Spana…spanaka… spanaka-what? Okay, what the heck is Spanakorizo? Well, friends, I am about to introduce you to a fabulous new keto side dish. It’s my healthier, low carb take on Greek Spinach Rice, and it is so bright and fresh and flavorful. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite recipes for cauliflower rice.
It combines many of the same flavors you would see in spanakopita: spinach, garlic, dill, and a dash of nutmeg. But as the name suggests, it’s made with rice. “Spanako-rizo” simply means spinach rice. It all makes sense now, right?
It was a reader who reached out suggesting that I make a keto version of this popular Greek side dish. And one quick look into a classic recipe, and I was all in. It is simple to make, takes fresh keto ingredients, and is ready in 25 minutes. What’s not to love?
⭐ If you love cauliflower rice, try making Mexican Cauliflower Rice or Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice next! ⭐
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Bright and fresh: Lemon, dill, and fresh spinach add a bright, flavorful touch.
- Simple to prepare: There is little prep time and the whole dish is ready in 25 minutes.
- Goes with everything: Chicken, fish, beef, or lamb, this easy side dish pairs delightfully with any keto main dish.
- Customizable: Not a fan of dill? Try a little oregano! Don’t like feta? Skip it or add some parmesan.
- Grain-free side dish: With no grains or gluten, this recipe is perfect for low carb and keto diets.
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower rice: It really doesn’t matter whether you use fresh or frozen, as they both take about the same time to cook.
- Onion: Just a little onion adds flavor, without adding too many extra carbs.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor.
- Spinach: I used fresh baby spinach, but you can also use frozen. Thaw it first and squeeze out the excess water before sautéing.
- Fresh dill: Nothing compares to the flavor of fresh dill.
- Olive oil: A Greek dish like this requires good extra virgin olive oil.
- Lemon: This recipe utilizes both the zest and juice of a fresh lemon.
- Feta cheese: Any brand or style of feta will work for this recipe.
- Seasonings: Ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Keto Spanakorizo
- Sauté the onions: Cook the onions in hot oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Wilt the spinach: Add the baby spinach and sauté until it wilts.
- Add the cauliflower rice: Stir in the cauliflower rice, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Toss to combine.
- Cook: Continue to cook until the cauliflower rice is tender, remove from heat and stir in the remaining dill and lemon juice.
- Serve: Sprinkle with the crumbled feta and serve warm.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
Choose a pan that’s large enough to stir and toss the ingredients. I am always choosing too small a pan and spilling things over the sides! A skillet that is 10 to 12 inches works best.
This isn’t a great recipe for the freezer, as the vegetables will change texture and release too much moisture during the thawing process. But it’s such a simple dish to make, you can whip it up easily when you need it. It also refrigerates well for up to 5 days.
More Greek-Inspired Keto Recipes
Keto Spanakorizo Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 12 ounces cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add all of the baby spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Add the cauliflower rice, 2 tablespoons of the fresh dill, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the lemon zest, and nutmeg. Toss to combine.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower rice is tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining dill and lemon juice.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and sprinkle with the crumbled feta.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Overcooking cauliflower rice makes it become soggy quickly. I recommend sautéing it in oil or butter until it’s just becoming tender, then removing it from heat. It will continue to cook a little longer in the pan so this ensures you don’t overcook it.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This keto Greek Cauliflower Rice recipe has 7.6g of carbs and 2.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.9g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I have been dying to make this since I first saw the recipe and I have to say, it doesn’t disappoint. I will make this recipe over and over again. I didn’t have fresh dill so I used 2 tsp of dried and it worked well. I can’t wait to try it with fresh. It’s my new favorite side!
Excellent!
PLEASE! I have left this on several posts of yours. I “used” to be subscribed to your emails and got about one a day. For over 2 months now, I have not gotten even ONE email from you. I re-subscribed 3 times, but no emails from you! PLEASE! I have succeeded in keto ONLY because of YOUR recipes. I have all of your printed books in spiral and even a couple of ebooks. (I prefer to have cookbooks in hand, not on a computer). Have you retired from blogging?
OK, I just made this for dinner tonight and it’s hand down my favourite side now. So easy (I used one package of frozen cauliflower rice) and it tastes sooooo good. I will add more spinach next time but that’s just a me thing. This goes directly into regular rotation. Thank you Carolyn for all the hard work you do; I particularly struggle with side dishes so I’m ecstatic to have found such great dish.
Fantastic!
I’ve been looking for something new and different to eat after a few years on keto. I have a book of yours, and I use your recipes all the time. I don’t normally choose feta, preferring parm or bleu, but the Greekness of this recipe spoke to me. I doubled all the quantities, and found a fresh, tart, clean sensation when I tasted this. It tasted wonderfully exotic, a real departure from the eggy, meaty meals I’m a customed to. I also added some small meatballs to make it a dinner rather than a side. Thank you, Caroline, for yet another tasty recipe. This one’s absolutely terrific.
Fantastic!
This looks great and I’m about to make some cauliflower rice today.
I love Persian style rice with dill leaf, served with yogurt, but this will make a nice change.
The one thing I do miss is tardeg; it needs carbs so not part of my diet any more. I even gave away my Persian rice cooker.
Hope you enjoy it!