Spanakorizo: Greek Spinach & Rice

A creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, lemony spinach and rice you can eat as a main course!

Spanakorizo is a classic Greek spinach and rice pilaf made with loads of spinach and herbs. It’s slightly lemony and refreshing and goes well with literally anything. There’s more juicy spinach than tender rice, but you’ll find caramelized garlic slices, sweet, meaty onion, and fresh herbs in each bite. Serve it as a main dish with feta, olives, and some crusty bread.

This is traditionally a vegetarian dish that’s served as a main course. It comes from the category of Greek foods known as Ladera, which are olive oil dishes that are usually vegetarian or vegan. If you’re looking for more of a side dish with more rice, I make a pilaf with basmati rice you can try if you haven’t already.

Why would we prefer this over pilaf?

Creamy, melt in your mouth

Refreshing, cool

Herby, lemony

Spinach and rice with

Sweet, caramelized

Onions and garlic

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What do I need to make spanakorizo?

Baby spinach leaves -always add this a little at a time to help each batch wilt down a bit before adding more.

Olive oil -a good quality that adds great flavor to the few ingredients.

Red onion -finely chopped, so you have small meaty pieces throughout the pilaf.

Garlic cloves -my mom always peeled and sliced garlic for spanakorizo, and it softens into a mellow, delicious bite. It’s always been my favorite part, so I do it that way, too.

Arborio rice -or medium grain rice, goes well in this dish.

Water allows the rice to soak up the flavors of the spinach, garlic, onion, lemon, and herbs.

Salt & freshly cracked black pepper -season each batch of spinach you wilt so each bite is delicious.

Fresh dill -chopped dill is almost a must here, but you can substitute parsley if you don’t care for it.  

Dried mint -adds a depth of flavor and adds to the refreshing aspect.

Lemon juice -always fresh lemon juice because the bottled stuff is for cleaning.

How do I wilt fresh spinach?

Start by adding the onion and olive oil to a pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Then, add the spinach leaves and season lightly with salt and pepper, cooking until wilted.

Do I cook the rice in the same pot?

Add the rice, water, salt, and black pepper to the spinach and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

How do I serve spinach and rice?

Stir in the dill, mint, and lemon juice and warm through. Serve with extra virgin olive oil, olives, feta cheese, and lemon wedges so everyone can make it the way they like it. You can even serve some crusty bread or an easy-to-make baguette. Kali Orexi!

Do you have more spinach-forward dishes?

Yes! I use a ton of spinach every week. If you want to add more protein to your spanakorizo, use my Greek Spanakorizo with Chicken recipe. For more spinach-heavy dishes, try my Creamed Spinach & Halloumi, Mediterranean Chicken Stew with Spinach, Chicken Meatballs in a Spinach & Feta Cream Sauce, Greek Spinach & Potato Stew, or One-Pot Lamb, Spinach & Orzo Stew.

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