Marry This Spinach with Garlic Chips is a simple, elegant, and incredibly flavorful recipe, which transforms a basic vegetable side dish into something special. Fresh spinach is quickly wilted in a fragrant garlic-infused oil and then topped with shatteringly crisp, homemade garlic chips. It’s the perfect quick and healthy side, ready in about 15 minutes.
Jump to RecipeSpinach with Garlic Chips Ingredients
- 5 cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced very thin
- 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 packages (6 oz each) fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
How To Make Spinach with Garlic Chips
- Make the Garlic Chips: Pour the olive oil into a large, cold skillet and add the thinly sliced garlic. Place the skillet over a medium-low heat and allow the garlic and oil to heat up together. Cook slowly, stirring, until the garlic slices turn a light, even golden brown. Be patient.
- Drain the Chips: As soon as the garlic is golden, use a slotted spoon to immediately remove the chips from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and crisp up.
- Wilt the Spinach: Pour off about half of the fragrant garlic-infused oil from the skillet and set it aside. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat. Add one bag of the spinach to the skillet and, using tongs, immediately begin turning it gently. The spinach will wilt very quickly. Cook for only one minute.
- Finish and Serve: Season the wilted spinach with salt and pepper, then remove it to a serving plate. Add the reserved garlic oil back to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the remaining spinach. Serve the hot spinach immediately, with the crispy garlic chips sprinkled generously over the top.
Recipe Tips
- How to get perfectly crispy, not burnt, garlic? The most important secret is to start the sliced garlic in cold oil and heat them up together over a low, gentle heat. This is a classic chef’s technique that allows the garlic to become sweet, nutty, and crispy without burning, which would happen if you threw it into a hot pan.
- How to keep the spinach vibrant green? The key is to cook the spinach in batches and very quickly over a high heat. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cooking it for just a minute or two until it is just wilted is all you need. Overcooking is what turns spinach a dull, olive green color and makes it watery.
- Why cook in batches? Cooking the spinach in two batches ensures that the pan stays hot enough to sear and wilt the spinach, rather than steaming it. This results in a better texture and less water in the final dish.
- Can I make parts of this ahead of time? Absolutely! The garlic chips are a perfect make-ahead component. You can fry them, let them cool completely, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
What To Serve With Spinach with Garlic Chips
This is a simple, elegant, and incredibly versatile side dish that pairs wonderfully with almost any main course. Serve it alongside:
- A perfectly seared steak or a juicy pork chop.
- Roasted chicken or a simple piece of grilled fish.
- A creamy pasta dish or risotto.
How To Store Spinach with Garlic Chips
- Best Eaten Fresh: This dish is at its absolute best when it is hot and fresh from the skillet, while the garlic chips are at their crispiest.
- Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The garlic chips will soften upon storing.
- Reheat: Reheat the spinach gently in a skillet over a medium-low heat until just warmed through.
Spinach with Garlic Chips Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Protein: 4g
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Sodium: 450mg
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Burnt, bitter garlic is almost always the result of the heat being too high or from cooking it for too long. Starting it in cold oil and using a gentle, low heat is the foolproof way to prevent this and achieve a sweet, golden result.
Watery spinach is usually caused by overcrowding the pan, which causes the spinach to steam in its own liquid instead of quickly wilting. Cooking it in batches in a hot pan, as the recipe directs, is the key to preventing a watery mess.
No, it is not recommended for this recipe. You will not be able to create “chips” from minced garlic. The beauty of this dish comes from the texture and flavor of the thinly sliced, crispy garlic.
Try More Recipes:
- Elevating Frozen Spinach Recipe
- Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas Recipe
- Spinach Soup with Gruyere Recipe
Spinach with Garlic Chips Recipe
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes15
minutes150
kcalA simple yet elegant side dish featuring tender baby spinach quickly wilted in a fragrant garlic-infused oil and topped with crispy, homemade garlic chips.
Ingredients
5 cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced very thin
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 packages (6 oz each) Baby Spinach
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Place the sliced garlic and the olive oil in a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook slowly, stirring, until the garlic is golden brown and crisp.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic chips to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Pour out half of the garlic-infused oil from the pan and reserve it.
- Return the pan to a medium-high heat. Add one package of spinach and toss for 1 minute until just wilted. Season and remove to a serving dish.
- Add the reserved oil to the pan and repeat the process with the second package of spinach.
- Serve the hot spinach immediately, sprinkled generously with the crispy garlic chips.
Notes
- Cold Oil is Key: The most important tip for this recipe is to start your garlic slices in cold oil and heat them slowly. This is the non-negotiable secret to perfect, golden, non-bitter garlic chips.
- Cook in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan with all the spinach at once. Cooking it in two quick batches is the key to ensuring it wilts perfectly instead of steaming and becoming watery.
- Don’t Overcook: The spinach needs only about one minute in the hot pan to wilt. Pull it from the heat when it’s still bright green and has a bit of texture.
- Save the Oil! The garlic-infused oil left in the pan is liquid gold! It’s packed with flavor and is essential for seasoning the spinach.
