Artichokes in Instant Pot

But first, if you’ve never had one, you may be wondering…

How Do You Eat an Artichoke?

Artichokes can look intimidating, but they’re the perfect finger food! The edible parts of an artichoke are the fleshy parts at the base of each petal, the “heart” which is in the center and the tender part of the stem.

• Artichokes are delicious hot or cold.
• To eat a whole artichoke, start with the outer petals and peel the petals off one at a time.
• Dip the petal base into the sauce you’re serving or this delicious garlic butter! Pull the petal base through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy portion. Discard the remaining petal. Continue until all the petals have been removed.
• When you get to the center, don’t stop there! Spoon out the fuzzy “choke” and discard. The “heart” of the artichoke is entirely edible and the best part. Cut the heart into pieces and dip in your sauce.

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

I don’t get my Instant Pot or the other electric pressure cookers I own out too often. However, when it comes to cooking artichokes quickly, the Instant Pot is a must because it’s so quick and easy!

Microwaving artichokes, as in this Italian-Stuffed Artichoke recipe speeds up the process of tenderizing these buds from a plant related to the thistle and roasted artichokes are a truly lovely way to go.

However, this Instant Pot artichoke recipe is:

• Practically foolproof! The cooking time is for two large globe artichokes but the time is easily adjusted for smaller artichokes.
• So easy!
• Ready in about 30 minutes!
• Because they’re steamed in the Instant Pot, the delicate flavor of artichokes doesn’t get boiled away.
• The garlic butter is quickly made in your microwave so no complicated sauce techniques are required!

How to Make Artichokes in the Instant Pot:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Instant Pot artichokes recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Globe Artichokes: Artichokes are the immature flower bud of a thistle plant. Green globe artichokes as shown here are the most common type of artichoke readily available in almost any produce department. The prime season for artichokes is from March through May with a second season occurring in October and November. Nearly all the artichokes consumed in the United States are grown in central California so you can feel good about buying and enjoying this mostly U. S. crop. Look for large, round artichokes with thick bottom stems and tight, intact leaves. See the FAQs below for more tips on how to select a good artichoke.
• Lemons and Lemon Juice: Artichokes turn brown (oxidize) quickly after being cut so the acid in lemon juice helps reduce that. Artichokes and lemons are also a culinary match made in heaven so the lemon slices infuse flavor into the artichokes as they cook in the Instant Pot.
• Garlic: The garlic infuses flavor into the artichokes as they cook and are a must for the garlic butter.
• Unsalted Butter: I always use unsalted butter when I cook so I can adjust the salt level more to my liking.
• Parsley: I always use Italian (flat-leaf) parsley in cooking as the flavor is superior to curly-leaf parsley which I consider to be more of a garnish.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• PREP THE ARTICHOKES: Fill a large bowl with approximately 2 quarts of water or enough to cover the artichokes when immersed. You will need to immerse the artichokes after each cut to prevent browning.
• Add the lemon juice.

• Trim the stem end from the artichokes so they will sit flat on the rack in the Instant Pot. Immerse the artichokes in the lemon water after cutting off the stem end.

• Cut approximately 3/4 to 1 inch from the top. Immerse the artichokes in the lemon water.
• Using kitchen shears, trim the tips of the remaining leaves to remove the sharp thorns. Immerse in the lemon water.

• COOK THE ARTICHOKES: Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot or use 1 cup of the lemon water from immersing the artichokes.
• Add the lemon slices and sliced garlic. Some fresh herbs would also be a nice touch. Place the steaming rack in the Instant Pot.
• Drain the artichokes by turning them upside down then shake off any excess water. Place them in the Instant Pot with the top of the artichokes facing up.

• Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn and lock it. The release valve should be in the SEAL position.
• Using the MANUAL setting if your Instant Pot has it, set it to HIGH PRESSURE then set the timer to 20 minutes. Let the Instant Pot do its thing for 20 minutes.
• When the Instant Pot is finished and beeps, place a kitchen towel loosely over the steam valve to prevent the water from splattering and QUICK-RELEASE the steam.

• That’s it!!
• The artichokes are done when you can easily remove a leaf with tongs then use the tongs to remove the artichokes from the Instant Pot.

• MAKE THE GARLIC BUTTER: Cut the butter into pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the garlic.
• Cover with a paper plate. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir then place the paper plate back on top and microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds. Stir again.
• The time may vary with the wattage of your microwave. What you don’t want is for the butter to boil or separate.
• Add salt to taste then stir in the parsley and serve with the artichokes.

• Serve some lemon wedges on the side to bump up the flavor even more!

Chef Tip:

• Choose artichokes that are uniform in size so they cook at the same rate and in the same amount of time.
• If the artichokes are extremely thorny, hold the artichoke by the stem to trim the leaves and cut the stem off last.

More great artichoke recipes you’ll love!

• Goat Cheese Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
• Cauliflower Artichoke Tabbouleh
• Spinach Artichoke Squares
• Artichoke Focaccia with Rosemary

Get all my appetizer and snack recipes at: Appetizer and Snack Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen