Buttery Garlic Sautéed Spinach

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Last Updated on October 14, 2023 by Toya

This garlic sautéed spinach recipe is fast, easy, healthy, and very versatile. Made in just under 10 minutes, this 5-ingredient sautéed spinach is truly incredible! 

Buttery sautéed spinach

When it comes to making yummy sides, spinach leaves are a great way to go. This is so because spinach is both low in calories and carbs.

The best part is that this sautéed spinach is super simple and quick and makes the perfect side dish to serve with these instant pot chicken thighs, these air fryer wings or these keto pork ribs.

So, next time you’re thinking of some ideas for quick and easy side dishes, think of making this 10-minute sautéed spinach!

Ingredients for sautéed spinach

• 16 oz. spinach leaves (baby spinach or mature spinach)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How to cook sautéed spinach

Start by measuring out all the ingredients and gathering them in one place.

Next, wash and clean the spinach leaves and cut off the thick stems. Also, peel and finely chop the garlic cloves 

Then, heat up the oil and butter on medium-high heat and add the chopped garlic. Let cook until fragrant for 2 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper next, and stir well.

 

When the time is up, add in the spinach leaves and sauté for 3–4 minutes. Make sure you’re flipping the spinach leaves with tongs so that every leaf gets coated with butter, oil, salt, and pepper.

 

After 1-2 minutes, the spinach should look like the image below. Use some tongs to keep flipping the spinach so that all the leaves get cooked evenly. 

The leaves will reduce drastically and look somewhat like this:

 

Remove the sautéed spinach from the heat and serve it warm.

Recipe variations

Other than the butter, garlic, black pepper, and salt used for this recipe, you can also choose to add other flavors to the spinach. Some great ideas include:

• Spices and herbs like basil, chives, ginger, red pepper flakes, and thyme
• Other additions like bacon bits, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes

Tips for perfectly sautéed spinach

1. Use a large nonstick pan with high sides to accommodate all the spinach. Raw spinach takes up a lot of space but wilts and shrinks down quite a lot as it cooks. For me personally, I like to add all my spinach leaves at once, and I like to have the ability to toss the spinach around freely so that all the leaves are coated and cook evenly. Therefore, a large or deep pot is always my best option.
2. Baby spinach is the best option for this recipe; however, if you can’t get your hands on it, feel free to use mature spinach. As long as you cut off the ends or stems, as they tend to get through and be unpleasant to eat, any spinach should be fine.
3. Don’t overcook your spinach, as it will be mushy and flavorless. Spinach will continue to cook from residual heat even after it has been removed from the heat, so removing the sautéed spinach from the heat 1 minute early is okay.

Is spinach OK on keto?

Yes! Spinach is a keto-friendly leafy vegetable. It is also very nutritious and can be used to make a number of delicious meals, including creamed spinach, spinach quiche, spinach chicken, and spinach-stuffed chicken, as well as smoothies.

Spinach can also be eaten raw in salads! 

How many carbs are in raw spinach?

• There are 2.4 grams of carbs and 1.6 grams of fiber in every 100 grams of raw baby spinach. 

How many carbs are in this sautéed spinach recipe?

Can I sauté frozen spinach?

You sure can! If you cannot find fresh spinach or you’d prefer to use frozen spinach, simply thaw it out for an hour or two, then proceed to follow the instructions above to sauté the thawed spinach.