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How To Cook Artichokes

Artichokes are wonderfully tender on the inside, easy to cook, and packed with health benefits! You can boil, steam, or grill them, and top with parmesan panko bread crumbs.
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Artichoke
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Grilling 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 30kcal

Equipment

  • Large stock pot with lid
  • Steamer basket (optional)
  • Grill or grill plate (optional)

Ingredients

Artichokes

  • 2 artichokes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for grilling)
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning (for grilling)

Parmesan Panko Topping

  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic grated or crushed
  • sprinkle of salt and pepper

Melted Butter

  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Boiling Artichokes:

  • Cut the stem short to the base of the artichoke and remove the outer (tougher) leaves using a serrated knife. Then use kitchen shears to snip the tops off each remaining leaf.
  • Fill a large pot with water and one lemon sliced in half, and bring it to a boil.
  • Using a slotted spoon place the artichokes in the water and cover with a lid.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. You can tell when artichokes are done cooking when the leaves can be pulled from the stem with little effort. Remove them from the water and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.
  • Using a serrated knife, cut the artichokes in half and scoop out the thistles in the middle with a spoon or melon baller. At this point, you can eat them as they are and dip them in a sauce for some flavor, or you can continue on to grilling (which is my favorite and adds more flavor).

Steaming Artichokes:

  • Cut the stem short to the base of the artichoke and remove the outer (tougher) leaves using a serrated knife. Then use kitchen shears to snip the tops off each remaining leaf.
  • Add a few inches of water to the bottom of a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer.
  • Put the steamer basket on top and place the artichokes in the basket. Steam for 20 - 30 minutes until the leaves easily pull away from the stem.

Grilling Artichokes:

  • Follow the steps above for either boiling or steaming the artichokes, slicing them in half and removing the thistle on the inside.
  • Brush the halves with olive oil and sprinkle with some seasoning. I love using a steak rub like Elway's or Rudy's seasoning.
  • Grill with the flesh side down until they are heated through and have nice grill marks.

Parmesan Panko Topping

  • Heat a small pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
  • Add the panko and toast to a golden brown.
  • Add the parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir for 30 - 60 seconds until the cheese is melted and the garlic is toasted. Make sure not to burn either.
  • Use this as a topping on your artichokes.

Melted Butter

  • Melt butter in a small dish to dip your artichoke leaves.

Notes

**Notes**
To eat an artichoke, pull a leaf from the stem, dip in a sauce if you want, and scrape the meaty part from the end of the leaf with your teeth. Do this with each leaf. Do not eat the thistle in the middle of the artichoke. The part around the thistle is the most tender and is called the heart. It's the best part of the artichoke and is often fought over in my house.
 
**The kcal showing is only for one half of an artichoke with no topping or butter.