Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe

Whenever you have some pesto in the fridge, this Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe is a delicious way to use it to make a tasty side dish! And everyone who enjoys the flavor of pesto is going to enjoy this pesto rice that’s only a slight splurge on carbs!

PIN the Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe to try it later!

This easy Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe is a great side dish any time you have a few tablespoons of leftover pesto in the fridge. I made this tasty rice years ago on a night when I had guests coming for dinner, and it was so good that even though rice isn’t low in carbs I had to post the recipe!And then through the years the recipe got to be a bit popular in search engines, so I decided I really should update the photos!

We completely devoured this rice when we made it to take new photos, and I think it’s a perfect side dish for anything that goes with the flavors of basil and lemon, so if you want leftovers I’d recommend you double the recipe. And if you don’t mind a slight splurge on carbs, I bet this is a side dish you’ll make over and over!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• homemade chicken stock, canned chicken broth (affiliate link) or canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
• extra-virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• butter
• rice, preferably Ben’s Original Converted Rice (affiliate link)
• salt
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice; I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• basil pesto

What rice did I use for the pesto rice recipe?

I used my favorite Ben’s Original Converted Rice (affiliate link), and I’m a long-time fan of converted rice because the process of parboiling the rice infuses the grains with many nutrients that would otherwise have been thrown away with the husk. And Ben’s Converted rice is lower in carbs than most white rice too!

How high in carbs is the Lemon Pesto Rice?

I’m not tagging this recipe low-carb because I know a lot of low-carb eaters avoid rice, but this tasty rice has about 14 carbs per serving when it’s made with Ben’s Original Converted Rice (affiliate link)!

Can the Lemon Pesto Rice be vegetarian?

We made this rice dish with chicken broth, but you can definitely use canned vegetable broth (affiliate link) for a vegetarian option!

What pesto did I use for the pesto rice recipe?

For the pesto for this recipe I used some of my Basil Pesto with Lemon that I had in the freezer but if I didn’t have that I’d use Kirkland Basil Pesto.

How to Make Lemon Pesto Rice:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Heat chicken stock or broth (or vegetable broth) in the microwave or small pan until it’s barely starting to boil.
2. In a pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat olive oil and butter until butter is melted. Then add rice and cook until it’s rice is starting to get lightly browned.
3. Add the salt and lemon juice and cook one minute.
4. Add hot chicken stock and bring rice mixture to a low boil.
5. Once it’s barely boiling, lower heat to lowest temperature that will keep the rice simmering, cover pan, and let rice cook 22 minutes without lifting lid.
6. Then remove lid and check that liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender.
7. When rice is tender, fluff with a fork, and stir in pesto. 
8. Put the lid back on and let rice stand for 5 more minutes.
9. You now have delicious Lemon Pesto Rice!

Make it a Meal:

We loved this Lemon Pesto Rice as a side with Baked Pesto Chicken, but I think it would also taste great with Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken, or Spicy Air Fryer Fish with Remoulade Sauce.

More Rice Dishes You Might Like:

• Greek Lemon Rice Recipe
• Mujadarra (Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice)
• Greek Slow Cooker  Rice

Continue to Content

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Yield: 4 servings

Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 27 minutes

Total Time 37 minutes

This easy Lemon Pesto Rice Recipe is a delicious side dish to serve with any kind of protein.

Ingredients

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 1 cup Ben’s Original Converted Rice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
• 2 cups chicken broth (see notes)
• 4 T basil pesto (see notes)

Instructions

1. Heat the homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth in the microwave or in a small pan until it is just starting to boil
2. In a dutch-oven type pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Then add the rice and cook 2-3 minutes, or until rice is starting to get lightly browned, stirring a few times.
3. Add the salt and lemon juice and cook 1 minute. (The lemon juice will sizzle and maybe bubble up in the pan.)
4. Add the hot chicken stock or broth and bring rice mixture to a very low boil
5. Once it is barely boiling, lower heat to the lowest possible heat that will keep the mixture barely simmering, cover the pan and let the rice cook for 22 minutes without lifting lid
6. Then remove lid and check to see that liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender. (Cook a few minutes longer with pan covered if needed.)
7. When rice is tender, fluff the rice with a fork, and stir in the basil pesto. (I like a generous amount of pesto, but you can definitely use less if you want just a hint of basil flavor.)
8. Put the lid back on and let the rice stand for 5 more minutes.
9. Serve Lemon Pesto Rice hot and enjoy! Leftovers will keep well in the fridge or can be frozen, so you might want to double the recipe.

Notes

I've made this with canned chicken broth and homemade chicken stock, so use whichever you prefer or have on hand. If you want the recipe to be vegetarian, just switch out the chicken brother for canned vegetable broth (affiliate link).

I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe. I used my Basil Pesto with Lemon from the freezer but you can definitely make this with Kirkland Basil Pesto.

Leftover rice can be reheated in the microwave or frozen, but you probably won’t have any leftovers unless you double the recipe!

Recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from Georgette’s Really Lemony Greek Pilafi.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 182Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 10mgSodium 871mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Using Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice makes this Easy Pesto Lemon Rice a great side dish for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. (If you’re eating this for South Beach phase two or wanting the healthiest option, be sure not to buy the “instant” type; you want the converted rice that says “original” on the package.) This recipe has 14 net carbs per serving, so it’s a slight splurge on carbs for a traditional low-carb diet plan, but maybe something you would make for a special meal.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I first made Lemon Pesto Rice in 2011 when my niece Alyson and some friends came to dinner. Recently people have been finding the recipe in search engines, so it was updated with better photos and an improved recipe in 2024.

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