Greek Spinach Rice is a 15-minute side dish recipe made with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Perfect for serving with roast chicken, grilled lamb, or broiled fish.
In this Post: Everything you need for Greek Spinach Rice
In need of a new, quick side dish? My Greek Spinach Rice recipe is a great way to add more flavor and nutrients to a side of rice, but still won’t take longer than 15 minutes of your time. And while it may be inspired by classic Greek spanakorizo, it’s great to pair with all sorts of cuisines. I love to serve it with salmon, grilled lamb, or roast chicken. But you could serve it with just about anything.
Ingredients
- Butter: You could also use olive oil, but the butter helps to cook the onion and toast the rice.
- Onion: A white onion is mild enough to not overpower the simple dish with onion flavor, but still adds some depth of flavor.
- White rice: I like to use long-grain rice, usually enriched and par-boiled such as Uncle Ben’s. You can use any type of rice, but follow cooking instructions as cook time may vary.
- Chicken broth: I like to use chicken broth to cook the rice to up the flavor of the dish, but you could also use water or vegetable broth to keep the dish strictly vegetarian.
- Spinach: Slightly bitter and earthy in taste, spinach is full of iron, potassium, and also a source of protein!
- Dill: Slightly sweet and grassy, the dill adds bright flavor to the final dish.
How to Make Greek Spinach Rice
Start your Greek spinach rice by chopping your onion and spinach, and rinsing your rice.
Then in a large sauce pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion until translucent.
Next, add the rice to the pan with the onion. Toast the rice for about a minute, then add the chicken broth and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
When rice is finished cooking, stir in the spinach until bright green and wilted, and add the dill. Garnish with some freshly chopped scallions, and enjoy your Greek Spinach Rice!
Easy Swaps
- Make it vegan. To make this dish vegan, use olive oil instead of the butter, and swap the chicken broth or vegetable stock.
- Use a different grain. This same recipe would work with quinoa, orzo, or farro.
- Add some citrus. You could add some lemon zest and lemon juice and it would pair great with the flavors.
Frequently asked questions:
Can you add spices to already cooked rice?
The rice will take on the flavor of the spices better if you season it before cooking, but you can add spices to already cooked rice as well.
Do I need to soak rice before cooking?
You don’t have to soak rice before cooking it, but letting your rice soak ahead of time can improve the texture of the final product.
How do you get rid of the weird taste in spinach?
Spinach can sometimes have a strong bitter taste when eaten raw, but cooking spinach usually helps to get rid of that bitter taste.
More Easy Sides
- Greek Roasted Vegetables
- Mediterranean Chopped Salad
- Steamed Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts
- Orange, Fennel, and Red Onion Salad
- Lebanese Potato Salad
Did you try this dish and love it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.
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Greek Spinach Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup long-grain enriched white rice (rinsed)
- 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 4 cups spinach (raw or 2 cups frozen)
- ¼ cup minced dill
- minced scallions (optional garnish )
Instructions
- Heat butter over medium heat then add onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute onion until translucent then add in rice. Toast rice for about 60 seconds until you can begin to smell it.
- Pour chicken broth into the pan along with another pinch salt and pepper. Stir once then bring to a boil. Place lid on pan then reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes with lid on then stir in spinach to wilt right before serving. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in dill and garnish with minced scallions before serving,
This dish is so delicious! I love the lemon flavor and the spinach is a great addition. I can’t wait to make it again.
I made this today for the first time and I absolutely loved this! It’s so quick and easy to make with not a lot of ingredients… my kind of recipe! I will definitely be using this again. I added chicken breast pieces to mine to make it a meal and it blended perfectly! Thanks so much!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!!
I was trying to use up some spinach in a way my non-spinach eating bf would consume, lol. This was perfect! Thanks so much. Glad I came across this! Nothing heavy or overstated-just right.
Oh good I’m so glad you enjoyed!!!
That is not Greek spinach with rice. Try changing the amount of rice to about 10%-15% of the weight of spinach .Do not use butter , use olive oil and add 1 tbsp of tomato paste per 2lbs of spinach.
Thanks Eve – that sounds delicious!