Summary:
Pressure cooked artichokes are amazingly tender with fall-apart leaves and edible stems. I serve these artichokes with a spicy garlic mustard dip, which adds a nice zing to every bite.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 fresh artichokes (Note 1)
- 1.5 cups water
Dipping Sauce:
- 5 tablespoons
mayonnaise - 1 tablespoon
dijon mustard - 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground cayenne
Optional Toppings:
- olive oil
- ground black pepper and salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare Artichokes: Rinse artichokes. Snap off and discard any errant outer leaves on stems. Snip off any large thorns on leaves using kitchen shears. Saw off and discard top-third of leaves (inedible leaves furthest from stem) using serrated knife. Cut off and discard lower part of stem, leaving at least 1 inch attached to artichoke (Note 2).
- Cook Artichokes: Place trivet inside
pressure cooker (Note 3). Add water. Place artichokes upside down on trivet. Cover and seal lid. Select steam mode and adjust cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure. Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure by turning release knob to venting position. Pull off outer artichoke leaf to test doneness; leaf should come off with little resistance. Set artichokes aside until cool enough to handle. - Make Dipping Sauce: Whisk or vigorously stir all dipping sauce ingredients in medium mixing bowl until very smooth, with no mayonnaise clumps remaining. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve: Slice cooled artichokes in half, through stem, handling carefully to avoid breaking off tender leaves. Scoop out and discard fuzzy needle-like white centers and purple leaves from each artichoke half using spoon. Arrange artichokes on serving plates. Optionally, lightly brush cut surfaces with olive oil and season with pepper and salt. Serve with prepared dipping sauce and plate for discarded leaves (Note 4).
NUTRITION
| Makes 2 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving (1 artichoke with dip): |
| Calories 410 (82% from fat) | |
| Total Fat 37g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 18% |
| Cholesterol 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium 1020mg | 43% |
| Net Carb 6.5g | |
| Total Carb 14g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 7.5g | 29% |
| Sugars 1.5g | |
| Protein 4g |
PHOTOS
It’s much easier (and faster) to cut the artichokes in half lengthwise & scoop out the choke BEFORE cooking. Layer them cut side down in the IP (or any pressure cooker or steamer, for that matter), and steam until done. Boiling steals nutrients and flavor – steaming or pressure cooking is the only way they should be cooked. We used to drive over the hill to Castroville on the weekends for the giant Globes…so yummy!! Your dipping sauce sounds yummy too!! I usually use clarified butter, lemon and garlic, but will have to give yours a try!
The reason I’ve been cutting the artichokes in half after cooking is because the cooked artichokes are a lot easier to cut than raw ones.
I followed your recipe for the artichokes but did a simpler dip with just melted butter, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Yum!
I am so grateful for this recipe! My artichokes turned out amazing. Nice and tender with more flavor. I will never boil again. Thank you for sharing 💛
My first solid food was artichokes. My mother would scrape the meat off each leaf and feed me by spoons full. Really time consuming! Still love them.
Are you sure the nutrition analysis is correct? How could the sodium be so high? So there are 800 calories in the dipping sauce – 400 assigned to each artichoke?
I used the STEAM feature on my Instantpot and the chokes did not turn out edible, so I had to use Custom and cook longer. What did I do wrong using the steam feature? Rather confused. Maybe my chokes were too big??
I’m guessing that your artichokes were on the larger side and so they needed a longer cook time. Mine are usually around 1 pound each (raw and prior to preparation).
This happened to me too! I tried steaming them for 20 minutes more. They finally got a little softer but still kind of tough.
Made this as recipe states, added a squeezed lemon to the instapot while cooking. Also took advise of a previous post and made a dipping sauce with butter, lemon and garlic – but added a shake or 2 of Capitol Hill Seasoning from Savory Spice.
Very elegant.
I tried this recipe twice. Both time the outer leaves where more overcooked vs the central heart. If there is a way to cook the artichokes more evenly, then this would be very good. Any recommendations?
It’s possible that your artichokes are smaller than the ones I use, resulting in outer leaves more overcooked compared to the heart. You may want to try decreasing the pressure cooking time by a few minutes or reducing/omitting the natural pressure release time.
We LOVE this artichoke dip.
Can I put in 4 articokes?
That should be fine. Check for doneness after pressure cooking by pulling off a leaf (should come off with no or little resistance) or inserting a knife into the stem (should be effortless). If it’s not done, do another pressure cooking cycle for 5 minutes.
Do you have to have the trivet? I don’t have one…
Do you have a steam basket? That would also work. Or you can elevate your artichoke by using aluminum foil to create a trivet of sorts.
I dont have an instant pot but the other kind of pressure cooker, unfortunatly it did not have enough space to steam one let alone 2 med artichokes. So I just boiled them which work out ok..
But I did try your dip, it was yummy even without the thyme (ran out apparently)
Thank you for you recipes
I just made this and the artichoke HEART was the most tender and delicious thing I’ve ever had. THANK YOU!
The trivet is just the steam rack that came with my instant pot, right?
That’s the one!
Very useful step by step photos. Mine came out incredibly tender and my whole family loved it.
Can’t believe I used to be so intimidated by artichokes!!! Your photos and recipe made this so easy to make.
I tried your boiling method as well as the pressure cooker and they are BOTH GREAT!!! I might use the pressure cooker from now on though because it seems easier.
My first instapot recipe and came out really well. Thank you!
I’m from CA too and LOOOOOVE artichokes. After making this, I’m definitely preferring the pressure cooker method over others.
The only thing missing is how to choose a good artichoke? It’s like choosing cantaloupe. Get a bad artichoke and no way of cooking the little boogers is good enough. So, cooked 3 medium sized artichokes last night. I think the altitude here in Denver affected the tenderness. I actually went 11 minutes just in case and I think I need to extend the time to 14-15 mins next time. There were a few leaves that had a decent amount of flesh but the leaves weren’t tender enough to scrape all the flesh off.
The sauce was just OK for me. We’ve used out own recipe for years. I think we prefer a milder mayo sauce so the flavor of the artichoke isn’t overwhelmed. I usually mix mayo with a tbl of lemon juice and add some curry to the mixture. Just enough for a mild curry flavor.
If anyone knows how to choose a ripe fleshy artichoke I’d like to know? I’ll try the instant pot method again but maybe wait till I see a thicker artichoke.
That’s too bad that yours didn’t turn out well. I’ve used this pressure cooking method for artichokes of all sizes, even tested with different pressure cookers, and it’s always produced super tender artichokes.
Two things:
Same thing happened to us. We live in Aspen, 8000 feet elevation. 10 minutes was nowhere near enough time to cook the artichoke. Going for 20 minutes next time. Dipping sauce is great
wow, I live in denver and had the EXACT same thing happen to me! 3 whole artichoke in my instant pot, 10 min, then 4 more, then 5 more min (all quick release) and they were not tender at all!! we were so disappointed. we will try again though- cooking only 2 at a time.
you have to adjust cooking time for Denver’s altitude. Cooking time adjustment for altitude is discussed on other sites.
This is fascinating. I have no idea what an instant pot is, nor do I want yet another piece of kitchen equipment, but I am impressed!
It’s a multi-cooker — does pressure cooking, yogurt, rice, slow cooking, etc.
I have a version of this recipe for those who don’t have an Instant Pot: https://www.savorytooth.com/how-to-cook-artichokes-perfectly/
I felt as you do, Mimi, until half a dozen friends piped up about their new IPs. So I bought one – the small size. Now I’m an enthusiast! Foods emerge tasty but not soggy, unlike some cooked in regular pressure cookers; and because the cooking time even for, say, tough cuts of meat is so reduced, flavors stay distinct, unlike some cooked in slow-cookers. If you treat yourself to one, toss the useless, badly designed and near-incomprehensible recipe booklet that comes with, and treat yourself to Melissa Clark’s book “Dinner in an Instant” (New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2017). Clark is a food writer for the NY Times, and a good one. In this small volume are approaches and techniques that can be adapted for many other recipes.
I just discovered the deliciousness of artichokes this summer- and man, am I upset it didn’t happen sooner. LOVE these little guys!
My first home, after I got married 46 years ago, was in Monterey California. Cooking artichokes was one of my first culinary triumphs. I used the classics method of boiling them and flavoring in water with bay leaves, lemon,etc. I am a new instant pot owner and I’m trying lots of techniques and recipes. It’s quite fun. Will putting the same herbs in the water and pressure cook the artichokes produce the same results and infuse them with flavor? Your advice is most welcome.
Hi Andrea! Putting herbs in the water and pressure cooking the artichokes will add some flavor, but not as much compared to the boiling method. I usually add spices and seasonings after it has finished cooking for extra flavor. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!