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Stir-fried spinach with garlic in a pink serving plate.
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5 from 3 ratings

stir-fry spinach with garlic (+ Taiwan spinach and bonus flavor booster)

Stir-fry spinach is tender, savory, and sweet. It's the perfect side dish for your next weeknight dinner. In 10 minutes this aromatic dish will fill your kitchen with mouthwatering flavors! A simple yet flavorful stir-fry dish. It's delicious with whole spinach and even better if you can find Taiwan spinach.
prep time5 minutes
cook time5 minutes
total time10 minutes
servings: 2 servings
author: cindy chou

ingredients

  • 12 ounces spinach Taiwan spinach highly recommended, washed, drained, and chopped into 2” pieces
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half the amount if using sea salt or table salt)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

instructions

  • Dry off the spinach with a clean kitchen towel if needed.
    12 ounces spinach
  • Heat a 14-inch seasoned wok or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot and just starts to smoke (about 15 seconds for a wok or 3 minutes for a cast iron pan).
    1 tablespoon canola oil
  • Add the canola oil, tilt the pan to evenly coat the cooking surface, and add in the minced garlic. Stir for about 5 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and add the spinach stems. Turn the heat to high and cook for 1 minute, toss with a spatula, and then add the leaves.
    3 cloves garlic, 12 ounces spinach
  • Stir-fry the contents in the pan by constantly flipping and moving the vegetables with your spatula to prevent burning. Season with salt and ground white pepper while you continue to toss the spinach with your spatula. Stir-fry until the stems and leaves turn brighter green (about 3 minutes) and immediately turn off the heat.
    ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot as a side dish.

equipment and highlighted ingredients

notes

top tips:
  • Add the stems first since they take just a minute or two longer to cook. You’ll know when the spinach is done cooking right when it turns brighter green.
  • Remove your wok or pan off the heat right after the spinach is done to prevent overcooking.
  • Note: if you're using table or sea salt instead of kosher salt, make sure to cut back on the amount by half.
variations:
Looking for more flavor? Add 1 tablespoon of Bulls Head BBQ Sauce, aka sacha sauce (Taiwanese / Chinese bbq sauce), for a quick boost of umami flavor. To use, add the sacha sauce when you add the spinach to the pan. Stir-fried spinach dishes often show up with this sauce in Taiwanese households because it’s delicious and easy to use. You can also find vegetarian versions of this sauce.
storage: Like other leafy green dishes, stir-fried spinach is best served right after cooking. Uncooked but already washed, dried, and cut spinach can be wrapped with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and stored in a sealable bag/container in the refrigerator.
reheat: best served right after cooking since the spinach may wilt and become soggy after reheating.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.