How to Cook Fresh Spinach (2024)

Published: Apr 22, 2015 / 54 Comments

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Spinach cooked with garlic and olive oil in a skillet on stove top, then sprinkled with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Easy instructions on how to cook spinach the easy way, the natural way.

This is the recipe for the best cooked spinach. It's cooked with a minimum of ingredients, with the addition of just olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Tasty, quick, healthy, and beautiful side dish! Scroll down to see how to cook spinach. Spinach goes great with pasta, grilled meats, steak, and chicken. It's very easy to make, inexpensive, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free!

Cooking tips

If you have too much spinach, or want a steakhouse quality side dish for your grilled meats, this is the right recipe for you! The secret to how to cook fresh spinach properly is to not overcook it.

Spinach really requires only a couple of minutes of cooking,and then you just let it wilt, off heat, in a covered pan. That's pretty much all there is to it, plus you also sauté some garlic for flavor.
When cooking the garlic, make sure it doesn't burn so keep stirring at all times.
Add just a touch of fresh lemon juice to your cooked spinach. Do not add a lot, only about a quarter of a small lemon. Do not use bottled lemon juice as it is too acidic!
Finally, top the spinach with lemon zest! Again, not a lot of lemon zest, just a touch to add a subtle citrus flavor.

That's how easy it is to cook spinach!

How to cook spinach on stove top

Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add 3cloves of minced fresh garlic and saute the garlic for about 1 minute, constantly stirring.

Add spinach, a handful at a time, and adding another handful as spinach wilts, and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for only a minute or two

This is what the spinach looks like after being cooked only for 1 minute and having been sitting for 2-3 more minutes, off heat, in a covered pan (the photo right below). See how pretty it is, and it has that steakhouse beautiful texture to it?

Spinach doesn't need more than 1 minute of cooking in a preheated skillet. If you cook it longer, the texture will suffer (it will be crumbly), and spinach can acquire some sort of bitterness to it.

Top the spinach with finely grated lemon zestwhich adds just the right amount of kick!

Easy main dishes to go with cooked spinach

Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Honey Lime Glaze
Cilantro Lime Honey Garlic Salmon
Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
Honey Lime Chicken Thighs

Similar side dishes

If you liked this freshly cooked spinach, you might also like these freshly cooked green veggies:

Asiago Bacon Garlic Roasted Asparagus - baked in the oven.
Oven Roasted Asiago Cheese Broccoli - crunchy and crispy broccoli baked in the oven.
Garlic and Bacon Green Beans- sautéed on stove top in olive oil and butter.

4.97 from 51 votes

How to Cook Fresh Spinach

Spinach is cooked with olive oil and garlic, made even better with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook spinach the easy way! Easy to make - only about 10 minutes total cooking time! Healthy and beautiful side dish togrilled meats, steak, and chicken. Inexpensive, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 servings

Calories per serving 94 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
16 oz spinach fresh
3 garlic cloves
¼ whole lemon (freshly squeezed lemon juice)
2 tablespoons lemon zest or peel
salt and cracked pepper

Instructions

Sautee spinach uncovered - to really get best spinach results, you cook it just enough to wilt - don't overcook.
Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add 3 cloves of minced fresh garlic when the oil is hot, and saute the garlic for about 1 minute to release the flavor, constantly stirring to keep garlic from burning.
Add spinach, a handful at a time, and adding another handful as spinach wilts, and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for only 1 minute, constantly stirring, uncovered.
Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Uncover, and mix. Squeeze just a touch of fresh lemon juice right out of the lemon (using about a quarter of small lemon), and stir to combine. Do not use bottled lemon juice (it's too acidic).
Taste the spinach, and add a pinch of salt, if needed (about ⅛ teaspoon), and fresh cracked pepper. It should be enough, add more salt and pepper if needed. Top with lemon zest.

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

How to Cook Fresh Spinach

Amount per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

Sodium

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword cooked spinach, how to cook spinach

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Reader Interactions

Comments

4.97 from 51 votes (30 ratings without comment)

Submit your question or provide a review of the recipe + star rating RIGHT HERE.

suyeun
February 20, 2019 at 11:16 pm
Hi, i'm su yeun from South Korea. Your recipes are easy to follow. Thank you! I'll come here often 🙂
Reply
- Julia
  February 22, 2019 at 9:25 pm
  Enjoy the recipes!
  Reply
Bob
January 18, 2019 at 4:14 pm
Can't find how much olive oil to use.
Spinach - check
Garlic - Check
Lemon juice - check
Lemon zest - check
Olive oil...
Olive oil...
Bueller? Bueller?
Reply
- Julia
  January 31, 2019 at 9:09 pm
  2 tablespoons of olive oil - the amounts are listed in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
  Reply
Yolanda henry
December 08, 2018 at 7:36 am
I HAVE AN AVERSION TO OLIVE OIL. CAN I USE PAM SPRAY INSTEAD. ALSO CAN YOU SUGGEST GOOD QUALITY OLIVE OIL WHERE THE TASTE ISNT OVERBEARING
Reply
- Julia
  December 08, 2018 at 11:18 pm
  Yes, you can use pam spray. You can also use vegetable oil. Also, try olive oil that's labeled mild - it has a milder flavor.
  Reply
Yolanda Henry
December 08, 2018 at 7:30 am
Can I use Pam cooking spray instead of olive oil
Reply
Travis
November 16, 2018 at 4:43 am
Do you just turn off the heat and cover it for 2-3 minutes using the same pan that we sautéed it in (which is still hot)? Or use a separate pan that is not hot at all?
Reply
- Julia
  December 04, 2018 at 2:24 am
  Yes, use the same pan. Just remove the pan from the heat and keep it covered to wilt the spinach. Don't use a separate pan.
  Reply
Jamie
October 15, 2018 at 7:17 pm
Omg this is soooo good!! If you're looking for a way to make spinach look no further
Reply
- Julia
  October 23, 2018 at 11:46 pm
  Jamie, thank you! So happy to hear that! 🙂
  Reply
clive walford
August 07, 2018 at 12:03 am
I dont like spinach much but eat it "cos its good for you". i hate the stalks, too hard and chewy! In preparing spinach should only the leaves be used?. Maybe the spinach here in Bali is a tougher breed!
Reply
- Julia
  August 16, 2018 at 1:47 pm
  I know what you're saying about spinach - some spinach does have really thick stalks and huge leaves. That's "grown-up" spinach and not baby spinach that we usually use here in the US. So, yes, just discard the stalks and use the leaves - you might cook them a bit longer, too.
  Reply
Israel Simkins
July 05, 2018 at 10:23 am
Can one use raw spinach in a green smoothie?
Reply
- Dave
  September 26, 2018 at 8:27 am
  You can, spinach or kale are good staples for juicing. Better the crushing type rather than centrifugal.
  Reply
Ankit Sakhuja
March 04, 2018 at 6:08 am
Thanks for the recipe , Great Help for bachelors like me who are cooking for the first time 🙂
Reply
- Julia
  March 07, 2018 at 1:33 am
  So glad you liked it!
  Reply
- Linda
  March 13, 2018 at 9:43 pm
  Trying to do vegan. Thanks!!!!
  Reply
Oscar Nomel
February 11, 2018 at 4:17 pm
Pour the bottled lemon juice into a plastic bowl. Leave it in the refridgerator for 48-72 hours. Then it won't be bottled. Not sure what other way there could be to get unbottled lemon juice.
Reply
- Mel
  April 17, 2018 at 7:50 pm
  How about squeezing an actual lemon..
  Reply
Athol Raw
February 07, 2018 at 1:56 am
Fry onions and garlic together with two or three tomatoes untill done then add in chopped spinach. Roll a spoon or two of the cooked spinach in a wrap, eat it, and then force yourself to leave it alone for the next day, If you can.
Reply
lindokuhle nxono
October 15, 2016 at 8:04 pm
if the lemon juice that is in the bottle ts too acidic, whch1 shld i use
Reply
- YankeeinSC
  March 17, 2018 at 11:40 am
  fresh lemon was suggested using one quarter of a small lemon; take some lemon zest before you cut for squeezing, to sprinkle on the greens after cooking.
  Reply
  - Julia
    March 22, 2018 at 6:56 pm
    Yes, with this recipe, it's best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
    Reply
Anna
March 25, 2016 at 7:08 pm
Can u substitute a bit of butter for some of the olive oil?
Reply
sarah k @ the pajama chef
April 23, 2015 at 10:12 am
i never eat cooked greens....but these look awesome! may have to try them 🙂
Reply
Monica
April 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm
I agree...and I really love fresh spinach. It's so quick and the touch of lemon is wonderful. I never have luck cooking with frozen spinach so I've just stopped. Fresh is best for me with this. : )
Reply
- Grace
  May 20, 2018 at 8:01 am
  I love the clarity and informative manner of Julia's Album.! My church was giving away bunches and bunches of fresh veggies, and now I don't have to let the spinach go to waste! Thanks!
  Reply
  - Julia
    May 23, 2018 at 5:18 pm
    Thank you, I am glad you find this recipe useful! 🙂
    Reply

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