Mediterranean Rice (Easy Yellow Rice Recipe)

Mediterranean Yellow Rice makes a delicious side dish all year long. This Greek-inspired recipe starts with sautéing onions and aromatic mediterranean spices in olive oil. The rice pilaf turns out fluffy, flavorful and full of textures, thanks for the addition of sweet currants and crunchy toasted almonds.

What is Mediterranean rice?

Rice is a popular side dish in Mediterranean cuisine but it’s rarely cooked plain. Instead, it’s typically toasted with some onions and spices in olive oil and then cooked with water or broth.

This type of rice dish is often called “rice pilaf” or “rice pilau” and similar versions (but with slightly different flavor profile) are also popular in Turkish, Lebanese and Iranian cuisines.

For even more textural interest, Mediterranean rice often features sweet and crunchy additions, such as dried fruit (currants) and nuts (sliced almonds or pine nuts).

Ingredient notes

How to make Mediterranean Yellow Rice

1. Sauté onions with spices. Heat up olive oil in a medium-sized pot, add diced onion together with turmeric powder, cumin and cinnamon. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat stirring often. Add garlic and cook for another minute stirring constantly until fragrant.
2. Toast the rice. Add raw rice, salt and pepper to the onion-garlic mixture and toast stirring until golden brown, 3-4 minutes.

3. Add liquid. Pour in water, vegetable broth or chicken stock, turn the heat down to simmer.
4. Cook. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 12-15 minutes until tender and fluffy. All liquid should be absorbed. Turn the heat off, open the lid and cover the pot with a clean kitchen towel. Place the lid back on. This step helps remove the steam and prevents the rice dish from going soggy.

What to serve with Mediterranean Yellow Rice

This flavorful rice is super versatile and goes well with most meat and seafood dishes, especially grilled or air fried. Here are some ideas to try:

• Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs (Kebabs)
• Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Ricotta
• Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Ground Chicken
• Brined Chicken Wings
• Pork Kebabs (Air Fryer or Oven)
• Greek Chickpea Salad

Substitutions and variations

You can easily customize this recipe to your dietary needs or current pantry stock. Here are some ideas:

• Skip the currants if dried fruit in rice doesn’t speak to you OR swap them for chopped up dried apricots or raisins
• You can use pine nuts in place of sliced almonds
• For a nut free version, skip the almonds
• If you don’t have cumin, you can swap it for dried coriander
• Skip the cinnamon if you don’t have any
• Add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if you for some spice
• For a fresher flavor profile, stir in chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives or cilantro and add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
• If you want to make it a complete meal, add chopped cooked chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and serve with grilled veggies or a side salad

More Mediterranean recipes to try

• Cauliflower Schawarma Bowls
• Greek Pasta Bake
• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Musabaha {Whole Chickpea Hummus}
• Falafel Platter
• Falafel Pita Sandwiches

If you try my Mediterranean Rice recipe be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!