Name: Instant Pot Artichokes
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Whole Artichokes (up to 4 medium artichokes will fit in an Instant Pot); 1 cup liquid; 1 lemon; Salt (pepper and Italian seasoning, season to taste); 2 tablespoons salted butter; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon minced garlic

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Instant Pot Artichokes are perfect for a healthy snack or appetizer! Paired with a delicious garlic butter dipping sauce, you’ll love this low carb, easy dish!

What are artichokes?

Artichokes are a big mystery for a lot of people. They’re a thorny vegetable that takes a bit of preparation to eat! It comes from a thistle plant, so you have to put in some work to get to the good meaty heart of an artichoke.

Artichokes are mainly grown in California, France, Italy, and Spain. You can find them in a lot of Mediterranean dishes (like this Antipasto Salad), and many people choose to use canned varieties for the ease (like I did in this Crab and Bacon Dip).

Packed with antioxidants, fiber, folate, and Vitamin C & K, you should definitely consider adding more artichokes to your diet! After seeing how simple the Instant Pot makes it, you’ll want to add these to your meal prep routine for sure.

When are artichokes in season?

Artichokes’ primary season is March through May, but there’s a second shorter season in October and November. They’re available year-round in most grocery stores, though.

When choosing artichokes at the store, pick ones with tight leaf formations that feel heavy. When you squeeze the leaves together, you should hear a little squeaky sound. If an artichoke is old or overripe, it’ll feel like a sponge and the leaves will be spreading out. Fresh artichokes can usually be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days.

How do you prepare artichokes before cooking?

Because the good stuff is all inside the artichokes, you have to do a little work to make sure they cook correctly. First, remove the outer layer of petals and remove the outer stem. Next, slice off the top 1/2 inch of the artichoke. This preparation allows the steam to reach the delicious meaty heart of the artichoke.

a healthy snack or appetizer! Paired with a delicious garlic butter dipping sauce, you'll love this low carb, easy dish!

How to cook artichokes in Instant Pot

Once you’ve prepared the artichokes, place them in the Instant Pot (cut side down) with 1 cup of liquid (water or broth will work). If you like, you can add aromatics like herbs and lemon wedges to the liquid, but it’s not necessary. Seal the valve and pressure cook using high pressure for 10 minutes.

Artichokes are finished when you can easy stick a knife into the base of the vegetable. If you have really large artichokes, they may take 15 or even 20 minutes, but 10 minutes works for the average-sized artichoke.

Before eating, remove the choke (the fuzzy looking thing right above the heart). It’s not edible, but the meat at the base of the petals, the inner stem, and the heart all are.

How do you eat steamed artichokes?

Once you’ve cooked the artichoke and removed the hairy choke, you can eat the petals, stem, and heart. Tear the petals off, and dip the base of the petal into your garlic butter dip. Next, pull the petal between your teeth to scrape off the soft, meaty pulp. Discard the rest of the petal–It’s not edible.

The heart and stem of the artichoke are soft and entirely edible, so you can just dip it into the garlic butter and eat it with a fork! Artichokes are great both cold or warm, so feel free to try it both ways.

How to store Instant Pot Artichokes

You can refrigerate or freeze steamed artichokes, making them great for meal prepping! Tightly wrap the cooked artichokes with aluminum foil or place in an air-tight container. They will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze, I still recommend wrapping in foil, then placing in a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Artichokes can last up to 10 months in the freezer, but they may darken. They’re still safe to eat, but if you’d like to avoid the darkening, you can brush the artichokes with lemon juice before wrapping and freezing.

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