Roasted Artichoke
This easy Roasted Artichoke recipe features fresh artichokes roasted in a rich butter sauce that’s delicious with garlic, lemon, and herbs. The artichokes are perfectly tender and flavorful, a simple appetizer or side dish!
Easy Roasted Artichokes
If you’ve ever wondered how to cook artichokes, I have you covered with this easy Roasted Artichoke recipe. It features fresh artichokes roasted in the oven with a melted butter sauce that’s flavored simply with garlic, lemon, and herbs. The artichokes are perfectly tender, and make for a delightful cocktail hour nibble or side dish on the dinner table. For even more deliciousness, sprinkle them with freshly grated Parmesan!
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Artichoke Recipe
The simplicity of this recipe lets the gorgeous, mellow flavor of artichokes shine through. Here’s why you’ll want to make this roasted artichoke recipe again and again:
- Fresh spring flavor. I get super excited when the spring produce starts rolling in – asparagus, rhubarb, and strawberries, oh my! Artichokes are just one more crave-worthy item to look forward to.
- Easy! Roasting is one of the easiest and best ways to cook artichokes. You need just 10 minutes of active prep time to make this recipe, and the oven will do the rest of the work.
- Versatile. Our family loves anything we can dip, so tender roasted artichoke leaves are the perfect vehicle for melted butter and creamy dips. You can also change up this recipe with your favorite herbs and seasonings.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients needed to make this roasted artichoke recipe. Find the exact ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Olive oil – This helps the artichokes roast, prevents them from sticking to the pan, plus offers a lovely flavor.
- Artichokes – While I use canned artichoke hearts in my hot spinach artichoke dip, fresh artichokes are a must in this recipe.
- Butter – This adds a gorgeous touch of rich flavor and texture to the roasted artichokes. You can swap it for more olive oil to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Lemon juice – The juice adds bright citrus flavor. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice only, please!
- Garlic – I recommend grating the garlic (not mincing), as minced garlic tends to burn while roasting at a high temperature. You could also swap the fresh garlic for some garlic powder if you wish.
- Herbs – Fresh thyme and rosemary make this recipe extra wonderful. Substitute dried herbs if needed, just use half the amount specified in the recipe card.
How To Make Roasted Artichokes
Here’s an overview of the recipe, including how to prepare artichokes. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven and add the olive oil to a baking dish.
- Prep artichokes. Use a knife to cut off the top ½” off of the artichokes, trim the stems, cut off any pointy leaf tips, and then slice them in half through the stem.
TIP: Check out the anatomy of an artichoke to familiarize yourself with the different parts of an artichoke.
- Remove center. Use a spoon to remove the fuzzy “choke” in the center of the artichoke. Make sure to get all of it out.
- Make butter mixture. Stir together the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and rosemary.
- Season. Drizzle or brush the butter mixture over the cut side of the artichokes and sprinkle with salt & pepper, then flip the artichoke halves cut-side down.
- Roast. Place pan in the oven and roast for 55-60 minutes, although timing will depend on size of the artichokes.
Tips for Success
A few simple tips will help you make perfect roasted artichokes:
- Pick a good artichoke. Select artichokes that feel dense and heavy. The leaves should be packed pretty tightly and have a healthy green color. A few brown spots are just fine, but don’t buy any that look wilted, old, or pale. It’s usually easy to find globe artichokes, but any variety will do.
- Remove the center completely. Make sure to get all of the fuzzy choke removed from the middle of the artichoke.
- Rub with lemon. If your cut artichokes aren’t used right away, you will probably notice some browning on the cut sides. This is because they oxidize quickly. If desired, you can curb that browning by rubbing a lemon wedge over the cut sides.
- If your artichokes are hard. If your artichokes are not getting as tender as you like, remove the baking dish from the oven after 20 minutes and cover the dish with foil. Continue cooking until the artichokes are tender.
- Add cheese. During the last few minutes of roasting time, you can sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over the artichokes for a little extra flavor. Yum!
- Offer additional lemon. For a final hit of bright acidity, offer lemon wedges for individuals to squeeze over the top of the roasted artichokes right before eating.
- How to eat roasted artichokes: When the artichokes are cooked to delectable tenderness, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes until they’re comfortable to handle. Then, peel off a leaf, dip it in melted butter if you wish, and slide it between your teeth, using your teeth to remove the flesh on the inner portion of the leaf (and discard the outer layer). Repeat with the rest of the leaves.
How to Eat Roasted Artichokes
When the artichokes are cooked to delectable tenderness, remove them from the oven and let them cool until they’re comfortable to handle. Then peel off the leaves one by one, dip them in melted butter if you wish, and use your teeth to scrape away the tender flesh on the underside of the leaves. The leaves will get softer as you work your way to the center of the artichoke, and you’ll be able to eat most if not all of the leaves. Finish by cutting up the center of the stem and the entire artichoke heart, as they’re meaty and delicious – dip those in butter, too!
You can serve roasted artichokes as an appetizer or a side dish. Here are a few of my favorite serving suggestions:
- Bread. Pick up a loaf of fresh crusty bread to serve with roasted artichokes. My family always roots for cheesy homemade garlic bread, while I especially like popovers!
- As an appetizer. This recipe is the perfect appetizer to pair with pasta and pizza meals. Try stuffed shells with meat, skillet lasagna, or our favorite thin crust pizza.
- With soup. Offer artichokes alongside lemon chicken orzo soup, pasta fazool, or lasagna soup.
- As a side dish. These artichokes would be excellent with garlic butter steak bites, chicken kabobs with grapes, or grilled shrimp.
- Dips. I like to make a simple melted butter dip – just combine equal parts melted butter, lemon juice, and water, and add a sprinkle of salt & pepper. You could also dip the cooked artichoke in garlic aioli, pesto, caesar dressing, tartar sauce, or your own favorite sauce.
How to Store Leftovers
Roasted artichokes will have the best flavor and texture while they are still warm from roasting in the oven. However, if you have leftovers, here’s how to store them:
- Fridge – Place the artichokes in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat – Arrange the artichokes on a baking sheet or in an oven-safe pan and heat them in the oven at 350°F until they are warmed through.
More Veggie Side Dishes
Roasted Artichoke
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large fresh artichokes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and add the olive oil to a large rimmed baking dish.
- Cut off the bottom of the stem and then cut 1" off the top of the artichoke. Slice the artichokes in half, through the stem. Then use a spoon to remove the fuzzy choke in the center – make sure to remove all of it. Rub a lemon wedge all over the cut surface of each artichoke half if desired, to prevent browning. Place artichokes in prepared baking dish, cut-side up.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Drizzle butter mixture over the cut artichokes. Sprinkle salt & pepper over the top.
- Turn the artichokes cut-side down and roast for 55-60 minutes, or until the leaves pull away easily and a knife can be smoothly inserted into the base of the stem. Total cook time will depend on the size of the artichokes.
- Transfer the artichokes to a serving platter and enjoy. They are delicious garnished with a sprinkle of minced parsley, grated parmesan, or sea salt flakes You can also dip the artichoke leaves in melted butter, if desired.
