Easy Greek Lemon Chicken Soup With Rice

Jump to Recipe Add Me as a Google Trusted Source

My Greek Lemon Chicken Soup features tender chicken and rice in a thick and creamy broth. It's easy, fresh, and comes together in just one pot.

a Dutch oven of Greek lemon chicken soup with rice garnished with parsley and lemon slices.

I love making easy soups like crock pot wedding soup or instant pot Taco soup. There's a reason this soup (also called Avgolemono) has been simmering on my Greek family's stovetop for generations. It's easy and comforting, but never feels heavy. Bonus: The starch from the rice and the richness from the eggs makes this rich and creamy without any dairy!

Why Our Recipes Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science

It Uses Arborio Rice: Rice releases starch as it cooks to thicken the soup and arborio contains more starch than other types of rice.
Poached Chicken Is Moist and Juicy: We use gentle poaching and then allow the chicken to finish in the hot liquid as boiling squeezes out moisture and can make the meat stringy.
We use Better Than Bouillon: Traditionally this soup is made with homemade broth. This tastes almost as good with a deep chicken flavor.
We Temper The Eggs: Adding hot broth into the egg mixture gradually warms them up and prevents them from scrambling.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

ingredients including onion, garlic, better than bouillon, chicken breasts, eggs, arborio rice and dill.

Lemon: Use fresh not bottled lemon juice for the best flavor. To get the most juice from your fruit roll it on the counter and then microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Rice: I love the extra starch from Arborio rice for a thicker broth. You can also use long grain rice if you can't find it.
Better Than Bouillon: I love the homemade flavor of this but feel free to use an equal amount of broth instead.
Bay Leaves: If you don't reach for these often be sure to replace them every 6-12 months as their flavor does wane over time.
Chicken Breasts: You can also use thighs for a richer soup just be aware they take a little longer to cook.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning: I like Kinder's.
Eggs: Use room temperature not straight out of the fridge eggs to prevent them from curdling. Around 20-30 minutes on the counter will do the trick.
Dill: Look for bright green dill that is feathery not slimy or wilted. I like the fresh flavor of fresh dill but you can also use dried with a 1:4 to ratio.

a 4 image collage showing how to sauté onions and garlic, shred chicken, and cook arborio rice.

Krystle's Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Simmer Don't Boil: Boiling can toughen the chicken, aim for a low simmer and then turn off the heat to allow to cook through in the hot broth.
Temper Slowly For Silky Eggs: This prevents the eggs from curdling. Add just a ladle at a time whisking constantly off the heat.
Prep Ahead: Prep the egg lemon juice before the rice finished so you don't have to scramble. Pun intended. 😉
Don't Overcook: Remove from heat as soon as the rice is done. It will keep absorbing liquid and can overcook the longer it sits.

Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?

Absolutely! Add it after cooking the rice and warm until just heated through.