Steamed Spinach

A simple recipe for steamed spinach, seasoned with butter, lemon juice, and garlic.

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best ones! And this one is ready in less than 10 minutes.

Steaming is a gentle cooking method that I really like. And while steamed vegetables may not sound as exciting as other cooking methods (roasting, sauteing), they can be really good. Examples? Sure! This recipe is excellent, as are my recipes for steamed carrots and steamed cabbage.

I do love my sautéed spinach recipe - it's very flavorful. But my kids actually prefer this simple recipe for steamed spinach, so I make it often - at least once a week. Another spinach recipe that we all enjoy is this delicious creamed spinach.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Whole spinach leaves: I buy bags of pre-washed leaves. It makes life easier! Certainly use fresh spinach in this recipe.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Garlic powder: Make sure it's fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.

Melted butter: Salted or unsalted - both work. I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.

Fresh lemon juice: Freshly squeezed tastes better than bottled.

Instructions

So how do you steam spinach? It's actually a very easy recipe that requires no special steamer. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

Place spinach leaves in a very large, deep skillet. Add ¼ cup of water.

Cover the skillet tightly (ideally with a clear lid so you can peek) and turn the heat to medium-high. When the spinach starts to cook, turn the heat to medium, and keep cooking until the leaves are just wilted.

Transfer the cooked spinach to a colander. Press on it with the back of a large serving spoon to extract as much liquid as you can.

Transfer the spinach to a serving plate. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then drizzle it with melted butter and with lemon juice.

Sometimes the simplest recipes really are the best! My kids used to really dislike spinach until they realized how delicious it is when lightly cooked and liberally topped with butter.

Expert tip

It's helpful if you use a lidded skillet with a clear lid because you'll want to peek inside and see when the spinach is ready. You don't want to overcook it and dry it out. Minimally cooked spinach tastes best.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Anything goes with this side dish! It's so versatile. I often serve it with seared scallops, seafood saute, pan-fried salmon, or garlic butter shrimp.

But it truly goes with so many main dishes, and it goes just as well with chicken, beef, or pork as it does with seafood.

Storing leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power.

Related recipes

Recipe Card

5 from 6 votes

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Steamed Spinach

A simple recipe for steamed spinach seasoned with butter, lemon juice, and garlic. Sometimes, the simplest recipes are the best!

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time7 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound spinach leaves - washed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter - melted
• ▢ ½ tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed

Instructions

• Place the spinach leaves in a large (12-inch), deep skillet. Add ¼ cup of water.
  
• Cover tightly (ideally with a clear lid so you can peek) and turn the heat to medium-high. When the spinach starts to steam, turn the heat to medium, and gently steam until the leaves are just wilted, 3-5 minutes.
  
• Transfer the cooked spinach to a colander. Press on it with the back of a large serving spoon to extract as much liquid as you can.
  
• Transfer the steamed spinach to a serving plate. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle it with melted butter and lemon juice. Mix and serve. 
  

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Notes

• Make sure the lid fits tightly over the skillet. Otherwise, the water will evaporate, leaving the spinach dry and even burnt.
• It's helpful if you use a lidded skillet with a clear lid because you'll want to peek inside and see when the spinach is ready. You don't want to overcook it and dry it out. Minimally cooked spinach tastes best.
• You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power.

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Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.25 recipe | Calories: 78 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Sodium: 230 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 0.5 g

Disclaimers

Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.

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