Greek Slow Cooker Rice
Greek Slow Cooker Rice has red bell pepper, Feta, and Kalamata olives, and this is a perfect easy side dish of rice with Greek flavors. Or see notes below for a low-carb cauliflower rice casserole with similar flavors.
PIN Greek Slow Cooker Rice to try it later!
I first made this delicious Greek Slow Cooker Rice a few years ago, and at the time I remarked to my nephew Jake about how good this was, even if it wasn’t that photogenic. Now I think the new version made in the Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker (affiliate link) is actually quite pretty, but a large oval slow cooker would work for this recipe too!
I’m a real convert to slow cooker rice; have you tried it? Cooking the rice in the slow cooker means you don’t have to watch it much, and if you want a summer side dish for something cooked on the grill, you can make this without heating up the house.
And I think this slow cooker rice with Greek ingredients also makes a nice vegetarian main dish with all the flavors going on here. I loved this when I first made it with Jake, and loved it even more when I made it in the Casserole Crock to get these greatly-improved photos.
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.)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- rice, preferably Ben’s Original Converted Rice (affiliate link)
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Greek Seasoning (affiliate link)
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link), preferably Greek Oregano (affiliate link)
- canned chicken broth (affiliate link) or vegetable broth
- red bell pepper
- green bell pepper
- sliced Kalamata olives
- Feta cheese
- green onion
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
What gives this slow cooker rice the Greek flavors?
This slow cooker rice recipe is loaded with Greek flavors from Greek Seasoning, dried Greek oregano, red and green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, lemon, and of course plenty of tasty Feta cheese!
Could you use brown rice for the Greek Slow Cooker Rice?
I’ve made some similar slow cooker rice dishes using Ben’s Original Brown Rice (affiliate link), so if you prefer brown rice give that a try. The cooking time might be just slightly longer for brown rice.
Want a Low-Carb dish with similar flavors?
Of course rice isn’t low in carbs, but try my Greek Cauliflower Rice Bake if you’d like a low-carb version of this recipe that cooks in the oven.
How to Make Greek Slow Cooker 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.)
- Heat olive oil and saute the rice until it’s nicely browned.
- Add rice to the slow cooker.
- Add a little more oil and saute the onions until they’re starting to barely brown, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the garlic, Greek Seasoning (affiliate link), and Oregano and cook a couple of minutes more.
- Deglaze the pan with 2 cans chicken or vegetable broth and enough water to make 4 cups.
- Add the broth/onion mixture to the slow cooker, stir, and cook on high about 1 1/2 hours (or until the rice is partly softened but not done.)
- While rice cooks chops the red and green pepper and green onion, slice the olives, and crumble the Feta.
- When rice has cooked until it’s partly softened, stir in the peppers and cook about 15 minutes.
- Then add the olives and crumbled Feta and cook another 15 minutes, or until rice is done.
- When the rice is done to your liking, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the rice with the rest of the crumbled Feta and sliced green onions and serve!
More Rice in the Slow Cooker:
- Slow Cooker Rice with Sausage and Peppers
- Slow Cooker Green Chile Rice Casserole
- Slow Cooker Brown Rice with Veggies and Feta
Weekend Food Prep:
This slow cooker rice recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Greek Slow Cooker Rice
This Greek Slow Cooker Rice with Red Bell Pepper, Feta, and Kalamata Olives is a perfect side dish when you want something that can cook mostly unattended.
Ingredients
- 1 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cups Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice
- 1 onion, chopped small
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 tsp. Greek Seasoning
- 1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably Greek oregano)
- two 14 oz. cans chicken or vegetable stock plus enough water to make 4 cups
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives (see notes)
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (see notes)
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion (or more)
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan, add Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice and saute until the rice is nicely browned (watch it carefully.) Put the browned rice into the slow cooker.
- Add the other teaspoon of oil and the onions and cook until they start to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the garlic, Greek seasoning, and dried oregano and cook a couple minutes more.
- Add the stock/water mixture and scrape the pan to remove any browned bits; then add the onion/stock mixture to the slow cooker with the rice. Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
- While the rice cooks finely chop the bell peppers, slice green onions, and crumble the Feta.
- After 1 1/2 hours (or when the rice is fairly softened, but not completely done) add the bell peppers and cook 15 minutes more.
- Then add the Feta and sliced olives to the slow cooker and cook another 15 minutes.
- Check to be sure the rice is as cooked as you’d like it, then stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste.
- Top with additional crumbled Feta and green onions as desired and serve hot.
Notes
I used my Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe. You can use regular black olives if you prefer. You can use 1/2 cup more crumbled Feta for sprinkling on top if desired.
Recipe adapted from Greek Rice in Crock-Pot 365 Year-Round Recipes.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 368Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 110mgSodium 669mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 28g
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.
Low-Carb Diet Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Rice isn’t low in carbs, but this Greek Slow Cooker Rice with added vegetables, olives, and cheese would be lower in carbs than most rice dishes. Greek Cauliflower Rice Bake is a similar low-carb side dish that cooks in the oven. Ben’s Original Converted Rice (affiliate link) is actually the most low-glycemic type of rice you can buy, making this Greek Slow Cooker Rice a great dish for low-glycemic diets or Phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet, and this recipe is also gluten-free and can be vegetarian if you use vegetable stock.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes or Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The Greek Slow Cooker Rice was first posted March 2013 and was updated with greatly improved photos June 2016. The recipe was last updated with new information in 2024.
30 Comments on “Greek Slow Cooker Rice”
Making this tonight as our stove just conked out! Will have to brown the rice in an electric frypan, but that’s okay!
Oh man, sorry about the stove! But hope you enjoy it!
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This sounds yum. Do you have any idea if you increase liquid or how you would cook regular rice? I don't use the converted type.
Without trying it, I am not sure how you'd need to adjust to cook regular rice (or even how regular rice will work in a slow cooker; I think the converted rice stays a bit firmer.) You might be able to tell by googling the two types of rice and comparing the amount of liquid and cooking times.
I really want to make this, but am having trouble finding the Greek Seasoning. Can you recommend a grocery store that I might find it in, or have a recipe to make my own? I have zero Greek experience so I don't even know what the flavors would be. Thanks! Can't wait to try this for dinner!
Sarah, there's a link in the post to buy Greek Seasoning from the Spice House, my favorite brand. But I think most any grocery store will have some brand of Greek Seasoning by the spices, Cavender's Greek Seasoning is a common brand. I'm sure you can also get it at Amazon.com. Greek seasoning is a blend of garlic, lemon, and oregano; you can probably just use those three seasonings and it would be fine. I'd be suspicious of Greek Seasoning recipes with too many ingredients but this Greek Seasoning Recipe sounds about right to me. Hope that helps.
Thank you! I'm heading to the store today! I can't wait to make this tomorrow!
Dee, without experimenting and trying it I wouldn't be able to give recommendations (especially not for adapting from slow cooker *and* increasing amounts by so much.) If you have time to experiment, you could probably start with a recipe like my Really Lemony Greek Pilafi and the stir in the pepper, Feta, and olives at the end, but I couldn't say exactly how much to use for the amounts you want.
I love that idea, and so glad you enjoyed it!
It was delicious! My husband stirred a little hummus into his.
Beja, hope you all enjoyed it! Glad to hear my blog is helpful for you too.
We are having this for dinner tonight! I pinned it a few days ago. I am definitely drooling over the flavors, and especially since I have cut them up and smell them altogether.
I keep looking at the clock in anticipation!
Thank you so much for the wealth of recipes on your blog. I am the only vegetarian among my 2 boys and husband. My husband has started to eat more vegetarian meals, so it is a budget saver!
Thanks!
This looks great! I bet it pairs really well with grilled chicken.
Kalyn, this sounds so flavorful! I've tried different versions of rice, but have never thought of combining it with feta and olives, brilliant! My favorite ingredient to add in rice is boiled chickpeas, which is so typical in Turkish cuisine, but I love your version too! Would love to pair it with yogurt!
Becky, I'd have to agree!
Pretty much anything with Greek in the title sounds good to me!!
what I told you my name was Thom "the Greek" Pegg?
Debbie I haven't done it with brown rice, so I don't know exactly how much longer it would take, but I'd guess 15-30 minutes at least.
I'd like to try this with brown rice too… how much longer would the cooking time be?
Doren, I have so much more stuff than I ever imagined. I think brown rice will work, but it will take a little longer to cook.
I intend to try it with the chickpeas, great idea. I guess they'll get thrown in sometime toward the end. I know you use Uncle Ben's, but I'm going to try it with brown rice.
Add my sympathies on the move.. Have lived in current house for 22 years and can't imagine packing all the accumulated "stuff". Best of luck!
Lydia, the rice is pretty foolproof in the slow cooker, just like the rice cooker.
You are giving me the courage to try more slow cooker rice dishes. I've only done a few, and usually make rice in the rice cooker. But I love the idea of adding ingredients every few minutes while the rice continues to cook, so this recipe is going on my list.
Thanks Pat! The only thing that's keeping this move from being downright painful is how much I love the new house. That keeps me going, but it's pretty awful.
That looks a great recipe and I love that it cooks in the Slow Cooker!
Sympathy on the move. I never lived anywhere longer than 8 years (and many places less) till we moved to this house 20 years ago.
Junk has accumulated and I think we've left it too long to move again without a lot of pain 🙁
Joanne, you are brilliant!
at what point would you add the chickpeas?
They'd need to be canned or pre-cooked chickpeas and I'd add them with the peppers.
Throw in some chickpeas for protein and I would happily call this lunch! I love greek flavors!!