Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for sauteed spinach and garlic, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Fresh Spinach – Before cooking, remove any thick stems and discard any slimy leaves. And while I developed this recipe for regular spinach, you can also sauté baby spinach the same way!
• Garlic – Like I said, sauteed spinach and garlic > sauteing it by itself. You can use jarred minced garlic to save time, but with so few ingredients here, I highly recommend mincing it fresh.
• Olive Oil – I usually have this one on hand, but extra virgin olive oil or even avocado oil works, too.
• Unsalted Butter – Just a tablespoon adds so much flavor! This is optional, but I think it really sets my recipe apart from other sauteed spinach recipes. You can substitute butter-flavored coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Lemon Wedges – Optional, but I always serve with them to cut any bitterness.

How To Sauté Spinach

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Sauté the garlic. In a large skillet with tall sides (I used this braiser pan and it was perfect), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add half of the spinach leaves, or as much as you can fit. Stir to mix with the garlic.
3. Cook the first batch. Cover and sauté spinach until it just barely starts to wilt.

4. Repeat. Add the remaining spinach to the pan, and stir again, so that the leaves toward the top reach the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover again and cook until just barely wilted, again not fully. Repeat this step until you use up all your greens.

5. Cook away the liquid. Remove the lid and increase medium heat to high. Sauté to evaporate any excess liquid.
6. Add the butter. Remove from heat and stir it in, until melted.
7. Season and serve. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste as needed. I highly recommend serving this garlic sauteed spinach with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but it’s up to you!

Serving Suggestions

Sauteed spinach goes with just about any main dish, but I particularly like it with ones that are basic or buttery, like these:

• Steak – I think it’s a nice lighter compliment to sirloin steak, New York strip, or filet mignon.
• Seafood – Pair these greens with with halibut or surf and turf for a fancier meal, or for every day, my baked salmon or pan fried tilapia.
• Chicken – My healthy baked chicken breast is perfect with sauteed spinach for a light dinner. Try my chicken leg recipe or chicken leg quarters if you prefer dark meat. For something more interesting, my french onion chicken goes well.

Leftover Ideas

You can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. (I like to freeze small portions in an ice cube tray, then just heat in a pan from frozen.) To be honest, I don’t think sauteed spinach tastes great reheated, so I use it in these ways instead:

• Leftover ideas: Or, use leftovers to make spinach stuffed chicken breasts or a variation to my stuffed pork chops.
• Dips – Leftovers are perfect for a small batch of hot spinach dip (or cold spinach dip), or even spinach artichoke dip.
• Soups – Toss it in a healthy vegetable soup, or replace the kale in my sausage kale soup with sauteed spinach. You can also make my spinach soup, but that one needs a lot of leaves, so I usually need to add more.
• Smoothies – I usually use raw kale for my spinach smoothie, but sauteed works too!
• Proteins – Use it to make the filling for my spinach stuffed chicken, or stuff pork chops with it. I also like it for Tuscan salmon.