This easy Greek spinach and rice (spanakorizo) turns simple, wholesome ingredients into a creamy, comforting one-pot meal packed with spinach and fresh Mediterranean flavor.
If you love the combination of spinach, feta, and fresh Mediterranean flavors, try our Spanakopita, Creamy Spinach Orzo, or Greek Zucchini Patties next.
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Why you’ll love this Greek spinach and rice!
Spanakorizo is a simple Greek spinach and rice dish that completely won me over while traveling through Greece. I explored the mainland and islands with my friend Alex, tasting local food and taking cooking classes, and this humble home-cooked meal became one of my favorites. 🇬🇷
Made in one pot with spinach, rice, leek, garlic, dill, lemon, and feta, it’s wholesome, vegetable-packed, and wonderfully comforting. 🥬 It’s a delicious example of how satisfying a Mediterranean-style eating pattern can be with simple everyday ingredients.
When I came home and made it for Louise, she loved it too. Risotto rice releases its starch as it cooks, giving the dish a creamy, comforting texture with almost no effort—and unlike risotto, there’s no constant stirring.
My favorite way to serve spanakorizo is with a soft-boiled or poached egg on top. 🍋 You can also enjoy it as a nutritious side dish with grilled meat, fish, tofu, or your favorite protein.
P.S: For more simple Greek-inspired meals made with wholesome everyday ingredients, try Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia), Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes), or Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki).
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds richness and helps soften the aromatics. Regular olive oil also works.
- Onion: builds a sweet, savory base for this Greek rice recipe. Substitute shallots or extra scallions.
- Scallions: add mild onion flavor and freshness. Substitute chives or a little extra leek.
- Leek: becomes soft and sweet as it cooks. Substitute another small onion or extra scallions.
- Garlic: adds savory depth. If you’re garlic intolerant, simply omit it or add extra scallion greens.
- Spinach: fresh spinach cooks down into tender, silky greens. Frozen spinach works too, making this an easy spinach rice recipe year-round.
- Rice: Arborio or another risotto rice gives the creamiest result. Carnaroli or medium-grain rice are good alternatives.
- Vegetable broth: cooks and seasons the rice. Substitute chicken broth if you don’t need the dish vegetarian.
- Dill: gives this Mediterranean rice dish its characteristic fresh flavor. Substitute parsley, mint, or a combination.
- Lemon: both zest and juice add essential brightness. Fresh lemon is best.
- Feta: adds creamy, salty, tangy flavor. Substitute goat cheese or a dairy-free feta.
- Salt and black pepper: season to taste, especially after adding the feta.
How to Make Spanakorizo
Step 1. Sauté the aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, scallions, and leek. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Add the grated garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
Step 2. Cook the spinach
Add the spinach and a pinch of salt.
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach wilts completely.
The pot may look very full at first, but the spinach will quickly cook down. This creates the flavorful base for this Greek rice with spinach.
Step 3. Add the rice and broth
Stir in the rice, then pour in the vegetable broth. Season with salt and black pepper.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender and creamy.
Stir only once or twice while it cooks. If your one-pot spinach rice looks dry before the rice is tender, add a small splash of broth.
Step 4. Finish with lemon, dill, and feta
Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, and crumbled feta.
Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon as needed. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serve warm on its own, topped with a soft-boiled or poached egg, or alongside your favorite protein.
Serving Suggestions
- Add an egg: Top with a soft-boiled or poached egg for an easy, satisfying lunch or dinner. This is my favorite way to serve it.
- Pair with protein: Serve alongside grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, tofu, or simple white beans for a more substantial meal.
- Make it a Mediterranean plate: Add tomato-cucumber salad, olives, hummus, and warm pita for an easy family-style dinner.
- Serve as a side: It’s excellent with grilled or roasted meats, fish, veggie patties, or kebabs.
- Bring it to a potluck: Spanakorizo is easy to make in a large pot and tastes delicious warm or at room temperature.
- Make it ahead: Prepare it for lunch or dinner, refrigerate, then gently reheat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the creamy rice.
Tips
- Soften the aromatics well: Give the onion, scallions, and leek a few minutes to become soft and sweet before adding the garlic. This creates a much more flavorful base.
- Using frozen spinach? Add it straight to the pot and let it thaw and heat through. Since it releases extra liquid, start with a little less broth and add more as needed while the rice cooks.
- Choose a starchy rice: Arborio, Carolina, or another risotto-style rice is ideal for the creamy texture we want. The starch released during cooking naturally thickens the broth.
- Keep the heat gentle: Once the broth boils, reduce it to a gentle simmer. This gives the rice time to cook evenly without the liquid disappearing too quickly.
- Don’t stir like risotto: One of the best things about spanakorizo is how easy it is. Stir once or twice while the rice cooks—there’s no need to stand over the pot.
- Keep it a little saucy: Spanakorizo should be creamy and moist rather than dry and fluffy. The rice will continue absorbing liquid as it rests, so don’t cook away every last drop.
- Add more broth if needed: Rice and cookware vary. If the mixture looks dry before the rice is tender, add a small splash of broth and continue cooking.
- Add lemon, dill, and feta off the heat: Stirring them in at the end keeps the lemon bright, the dill fresh, and the feta creamy.
- Taste before adding more salt: Broth and feta can both be salty, so make your final seasoning adjustment after the feta goes in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Add frozen spinach directly to the pot and cook until thawed and hot. Since it releases additional liquid, start with a little less broth and add more only if the rice needs it.
A starchy, medium-grain rice works best. Arborio is my favorite because it releases starch as it cooks, giving this Greek comfort food its wonderfully creamy texture without constant stirring.
Absolutely. Simply leave out the feta for a dairy-free version. You may want to add a little extra salt and lemon juice at the end to compensate for the feta’s salty, tangy flavor.
The rice may have absorbed more broth than expected. Different rice varieties and pots behave differently, so add a splash of broth and gently stir until creamy again.
Yes. This Greek vegetarian recipe works well for meal prep, although the rice will continue absorbing moisture as it sits. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to bring back its creamy consistency.
Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or broth.
You can also freeze spanakorizo, although the rice and spinach will be softer after thawing. Freeze in an airtight container, thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat thoroughly before serving.
Mediterranean Rice and Grain Recipes
- Mediterranean Rice Bowl
- Mediterranean Lentils and Rice
- Mujadara
- Turmeric Rice with Chickpeas
- Greek Bean Stew with Rice
- Greek Couscous Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Greek Farro Salad
If you try this Greek Spinach and Rice Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Easy Greek Spinach and Rice (Spanakorizo)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 scallions sliced
- 1 small leek white and light green part only, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 pound fresh spinach or use frozen, see notes
- ¾ cup risotto rice like Arborio or Carolina
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 small onion, 2 scallions, and 1 small leek (all chopped) and cook for about 4 minutes, until soft.Add 2 cloves garlic (grated) and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Cook the spinach: Add 1 pound fresh spinach ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted.Don’t worry if the pot looks very full at first—the spinach will quickly cook down.
- Cook the rice: Stir in ¾ cup risotto rice, then add 3 cups vegetable broth.Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 18 minutes, until the rice is tender and creamy. Stir once or twice. If it looks dry before the rice is cooked, add a splash of broth.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the heat. Stir in ¼ cup fresh dill, juice and zest of 1 lemon, and 1 cup crumbled feta.Taste and adjust the seasoning, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm, on its own or with a soft-boiled or poached egg or your favorite protein.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil → Regular olive oil
- Onion → Shallots or extra scallions
- Scallions → Chives or extra leek
- Leek → Small onion or extra scallions
- Garlic → Omit or use extra scallion greens
- Spinach → Frozen spinach
- Rice → Carnaroli or medium-grain rice
- Vegetable broth → Chicken broth
- Dill → Parsley, mint, or a combination
- Lemon → No substitution
- Feta → Goat cheese or dairy-free feta
- Salt and black pepper → No substitution
- Soften the aromatics: Cook until soft and sweet before adding garlic.
- Using frozen spinach? Start with less broth and add more as needed.
- Choose starchy rice: Arborio, Carolina, or risotto rice gives the creamiest texture.
- Simmer gently: High heat can evaporate the broth too quickly.
- Don’t over-stir: Once or twice is enough—this isn’t risotto.
- Keep it saucy: The rice continues absorbing liquid as it rests.
- Adjust the broth: Add a splash if the rice looks dry before it’s tender.
- Finish off the heat: Add lemon, dill, and feta after turning off the heat.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
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Outstanding meal – a very satisfying lunch every day for a week ✅
This was amazing! I used chard leaves out of my garden and added the chopped up chard ribs and of course slipped some finely chopped zucchini in it with the onion. I adjusted the rice (1c) and liquid 2 1/4 C a bit to cook in my instant pot (20 mins) and it turned out beautifully. I just had to stir it on saute mode for 5 mins to thicken it up. Enough for 2 meals!
Hello from Canada! This was so delicious and the recipe was so easy to follow! We enjoyed it with leftover rotisserie chicken. A wonderful meal on this very cool Fall day. I will definitely make this again!! I have tried many of your recipes and they do not disappoint!! So easy and delicious and nutritious! Thank you!!!
Wow sooooo tasty, it’s absolutely lovely with some French bread🙋♀️
Excellent! This recipe is perfection! If we like a recipe it goes in our recipe book. My kids and husband said this one is “recipe book worthy!” So it’s going in our meal rotation.
absolutely easy and so so good. everyone needs to make this.
Gorgeous recipes!!!
Outstanding recipe. We loved it with poached egg. Great tip to cover with a dish towel. It absorbed all extra liquid. Will make this again and then again!
OMG! This tastes beyond amazing! I have made more of Nico’s recipes than I can count and they are all so fabulous. I cook at least one a week and this is my absolute favorite! I plan to make it on the regular. I tossed in some greek marinated tofu for added protein and it’s the perfect meal. I need to make the spanakopita now!
I’m obsessed with Greek food, and this Spanakorizo blew me away! So flavorful, fresh, and comforting. The lemon and dill combo is perfection, and I love that it’s healthy too. This is going straight into my weekly dinner rotation!
Thank you so much, Samantha! 😊 We’re thrilled you loved the Spanakorizo. The lemon and dill are our favorite part too—they really make it pop! So happy it’s earned a spot in your weekly dinners. Sending you a big virtual hug from our kitchen to yours! 💚🇬🇷
Nico