Name: Instant Pot Artichokes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2-4 artichokes, depending on how large they are and how many will fit in the instant pot; 1.5 cups water; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1.5 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 bay leaf; Juice of 1/2 lemon; Lemon wedges for serving

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Instant pot artichokes are so easy to make. This healthy vegetable recipe gives you perfectly steamed artichokes in the instant pot in under 30 minutes with minimal prep work needed! Cooking artichokes can be intimidating, but this method is fool proof and makes the best artichokes that are made for dipping or adding to your favorite artichoke recipe.

Why This Recipe Works:

Making artichokes in the instant pot is so easy. Making artichokes can be time consuming to prepare, but this instant pot method takes the work out of them!
It’s healthy! This artichoke recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo, keto and low carb, vegan and Whole30.
You can serve steamed artichokes many ways. You can dip them in your favorite dipping sauce, or add them into any recipe that calls for artichokes like casseroles, appetizers, pastas and more.
Artichokes can be enjoyed hot or cold, so any leftovers you may have can be had right out of the fridge and you can enjoy artichokes throughout the week and only have to do the work to cook them once!

Ingredients for Making Artichokes in the Instant Pot

The ingredient list for instant pot artichokes is very minimal. You’ll just need your artichokes, water, minced garlic, salt, onion powder, lemon juice and a bay leaf! Aside from the whole artichokes, you likely have all of the spices you’ll need to make this recipe already in your kitchen.

The amount of artichokes you need will depend on the size of each artichoke, and how many of them will fit into your instant pot. The recipe calls for 2 to 4 artichokes, and below you will find instructions for how to tailor the cook time for how many you use and how large they are.

How to Choose Artichokes

Artichokes are a vegetable typically grown in northern California, and their peak season is March through the beginning of June, though they can usually be found year round in most areas. When you’re at the store choosing which artichokes to get, you want to try to find a few that are uniform in size. This will help them cook evenly when you’re steaming them. Artichokes do vary in size quite a bit, so either grab a few that are all on the smaller size, or on the larger size, and try not to mix large and small.

The density of the artichoke petals also varies quite a bit. Artichokes that have more densely packed petals are typically fresher, while artichokes with loose petals are less fresh. They will still taste just fine, but when you’re choosing your artichokes of the same size, also try to get ones that have the same petal density, too.

Step by Step Instant Pot Instructions

Step 1

The first step to making artichokes in the instant pot is to prepare each artichoke. To do this, simply cut the stems off of the bottom so that there’s only about 1/4 of an inch of stem remaining. Then, cut off the top and peel off any of the outer petals that are dry. Discard the dry petals.

Step 2

Your next step will be to load up the instant pot by adding the water, salt, garlic, onion powder, bay leaf and lemon juice into the insert. Place the instant pot trivet into the insert, and then add the artichokes into the instant pot so they are sitting on top of the trivet with the stems pointing down.

Step 3

Place the lid onto your instant pot and set the valve to “sealing”. Cook your artichokes on manual high pressure following the cook time directions below depending on the size of your artichokes. Once they’re done, remove the lid after doing a quick release for more crisp tender artichoke petals. If you want softer artichokes, you can do a natural release. The artichokes can then be served with your favorite dipping sauce or used in a recipe such as a casserole, pasta or appetizer.

Adjusting Cook Time Based on Artichoke Size:

When you’re cooking artichokes in the instant pot, the cook time will vary depending on the size of the artichokes. Try to purchase artichokes that are all about the same size so they cook uniformly. A rule of thumb to follow for cooking artichokes in the instant pot is to cook them for 10 minutes on high pressure if you can fit 4 artichokes into the instant pot over the trivet, 15 minutes if you can fit 3, and 20 minutes if you can only fit 2 artichokes.

Cook for 10 minutes on manual high pressure for small artichokes (4 artichokes)
Cook for 15 minutes on manual high pressure for medium artichokes (3 artichokes)
Cook for 20 minutes on manual high pressure for large artichokes (2 artichokes)

Best Artichoke Dipping Sauces:

While there are many ways to use and eat artichokes, one of the easiest and most delicious way is just on their own with a dipping sauce. Here are some examples and ideas of the best dipping sauce for artichokes.

Mayo with a little mustard and garlic powder
Lemon mayo or plain mayo
Garlic aioli, chipotle aioli or rosemary aioli
Melted butter or garlic butter

FAQ:

When are artichokes in season? Artichokes are in season from March through the end of May/beginning of June, although they generally can still be purchased year round from grocery stores.

What do artichokes taste like? Artichokes have a similar taste to brussels sprouts and asparagus, although they have more of a nutty flavor to them than those vegetables do. Because of that nutty flavor, a basic butter dipping sauce compliments them really well.

How do you eat artichokes? Artichokes can be enjoyed hot or cold. To eat the petals, pull off the leaves (petals) and dip the base into a sauce or dip that you’re eating them with. Use your teeth to scrape the pulp off of the petal so you’re just eating the meaty part, and discard the remaining part of the petal.

What can artichokes be used in? Artichokes, and artichoke hearts (the inside part of the vegetable) can be used in many types of dishes. You can use them in casseroles, they can be roasted on their own, pasta recipes such as tuscan pasta or lasagna, in fish or chicken bakes, or appetizers such as spinach and artichoke dip.

Can you freeze artichokes? Yes, you can freeze cooked artichokes, but not raw artichokes. For this recipe, they can be frozen after being steamed. You just want to ensure that you freeze them in airtight containers or freezer storage bags. You can freeze them whole, or just the steamed and peeled petals.

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