Greek Rice (Spanakorizo)

Greek Rice recipe – also known as Spanakorizo – is tender, lemony rice with spinach and dill. This easy recipe has been a reader favorite for years!

What is Spanakorizo?

This Greek Rice recipe – also called Spanakorizo – has been a reader favorite recipe here on A Family Feast for years!

It’s a simple recipe of rice and spinach, flavored with fresh dill and lemon. The combination of flavors goes so well together – this easy side dish goes nicely with grilled seafood, chicken, or lamb kofta.

• This side dish is a great option when you want to add something fresh and bold to your dinner menu.
• It’s quick and easy – just fifteen minutes of prep and fifteen minutes to cook.
• It’s loaded with lemon and dill flavors – flavors that nicely complement the rice and spinach.

• Rice – We use basmati, a very aromatic rice with long, slender grains. It cooks up quickly and stays nice and fluffy. Jasmine rice is another option, but it tends to be stickier than basmati.
• Vegetable Broth – We cooked the rice in vegetable broth, rather than water, to give the dish more flavor. If you have homemade vegetable broth, use that, or a good canned variety.
• Spinach – Choose fresh baby spinach for this dish. The young leaves are more tender and sweet, and the stems don’t need to be trimmed. You can use frozen spinach, however, you will want to thaw it first and fully drain, then squeeze out any excess liquids.
• Lemon – You’ll use both the zest and the lemon juice in this dish.
• Dill – Fresh dill will give this recipe the best flavor, so I strongly urge you to seek that out. Dry can be used in a pinch, but the flavors won’t be quite the same. If you don’t like dill, some readers have suggested using Greek Oregano in its place.
• Olive Oil
• Onions
• Garlic
• Cumin – Not traditionally an ingredient in Greek recipes, this earthy seasoning perfectly complements the other flavors in this dish.
• Salt & Pepper

There are many variations of this recipe – sometimes served with feta cheese, tomatoes, or even an egg on top. While our Greek Rice does not include those ingredients and toppings, you could certainly add them if you’d like. 

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add lemon zest, cumin, and fresh spinach. Cover pan and cook until the spinach wilts.
3. Stir in the rice, vegetable broth, some of the dill, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the rice is tender.
5. Stir in lemon juice and more fresh dill.
6. Serve immediately. Add more lemon zest for garnish if you’d like.

• Can I make Greek Rice ahead of time? Yes – although freshly made is best since you are adding fresh herbs.
• How do I reheat the leftovers? Gently reheat leftovers in the microwave until warmed through.
• Can I made this in a rice cooker? We haven’t tried doing so ourselves, but in the comments below, we did have a reader write to tell us that she successfully made it in her rice cooker.
• Can I use frozen spinach in this recipe? Yes, however you’ll want to make sure to thaw and thoroughly drain out any excess moisture. We suggest squeezing the thawed spinach in paper towels or cheesecloth.
• Can I use chicken stock instead of vegetable broth? Yes, you can.

This Greek Rice recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in 2014. We’ve updated the post and photos, but the delicious recipe remains the same.

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