How To Choose The Best Artichokes
- First of all, they are mostly in season from March to May. So your best for fresh and quality products would be during this time of the year. When selecting them at the store, look for artichokes that:
- have compact or tightly-packed leaves
- feel dense and heavy for the size and firm
- have a fresh healthy green color, with not too much browning. Avoid dehydrated or wilted ones.
Why Use An Instant Pot
The Instant Pot drastically cuts down the cooking time for cuts of meat that usually have to cook slowly for a long time in order to become tender. And there are many accessories you can use with it to cook in lots of different styles. Its one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy.
The Instant Pot is an incredible tool in the kitchen for making dishes that usually take a long time. If you dont have one yet, check out our guide on which one to buy. You can also read up on how to use it, in case youre not sure if its for you.
- Dont Have an Instant Pot Yet?This guide can help you choose the right one.
- find more recipes to make in your Instant Pot.
How To Serve & Eat Steamed Artichokes
I serve the artichoke leaves with melted butter or mayonnaise to dip them in. If you like a little extra flavor, add some dried dill and a pinch of garlic powder to the melted butter.;
To eat them, you gently grip the leaf about halfway up between your teeth and pull. The meat of the artichoke will slide off as you pull.
Dont chew on the leaves or try to bite through them. The meat on the inner side of the leaf is all that should be eaten. And it should come off easily if steamed properly.
Once youve pulled off all the leaves, you can eat the artichoke heart, which is the tender part at the base of the leaves.;
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How To Make The Dipping Sauce For Artichokes
How Do You Eat Steamed Artichokes
If its your first time trying out steamed artichokes, youre in for a treat! This is a game-changer meal, for real. Once your artichoke is cooked, pull off one of its petals and scrape off the artichoke using your teeth. Thats basically how its done dont try to eat the petals, though; theyre not edible.
Also, I love eating pressure cooker artichokes with a dipping sauce! So, experiment with your favorite dipping sauce and see if youll like your artichoke bites with it. A lot of my friends eat their artichokes plain as an appetizer, while I prefer them with sauce alongside other side dishes. Its your call!;
Some of my favorite dipping sauces for instant pot artichokes include lemon mayonnaise , plain mayonnaise, melted butter, garlic butter , and the list goes on. Try them out; youll get addicted!;
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How Long To Pressure Cook Artichokes
I found that medium sized artichokes turn out great when pressure cooked for 15 minutes. Smaller globes only take 10-12 minutes, but super-large ones take somewhere between 18 and 20 minutes.
You know an artichoke is done when it can be easily pierced with a knife, and the petals/leaves can be easily removed.
Adjust Artichoke Cook Time In Instant Pot
Place the artichokes into your Instant Pot. For unstuffed artichokes, I didnt notice any difference between placing them cut side up or down.;
Lock the lid, turn the knob to sealing, and cook on manual high pressure for 25-40 minutes.
Now.
A few words about cooking times.
Every stuffed artichoke recipe seems to have a different opinion for what cooking time is best. So, Ive tested and tweaked until I found my sweet spot: 45 minutes for a 1lb artichoke. That translates roughly to about 30 minutes for a .85lb artichoke.;
Remember this: never undercook your artichokes!;
UNDERCOOKING will be so much worse than overcooking in this instance, so add a couple minutes if youre worried. If you dont mind putting them back in the Instant Pot and cooking longer if they are undercooked, then do that. The key to steaming artichokes in an Instant Pot is to let them cook long enoughespecially for a large artichoke.
The first time, I cooked my .86 lb artichoke for 15 minutes. After a quick release, I cut it in half to test the doneness. It was still quite firm in the middle and the outer leaves had a little resistance. I placed them back in the pressure cooker and cooked an additional 5 minutes. They were better, but still not perfect.
I reheated an artichoke from this batch in the microwave the next day for 3 minutes, which yielded the results I wanted. This confirmed to me that they needed even longer than 20 minutes of cook time in the Instant Pot.
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Why Artichokes In The Instant Pot
As many of you already know, I absolutely love hitting the easy button and using my Instant Pot for just about everything. There is nothing better than a hands off meal. It should come as no surprise that when I came across artichokes in the grocery store, I knew we had to try a steaming method using the Instant Pot.
And just as I suspected, the Instant Pot did not fail me! The artichoke hearts are fork tender and delicious, with leaves that easily peel off. Only 12 minutes of cook time and only a few minutes of prep time required to get these on your table!
What Others Are Saying
George Delamea says:
Do yourself a favor and make an aioli for dipping the finished artichokes. I also finished mine on the grill because that’s the way I’m used to doing them. I have to say that using the pressure cooker was MUCH easier than steaming over boiling water in a pot. One of my favorite seasonal treats, for sure.
Tiana D. says:
This is my new favorite way to make artichokes. It was so much easier and faster than doing it on the stovetop, which normally takes me about 45 minutes for two artichokes. Perfectly cooked and simple clean up? YES. I always served artichokes with mayo + sriracha, so delicious.
Jen the Mighty says:
Fantastic recipe, took way less time than the stove. Now I need to make some homemade mayo to go with it!
Katie Hason says:
I added a little lemon juice and salt to these steamed artichokes. They turned out great, and much simpler than steaming in a pot on the stove. I served with hollandaise sauce, and it was perfect.
Zack Zbranek says:
Use Zesty Italian dressing for the dipping sauce. Also 10 my butt it takes mine almost 30 minutes.
Kelli Kaltenbach says:
Use steamer basket, spread leaves open, add garlic, squeeze lemon juice, shaved Parmesan cheese and top with fresh basil then steam – superb!!
Ted Cruze says:
The first time cooking them, 14 minutes was not enough. The next time I cooked them on high for 20 minutes and they were fine. They were four medium ‘chokes about 3.5″ wide.
Sean Hodge says:
Ambur Bingo says:
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How To Make Instant Pot Artichokes
Place the trivet or a steamer basket in the Instant Pot inner pot.
Pour in a cup of cold water.
Place the artichoke halves on the trivet, face down. You can stack them on top of each other, if there are too many for one layer.
Lock the lid and set the vent to sealing. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 8 minutes. When the time is up, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
The artichokes should be perfectly tender and ready to eat. If they arent as soft as you would like, put the lid back on immediately and set the time for another 2 minutes.
Quick And Easy Steamed Artichokes
You can call these quick and easy steamed artichokes. OR you can can call them pressure steamed artichokes. Either way, you’ll never go back to that stove top method!
Steamed artichokes are, in our opinion, best cooked and served whole. That way you can make your way around the artichoke eating all the leaves and enjoy a whole artichoke heart to yourself .
With just a little prep of the artichokes, you can have perfectly steamed artichokes on your table in less than 30 minutes. YES!
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Here’s What You’ll Need
You don’t need much to make Pressure cooked artichokes! Here is what you will need.
Ingredients:
- Fresh artichokes: You can fit 3 large or 4 medium artichokes in a 6 quart Instant Pot
- Water: For steaming
- Aromatics: optional! Try fresh lemon juice, bay leaf, and a bit of salt in the water
- Dipping sauces: See the section below for our favorites
Equipment:
- An Instant Pot:;we have the;Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 6 quart
- A;steamer basket;or trivet insert for the Instant Pot: If you don’t have one, see our tip below this section for a great hack!
- Measuring cup: for measuring the water
- Tongs: for removing the artichokes
Don’t have a steamer basket or trivet insert for the Instant Pot? No problem! Just roll up some tin foil into balls and place them in the bottom of the Instant Pot. They should keep your artichokes out of the steaming water.
How To Choose Fresh Artichokes For Steaming
When buying artichokes, look for a globe shape with tightly packed leaves. A couple of brown spots are fine as long as they aren’t soggy.
The artichoke should feel firm and heavy for it’s size.
Do the squeak test: Hold the artichoke close to your ear and gently squeeze it with your hands. If you hear it slightly squeak, you’ve picked a good one!
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How To Make Instant Pot Steamed Artichokes With Video
The most crucial step in pressure cooking artichokes is to properly prepare the vegetables before cooking. First, trim the outer layer of the artichokes by peeling off the first layer of leaves and trim the leaves, if necessary. See pictures below for reference.
Then, cut the tip and the stem of the artichokes.;
Now, you can add them to the Instant Pot. Simply place the artichokes upside down on the wire trivet . Pour broth over the artichokes and around the instant pot.; Ive also steamed smaller artichokes stem side down . Both worked great!
Next, cover and lock the lid in order to seal the vent closed. Press the steam mode, and set the timer for 10 minutes.
While the artichokes are steaming, whip up the Garlic Aioli or this Spicy Vegan Ranch!;
Pro Tip: If your artichokes are on the larger side, set the instant pot to cook for 12-15 minutes instead.
Once theyve finished cooking and are cool enough to handle, pull the leaves off and enjoy or split for easy access to the heart.
To split, place the artichokes upside down on a cutting board. Slice the artichokes in half lengthwise. Next, use a kitchen spoon to scoop out the choke. The choke looks hairy and prickly and is not edible. It will scoop out clean and easy with a spoon after the artichoke is steamed. What is left underneath is the heart. This along with the stem and the base of each leaf is edible.
To finish, plate the artichokes, and serve with aioli, melted butter, or choice of condiment on the side.;
How Many Artichokes Fit In An Instant Pot
Approximately three medium artichokes will fit in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
If the artichokes are slightly smaller four should fit.
The quantity you can cook at once will be a function of the size of your Instant Pot.
PRO TIP: Do not pack the artichokes into the Instant Pot. Leave some room. Refer to the photos in the step-by-step instruction collage below.
Increasing the amount of artichokes does not change the cooking time.
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How To Eat Pressure Cooker Steamed Artichokes
Eating them is pretty simple and delicious! Once cooked, just pull off the outer leaves and petals, and dip the bottom into the garlic butter sauce. You can also dip it into your favorite sauce or mayonnaise. Eat only the soft, white fleshy part of the petal with the dip. Then, discard the remaining petal. Also, there will be a fluffy layer at the base that you also want to discard.
Nutrition Benefits Of Eating Artichokes
Im back with an in-season vegetable and using one of my favorite appliances! As a nutritionist, I wait for the beginning of each new season and celebrate by eating the seasons best produce. Artichokes are in season from March to May, and in most places, you can only find them in stores for 6-8 weeks. Dont let this nutrition powerhouse veggie slip by!
Artichokes are packed with antioxidants like vitamins C and A, and are also a gut healthy food loaded with fiber . For a vegetable, they also contain a considerable amount of protein with 3.5 grams per artichoke. Artichokes are also known to be a top immune-boosting food!
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How To Eat An Artichoke
As intimidating as it can feel to prep a whole artichoke for the first time, it can feel equally as confusing to eat it. The most fun way is to enjoy it leaf-by-leaf.
Peel off the leaves, one at a time, and dip the tender lower portion of each leaf in sauce. Gently scrape the meat of that lower portion of the leaf off with your teeth. Discard the rest of the leaf.
When you reach the middle of the artichoke, the leaves will get very soft and it will be difficult to peel them off. At this point, youll want to remove the choke and eat the last bit of the artichoke with a fork.
This fuzzy center should NOT be eaten. See the photo below. The choke should be discarded and the remaining tender base of the artichoke is delicious to eat.
How Long To Cook Artichokes In The Instant Pot:
- Small Artichokes 5 Minutes
- Medium Artichokes 10 Minutes
- Large Artichokes 15 Minutes
TIP: Sometimes I will make a big batch of these in the Instant Pot As many as will fit a single layer and then Ill reheat them on a hot grill. Just cut them in half and let them get a bit charred on a hot grill . They take on a bit of a smoky flavor and reheat perfectly this way!
So, are you guys with me? Are you in for more Instant Pot recipes? Id love to hear in the comments below.
NOTE: The artichokes were flipped over at the end for photography purposes. This may be a bit misleading. They were in fact cooked stem side up in the Instant Pot.;
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How To Prepare An Artichoke
A bit of trimming makes a big difference, in not only appearance, but the ease of eating these thorn laden vegetables.
Using a large, stainless-steel, or serrated knife, on a large cutting board, hold the artichoke with one hand, slide the knife under the bottom row of smaller leaves, and make one cut to remove the stem.
TIP: Artichokes will darken if cut with carbon steel.
Removing the stem allows the artichoke sit level in the instant pot while cooking, and makes it easier to serve.
Using the same knife remove the top of the artichoke, by making one solid cut, straight down, cutting off the very tips at the top of the globe.
Rinse the artichoke. Rub a slice of lemon over the cut surfaces, to help keep the flesh from discoloring.
To finish preparing each artichoke, use kitchen shears to trim off the tough, thorny tops of the outside layers of leaves. The Europeans bend them back and snap them off.I like my fingers so I use scissors!
TIP: Also note those little spots of brown? Dont worry about those, they are just frost spots and can actually make the artichoke a little sweeter than normal.
When you are finished trimming the Artichokes, they should look like the photo below.
Eating An Artichoke For Beginners
Starting from the outer layer of leaves, peel off a petal. Then, scrape the inside gently along your front teeth. Discard the top of the petal, snag another, and repeat.
I like to keep an extra bowl or plate on hand for these discarded petals, just like I would for crab or shrimp.
Thats it! Eating an artichoke is that easy.
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How To Prep An Artichoke For Steaming
If youve never prepped an artichoke it can feel intimidating. This is quite a strange vegetable. The good news is that, once youve done it, it will never feel intimidating again.;
First, rinse the artichoke well, letting water run between the leaves.
Next, place it on a cutting board and slice off the stem. Youll want to slice off enough of the stem that it can sit upright.
Then slice off the top of the artichoke to expose the layers of color on the inside of the vegetable. This will remove any spikes on the top of the leaves and will make the leaves easier to peel off later when you serve it.
Remove any remaining small, tough leaves on the outside of the artichoke. If any of the remaining leaves have thorns at the end, use kitchen shears to slice off the thorns.
Thats it these artichokes are ready to be steamed!
