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Instant Pot Artichokes

Updated Feb 17, 2021Published Mar 7, 2017 By Julia 37 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

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.
pressure cooked artichoke with garlic mustard dip

Instant Pot Artichokes

4.2 from 17 votes
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Yield: 2 servings

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) ย 
Total Fat 37g 57%
ย ย ย Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 1020mg 43%
Net Carb 6.5g ย 
Total Carb 14g 5%
ย ย ย Dietary Fiber 7.5g 29%
ย ย ย Sugars 1.5g ย 
Protein 4g ย 
Vitamin A 4% ยท Vitamin C 26% ยท Calcium 6% ยท Iron 9%

PHOTOS

pressure cooked artichoke with garlic mustard dip
steps showing how to prepare artichokes
overhead view of artichokes on plate
dipping artichoke leaf into mayo dip

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Selecting Artichokes. Use globe artichokes, which are green, round, and large (about 1 pound each), not the elongated types. They should be fresh, whole, and raw, available in the produce section of grocery stores, not canned or pre-cooked. Select ones with tightly formed leaves and a vibrant green color, avoiding any that look dry, have very woody stems, or have loose or split leaves. Ideally, the artichoke should have at least 1 inch of stem still attached. Artichokes are in season from March to May, although you can find them in many U.S. grocery stores year-round. Selecting fresh, high quality artichokes makes a huge difference in this dish; if you select a bad artichoke, it can taste dry or tough even if you nail all of the cooking steps. Once you bring your artichokes home, store them unwashed in a produce bag in the fridge. Plan to use them within a few days.
(2) Preparing Artichokes. You should cut off only the brown woody part of the stem. Try to leave intact as much of the green stem as possible because itโ€™s one of the most delicious and tender parts of a cooked artichoke.
(3) Pressure Cooker Equipment. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot with the trivet that came packaged with it. If you don’t have a trivet, use a steam rack or a makeshift aluminum foil contraption that can elevate the artichokes above the water level.
(4) Serving. To eat, peel off one leaf at a time (starting with the outermost leaves), dip into the sauce, and use your teeth to scrape off the meat of the leaf. Repeat until all of the leaves are gone. Only the heart and stem should remain (the best parts); the heart is completely edible, and the stem is edible if itโ€™s tender and not too woody. For leftovers, cover and refrigerate, reheating using the microwave.
(5) Other Cooking Methods.ย See Boiled Artichokes and Microwaved Artichokes recipes.

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Low Carb, Per Serving: 5-10g Net Carbs Tagged With: 0-30min, 6-10ingredients, artichoke, cayenne, Dijon mustard, garlic, gluten free, instant pot, mayonnaise, paleo, vegetarian, whole30

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes, mostly low carb and gluten free. Learn more.

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Lifelong California Resident

Itโ€™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!

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up4Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Sam

I followed your recipe for the artichokes but did a simpler dip with just melted butter, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Yum!

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Jenny Miles

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 ๐Ÿ’›

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Tannsgirl

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.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Margaret

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?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
8 months ago
E Tambara

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??

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

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).

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Vanessa Egan

This happened to me too! I tried steaming them for 20 minutes more. They finally got a little softer but still kind of tough.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Melissa Fisher

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
John

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?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
tc jolly

We LOVE this artichoke dip.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Tiffany Zorich

Can I put in 4 articokes?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Ashley Mangum

Do you have to have the trivet? I don’t have one…

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Wendy

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Ally

I just made this and the artichoke HEART was the most tender and delicious thing I’ve ever had. THANK YOU!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Holly

The trivet is just the steam rack that came with my instant pot, right?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

That’s the one!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Connie

Very useful step by step photos. Mine came out incredibly tender and my whole family loved it.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Raven

Can’t believe I used to be so intimidated by artichokes!!! Your photos and recipe made this so easy to make.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Jody

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Reagan

My first instapot recipe and came out really well. Thank you!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Riley

I’m from CA too and LOOOOOVE artichokes. After making this, I’m definitely preferring the pressure cooker method over others.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Dan Phillips

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Julia

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:

  • Did you remember to do a 10 minute natural release? They continue to cook during the pressure release.
  • The recipe calls for 2 artichokes, not the 3 that you used, because overcrowding can affect how they cook. I would recommend cooking only 2 at a time.
Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Bill Burton

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
jen

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.

Vote Up-1Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Ava

you have to adjust cooking time for Denver’s altitude. Cooking time adjustment for altitude is discussed on other sites.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Mimi

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!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Julia

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/

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Scott Freutel

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Karly

I just discovered the deliciousness of artichokes this summer- and man, am I upset it didn’t happen sooner. LOVE these little guys!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Andrea

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 Iโ€™m trying lots of techniques and recipes. Itโ€™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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Julia

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!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago

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