Easy Steamed Artichokes - always from scratch (2024)

The easiest way to cook artichokes and make them taste phenomenal. You don't need all the stuffing, just make these Easy Steamed Artichokes with less than 5 minutes of active work.

Looking for more easy sides? Try our Summer Farro Salad, OG Italian Pasta Salad, or Marinated Eggplant and Onion.

Steamed vs. Stuffed Artichokes

Steamed Artichokes is a recipe I didn't grow up with. My family was always a stuffed artichoke family. But my wife introduced me to these easy steamed artichokes and I have been turned. Stuffed artichokes have their place, but for me, I'm looking to enjoy the taste of the artichokes and this lets me do just that!

Steamed artichokes are so much faster and easier to make. You have one leaf, then a second, then a third, and next thing you know, you're eating the artichoke heart.

There's something inherently cool about eating artichokes. As a kid, I remember it being such an adult thing to do. So, now I equate eating artichokes to like the vegetarian version of eating raw clams. It's something different and so tasty. Try these easy steamed artichokes for your next dinner party. They are cheap, easy, and delicious.

How to Make Artichokes

Step 1: Peel the dryer leaves off the base of the stem. Then cut off the base at the stem so that it can sit up straight on its own.

Step 2: Cut the artichoke's head off about 1 inch down. Then use your hand to squeeze and stretch out the leaves a little bit. You can use shears to cut the pointy ends of the leaves if there are any left. You don't eat that part anyway.

Step 3: Place all four artichokes into a pot side by side. Add 1 inch of water to the bottom of the pot. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each artichoke. Salt and pepper all of the artichokes.

Step 4: Cover the pot and place it on medium-high heat allowing the water to boil for 30 minutes. The artichokes are done when you can remove an artichoke leaf but there still remains some resistance when you pull. It should be like shimmying a really loose tooth.

See Also

Learn How to Cook (And Eat!) ArtichokesIf You Haven't yet Tasted a Perfectly Prepared Artichoke, You're Missing OutBasic Boiled Artichokes RecipeHow to Cook Artichokes - Love and Lemons

Serve easy steamed artichokes as an appetizer before dinner!

How to Eat Artichokes

This is the fun part. You get to teach people who have never had them how to eat them. In my experience, most people who didn't grow up in an Italian household didn't eat artichokes. Just grab one leaf at a time and pull. When you pull a leaf out, it will have a little white meaty part at the bottom. Bite down easily on it and then drag your front teeth across it to remove the edible part. The closer you get to the middle of the artichoke, the easier it will be to just bite it off.

Once you eat all the leaves, there will be the little hairy heart left. Now, some people are more comfortable ripping all the little hairs off, but they are just as edible as the rest of the artichoke heart. I usually just eat it all because it's a pain to pull the hair off but you can do either.

FAQs

Please leave us a rating below! Follow us @vindelgiudice on Instagram and @alwaysfromscratch on Tiktok!

More Appetizers!

📖 Recipe

More Side Dishes