Fresh artichokes are a delicious vegetable that many enjoy but are too intimidated to try at home, fear no more. This post walks you through how to prepare Grilled Artichokes from how to prepare each artichoke to cooking and finishing.
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Best Grilled Artichoke Recipe
I started making artichokes years ago when my oldest, who was a young toddler at the time asked for them at the grocery store. I didn’t want to say no to my kid asking for a vegetable so I grabbed them even though I didn’t know how to prepare them.
Flash forward years later I have fallen in love with artichokes. Since that time I have made them over and over, narrowing down this recipe. I absolutely love the little bit of grill flavor these get at the end without being overpowering to the vegetable itself.
Over the last year I have thought about sharing this recipe but I know that the initial process of how to prepare them is intimidating BUT I figure I better give someone else the chance to fall in love with this recipe too. The real kick I needed to finally photograph it and write it down was that people at the grocery would see me a few and then ask me what I do with them! So maybe next time instead of trying to explain it I can just give them this URL!
Anyways, you are here for these amazing Artichokes on the Grill.
This recipe begins by me really over explaining along with photos the process of how to prepare an artichoke for cooking. This includes what parts to cut off and discard as well as using lemon juice to keep the artichoke from turning brown. If you already know this process and just want to know how I grill them then by all means scroll past those steps.
Once it is time to cook this is a recipe where the food does have to be pre-cooked. First the artichokes will need to be gently steamed before they are put on the grill. Artichokes are a tough veggie, they best way to cook and soften them up is by steaming. I have left instructions for both how to steam them in the pressure cooker and on the stovetop (spoiler alert having a pressure cooker is not only easier but WAY faster).
Once the artichokes are pre-cooked they will be brushed with the infused oil and then grilled to get those beautiful char marks and flavor!
So this seems like a very long recipe but once you learn the process of how to clean the artichokes it really isn’t that much work!
I have even left you a bonus dipping sauce recipe. My oldest, the one who originally asked for artichokes, this creamy balsamic dip is his favorite and he expects it every time I grill these up. Don’t worry the sauce is super super easy!
So know that you have the outline, let’s get to what you need.
Ingredients
- Fresh Artichokes – Artichokes are a very seasonal plant, while you can find them all year round they might be more expensive out of season. Artichokes peak season is March to June and then a secondary season in September and October. Also, fun fact nearly 100% of artichokes grown in the United States are gown in California.
- Lemon
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Parsley
For Balsamic Dipping Sauce:
- Mayonaise
- Plain Yogurt
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.
Instructions
I have broken this out into 5 sections.
- Prepping the Olive Oil
- Prepping the Artichokes
- Steaming the Artichokes
- Grilling the Artichokes
- Making the Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce
Prep the Olive Oil
Prepare the olive oil for infusion. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to a small bowl with the olive oil and chopped parsley. Transfer to the microwave and cook for 45-60 seconds for the oil the warm up (but not become hot). Set the oil aside to let it infuse.
Prep the Artichokes
Artichokes will begin to turn brown almost immediately once they are cut open and exposed to the air. To prevent this from happening you will cut a lemon in half and use half a lemon to rub the insides with lemon juice right after you cut, so have a lemon half sitting right next to where you are working.
Working with one artichoke at a time. Start by cutting 1/2 inch off the bottom of the stem. Then remove all (if any) small leaves that are at the bottom of the bud of leaves. Next take a vegetable peeler to the stem to remove the tough outside of the stem.
Next with a sharp or serrated knife cut the top 1 inch off of the bud of leaves. Immediately rub some lemon juice on the top once it is open.
Use a kitchen shears to cut the pointy tops off of each of the leaves, be careful these can be sharp. Once the leaves are trimmed carefully cut the artichoke in half. Immediately rub the insides with the lemon.
Now that the artichoke is open you will remove the small pointy (often purple) leaves from the inside, careful these too can sometime be sharp. A good rule of thumb is if the small leaves are shorter than where you cut the top off they should come out of the artichoke.
The last part to come out is the fuzzy looking part, known as the choke. Use a spoon to get under the fuzzy part and scrape it all out so none remains. Once you do this rub with the lemon once more. You know have an artichoke that is ready to eat. Clean the remaining artichokes.
Steam the Artichokes
For the Pressure Cooker:
Add 1 cup of water and a trivet to the pot. Stack the artico*kes on the trivet, cut side faced down. Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid.
For the Stovetop:
Fill 2-3 cups of water to the bottom of a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Add artichokes to a steamer and transfer the steamer to the pot. Cover and steam 30-40 minutes until tender.
Grill the Artichokes
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Transfer the tender artichokes to a platter, cut side up. Now take your infused olive oil and gently brush it all over the insides of all of the artichokes, you want enough oil on each that it won’t stick to the grill but not too much that it will cause the grill to flame up.
Transfer the artichokes oiled side down to the grill. Grill 3-5 minutes until the artichokes are charred with grill marks. Season with a little bit of sea salt and serve immediately.
To eat the artichokes use your teeth to scrape the white meat off of the bottom of each leaf. The leaves on the outside will have less meat than the ones on the inside. The stem and heart (base of the leaves) are all edible, most people even consider the heart to be the best part. Serve with the balsamic dipping sauce below.
Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce
In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Tips, Trick, & Questions
- Artichokes are the vegetables highest in Antioxidants!
- To prep ahead clean and steam the artichokes up to a day ahead of time. When ready to serve simply re-heat/char the artichokes with the olive oil on the grill.
- The hearts of the artichoke can be frozen for future use.
Make it a Meal: These artichokes really can go as a side dish or appetizer to almost any grilled meal but I recommend since they can take a bit of time to clean to make it simple. Try pairing these artichokes with my Greek Grilled Chicken or . Add a salad for another side, like my Marinated Chickpea Chopped Salad or my Easy Antipasto Salad. And bonus point for pairing it with my Blackberry Bourbon Smash!
If you like Grilled Artichokes you might also like:
- Grilled Chickpea Salad with Feta
- Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant
- Grilled Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Pesto Grilled Carrots
Yield: Serves 4
Grilled Artichokes
This showing stopping appetizer or side dish is easier to make than you think! Learn how to clean and steam artichokes, and then finish them on the grill for an exteremely flavorful vegetable dish!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time11 minutes
Additional Time15 minutes
Total Time41 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 artichokes
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
For Balsamic Dipping Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mayonaise
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
Instructions
Prep the Olive Oil
- Prepare olive oil for infusion. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to a small bowl with the olive oil and parsley. Transfer to the microwave and cook for 45-60 seconds for the oil the warm up (but not become hot). Set the oil aside to let it infuse.
Prep the Artichokes
- Artichokes will begin to turn brown almost immediately once they are cut open, to stop this from happening you will cut a lemon in half and use half a lemon to rub the insides with lemon juice right after you cut, so have a lemon half sitting right next to where you are working.
- Working with one artichoke at a time. Start by cutting about 1/2 inch off the stem. Then remove all (if any) small leaves that are at the bottom of the bud of leaves. Next take a vegetable peeler to the stem to remove the tough outside of the stem.
- Next with a sharp or serrated knife cut off the top 1 inch of the bud of leaves. Immediately rub some lemon juice on the top once it is open.
- Next use a kitchen shears to cut the pointy tops off of each of the leaves, be careful these can be sharp. Once the leaves are trimmed carefully cut the artichoke in half. Immediately rub the insides with the lemon.
- Now that the artichoke is open you will remove the small pointy (often purple) leaves from the inside, careful these too can sometime be sharp. A good rule of thumb is if the small leaves are shorter than where you cut the top off they should come out of the artichoke.
- The last part to come out is the fuzzy looking part, known as the choke. Use a spoon to get under the fuzzy part and scrape it all out so none remains. Once you do this rub with the lemon once more. You know have an artichoke that is ready to eat. Clean the remaining artichokes.
Steam the Artichokes
- For the Pressure Cooker. Add 1 cup of water and a trivet to the pot. Stack the artico*kes on the trivet, cut side faced down. Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid.
- For the Stovetop. Fill 2-3 cups of water to the bottom of a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Add artichokes to a steamer and transfer the steamer to the pot. Cover and steam 35-40 minutes until tender.
Grill the Artichokes
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Transfer the tender artichokes to a platter, cut side up. Now take your infused olive oil and gently brush it all over the insides of all of the artichokes, you want enough oil on each that it won't stick to the grill but not too much that it will cause the grill to flame up.
- Transfer the artichokes oiled side down to the grill. Grill 3-5 minutes until the artico*kes are slighly charred with grill marks.
- Sprinkle with a little kosher or sea salt and serve immediately. Eat by using your teeth to scrape the white meat off of the bottom of each leaf, the leaves on the outside will have less meat than the ones on the inside. The stem and heart (base of the leaves) are all edible, most people even consider the heart to be the best part. Serve with the balsamic dipping sauce below.
Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce:
- In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
To prep ahead clean and steam the artichokes up to a day ahead of time. When ready to serve simply re-heat/char the artichokes with the olive oil on the grill.
There are a bunch of photos above in the post if you are more of a visual person to help prep the artichokes!
*Nutrition will include the full dip and oil as part of the nutrition and calorie count
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 artichoke
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 251Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 141mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
