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These perfectly seasoned lemon, garlic, and herb roasted artichokes are wonderfully tender and the most flavorful way to cook artichokes, with just 5 ingredients and a simple method!
Spinach and artichoke dip (using canned artichoke hearts) has been a staple at gatherings my whole life, but until recently, I’d never attempted to cook fresh artichoke at home. Luckily, I took it upon myself to learn how to properly prepare and cook artichokes in several ways, and I couldn’t believe what I was missing. My favorite method, though? To make roasted artichokes!
These oven-roasted artichokes are perfectly tender and lightly caramelized flavor bombs that are so much more flavorful than regular steamed artichokes. So, if you’ve only ever tried them that way, this is officially your sign to try oven-baked artichoke!
Once roasted, enjoy these nutritious (packed with fiber, vitamin C, and potassium), delicious baked stuffed artichokes with melted butter, your favorite dipping sauce, or as a side dish to other meals. I like them with pasta, quinoa salad, green salads, baked chicken breasts, salmon, and more. And if you want to cook them in a different way, check here how to cook artichokes in one of 5 ways.
Table of Contents
Roasted artichoke ingredients
This naturally gluten-free and vegan side dish/appetizer requires just a few simple, primarily pantry-friendly ingredients.
- Artichoke: Use whole, fresh artichokes. To select the best artichoke globe, make sure the leaves are vibrant, not too dry (when squeezed, it should make a squeaky noise), don’t easily pull off, and the overall globe is firm, compact, and heavy.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice. Optionally add lemon zest for an extra citrus taste.
- Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil. Melted butter also works.
- Garlic: Use fresh minced garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Fresh herbs: I used oregano. This recipe also pairs well with rosemary, thyme & sage.
- Sea salt & Black pepper: To season the roasting artichokes.
How to roast artichokes
First, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
Meanwhile, prepare the artichoke globes by removing tough outer leaves. Then use kitchen shears or a knife to trim the sharp tips of the leaves and thorns, and trim the stem.
You could also slice the top of the artichoke by about an inch, as there’s no edible flesh in this part. Refer to my post on preparing and cooking artichokes for more details/images.
Then slice the artichoke in half lengthwise and immediately drizzle with lemon juice (to prevent browning). Next, use a spoon or your fingers to remove the inedible hairy/ fuzzy part (called a “choke”) and some of the tiny purple leaves from the center of each.
Next, grate or mince the garlic and rub the herbs with a little oil (to prevent burning).
Brush the artichoke halves with oil all over, stuff the center with the garlic and herbs, and season with salt & pepper.
Transfer the artichoke, cut side downwards to a high-sided baking dish.
Roast for 25-35 minutes, covering the tray tightly with foil after 15 minutes (to trap steam and make them tender). They are done when you can easily pull away a leaf and the stem is knife-tender.
The exact time to roast artichokes will vary based on their size and your oven. Really large artichokes can take up to 60-80 minutes.
How to eat roasted artichokes
I love to drizzle them with a little more lemon juice and/or pair them with a dipping sauce:
- Easy artichoke dipping sauce
- Melted butter
- Lemon garlic butter sauce
- Garlic aioli
- Mayonnaise (plain or flavored, like chipotle mayo)
- Ketchup
- Tzatziki sauce
- Basil pesto
You can eat the garlic and herbs from the artichoke or scoop them into your dipping sauce.
As for how to actually eat an artichoke, check out my guide for how to eat an artichoke. To sum up:
- Peel a leaf/petal and dip it in the sauce.
- Use your teeth to scrape the edible tender flesh from the underside of the leaf.
- Repeat until you reach the artichoke heart (the closer you get, the more edible flesh the leaves have).
- Then use a knife and fork (or your hands) for the roasted artichoke hearts and stems.
You may prefer to keep a separate small dish/bowl to place the discarded leaves in after “scraping” them.
Storage information
The baked stuffed artichokes are best right out of the oven. However, any leftovers will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheat the artichokes in the oven at 350ºF/175ºC until warm.
Can I freeze roasted artichokes? Allow the artichokes to cool, brush with a little more lemon, and store any leftovers in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Leave them to thaw in the fridge overnight and mix well before serving/reheating.
FAQs
Use FRESH artichokes. If they’re dry/shriveled, they will become tough, chewy, and jerky-like. However, if your artichokes are only slightly past their best, you can roast them after soaking them in lemon water overnight first.
If they were super fresh, maybe you didn’t roast them long enough.
Yes, but the method differs slightly.
Slice off the top inch of the globe and squeeze over lemon juice, olive oil, and seasoning. Pull apart the leaves to make the center easier to stuff with the garlic and herbs. Then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for about 60-80 minutes (based on their size), or until tender. Remember to remove the fuzzy choke in the center.
The outside of the artichoke leaves and the choke inside are both too fibrous to consume. Otherwise, the flesh on the underside of the leaves, the artichoke heart, and the stem are all edible.
More easy vegetable recipes
- How to cook eggplant
- Make and cook zoodles
- What is fennel and how to cook it
- How to cook asparagus
- Roasted Radishes
If you try this roasted artichoke recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Easy Roasted Artichokes
Ingredients
- 18.5 oz artichokes 4 small to medium
- 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 large lemons. Optionally add zest for extra citrus flavor
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil/ butter
- 0.7 oz garlic 5 large cloves
- 0.2 oz fresh oregano few sprigs, or use rosemary, thyme, or sage.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- Prepare the artichoke globes by removing the tough outer leaves. Then use kitchen shears or a knife to trim the sharp tips of the leaves and thorns, and trim the stem.You could also slice the top of the artichoke by about an inch, as there's no edible flesh in this part. Refer to my post on preparing and cooking artichokes for more details/images.
- Slice the artichoke in half lengthwise and immediately drizzle with lemon juice (to prevent browning). Use a spoon or your fingers to remove the inedible hairy/ fuzzy part (called a "choke") and some of the tiny purple leaves from the center of each.If left in, this part is too fibrous and becomes a choking hazard.
- Grate or mince the garlic and rub the herbs with a little oil (to prevent burning).
- Brush the artichoke halves with oil all over, stuff the center with the garlic and herbs, and season with salt & pepper.
- Transfer the artichoke, cut side downwards to a high-sided baking dish. Roast for 25-35 minutes, covering the tray tightly with foil after 15 minutes (to trap steam and make them tender), until you can easily pull away a leaf and the stem is knife-tender.The exact time to roast artichokes will vary based on their size and your oven. Really large artichokes can take 60-80 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Baking time varies: The size of the artichokes and your oven will affect the cooking time, so monitor them and roast until tender and the petals pull away easily.
- Use FRESH artichokes: This is the biggest factor between artichokes coming out tender or a hard, rubbery mess. To select the best globes, make sure the leaves are vibrant, not too dry (when squeezed, it should make a squeaky noise), don’t easily pull off, and the overall globe is firm, compact, and heavy.
- If the artichokes seem a little dry: It’s best to soak them in water overnight before roasting to make them more tender.
- Add-ins: You can also add red pepper flakes and/or sprinkle the roasted veg with parmesan cheese or homemade breadcrumbs in the last few minutes in the oven.
- Peel a leaf/petal and dip it in sauce (if using).
- Use your teeth to scrape the edible tender flesh from the underside of the leaf.
- Repeat until you reach the artichoke heart (the closer you get, the more edible flesh the leaves have).
- Then use a knife and fork (or your hands) for the roasted artichoke hearts and stems.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.