go this route.

How to store this Greek Style Rice

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing because the rice gets mushy when frozen and thawed again.

A gray bowl sits on top of a blue and white striped napkin, filled with Greek fried rice made with chicken, tomatoes, olives, herbs and feta cheese.

Greek Rice FAQs

What type of rice is used in Greek food?

There are several types of rice used in Greek cooking, but the one you might be most familiar with is long-grain white rice (known as kitrino in Greece). This is mostly used in rice pilafs and side dishes.
Brown rice (known as kastano) is also commonly used in Greek cooking. Either of these types are perfect for this Mediterranean rice recipe. You could also use basmati or jasmine.

No matter what, the best Mediterranean fried rice is made with day-old rice (it absorbs flavors better and doesn’t stick together as much as freshly cooked rice).

How to make rice tasty?

To start with the most flavorful prepared rice possible, I recommend cooking the rice in chicken broth or stock instead of plain water. The rice absorbs the savory broth, making it even more delicious.

What kind of rice is on the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean die, renowned for its health benefits, incorporates many popular varieties of rice, including Arborio, Basmati, Jasmine, brown rice and wild rice.

A shallow gray bowl filled with a Greek rice recipe containing chicken, vegetables, chickpeas and feta cheese.

Greek Rice Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

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.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 3 cups prepared white rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/3 cup kalamata olives, halved
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until almost cooked through, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add onion; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  3. Add rice; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Push rice to sides of wok, creating a well in center of wok. Crack eggs into well, scramble vigorously with wooden spoon. Cook 2 minutes (keeping eggs in well) or until eggs are full cooked.
  4. Add chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, parsley, olives, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss until everything is well combined. Cook 2 minutes or until warmed through; stirring frequently.

Notes

Home Chef Tip: Fried rice works best with day-old rice! Use leftovers from Chinese carryout, or make a batch of rice the night before. Spread the cooked rice on a small rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer to refrigerator and let sit, uncovered, overnight.

Recommended Products

Foxes Love Lemons, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. There is no additional cost to you.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 597Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 450mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 49g

This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know what you think! Rate the recipe above, leave a comment below, and/or share a photo to Instagram using the tag #foxeslovelemons.