Steamed artichokes with garlic butter dipping sauce are healthy, delicious, easy-to-make appetizers perfect for spring gatherings. Artichokes have a meaty texture and earthy flavor, and dipping each leaf into melted butter is genuinely a classic treat.
While you are here, check out our stuffed artichoke and spinach artichoke dip this spring season.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Best way to enjoy fresh artichokes in season.
- Steaming is an easy way to cook artichokes.
- Steamed artichokes are low in fat and calories and rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants.
Ingredients
Artichokes: Always buy artichokes that feel heavy. If you think they are light, it means it is dried out and not meaty.
Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter. Adjust salt accordingly in the recipe.
Garlic cloves: Crush the garlic in a mortar pestle for the best flavors.
Lemon juice: Don't skip the lemon juice. This is what brightens up the entire dish and balances the flavors. It also prevents the artichokes from turning brown.
Herbs: Fresh herbs work the best. But if fresh herbs are unavailable, you can use dried herbs too.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
- You can use basil, thyme, rosemary, or any herb of your choice.
- Substitute butter with olive oil for a vegan version.
- You can add peppercorns and bay leaves while steaming artichokes if desired.
Step by Step instructions
How to cook artichokes?
- Remove the stem (bottom) of the artichoke so that they sit flat. Using a scissor, trim the tip of each leaf. Now rub each trimmed edge with lemon juice and keep it aside while you repeat the process for the other artichoke. Applying lemon juice prevents it from turning brown.
- Choose a pan such that these artichokes fit snugly in the pan. Add water to the pan to submerge the base of the artichoke (about 1 inch). Add ½ tablespoon of lemon juice and salt to taste. Bring it to a nice boil on medium-high heat, and then cover and simmer for another 30 minutes on medium-low heat or until the leaves can be pulled off easily.
- Carefully remove the steamed artichokes from the water and allow them to cool down completely.
How to make garlic butter dipping sauce
- Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic cloves.
- In a pan on medium heat, add butter, let it melt, and slowly start turning golden.
- Add crushed garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Switch off the flame.
- Add cilantro, basil leaves, lemon juice, and salt and stir.
- Transfer this to a small bowl or ramekin.
How to eat an Artichoke?
- To eat: pull the leaves off the steamed artichokes one at a time. Dip the base of the leaves into the prepared garlic butter dip and pull through your teeth to remove the soft and pulpy portion. Discard the remaining fibrous part of the leaves.
- Once you finish off the leaves, use a spoon and scrape out the hair of the artichoke, and there comes the best part. The "heart of the artichoke." Eat this by dipping it in the melted garlic butter sauce, and enjoy!
Tips
- The time to cook artichokes may depend on the size. The bigger it is, the longer time it takes.
- You can add other flavors to the sauce or simply serve the artichokes with melted butter and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Once the liquid comes to a boil on medium-high heat, cover and simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes on medium-low heat or until the artichoke leaves can be pulled off easily.
You can boil, steam, grill, or bake artichokes; it all tastes great. But I love steaming it the way described above, and it is not only the easy way to cook artichokes but also perfect with the right amount of moisture content.
More Easy Spring Recipes
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Recipe card
Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Butter
Equipment
- Pot or Steamer
Ingredients
To cook artichokes
- 2 Artichokes
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt to taste
Garlic butter dipping sauce
- 3 tablespoon Butter or vegan butter
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 2 to 4 sprigs Cilantro or parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Dried basil leaves
- 2 to 3 teaspoon Lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
How to cook artichokes?
- Remove the stem (bottom) of the artichoke so that they sit flat. Using a scissor, trim the tip of each leaf. Now rub each trimmed edge with lemon juice and keep it aside while you repeat the process for the other artichoke. Applying lemon juice prevents it from turning brown.2 Artichokes, Juice of ½ lemon, Salt to taste
- Choose a pan such that these artichokes fit snugly in the pan. Add water to the pan to submerge the base of the artichoke (about 1 inch). Add ½ tablespoon of lemon juice and salt to taste. Bring it to a nice boil on medium-high heat, and then cover and simmer for another 30 minutes on medium-low heat or until the leaves can be pulled off easily.
- Carefully remove the steamed artichokes from the water and allow them to cool down completely.
How to make garlic butter dipping sauce
- Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic cloves.4 Garlic cloves
- In a pan on medium heat, add butter, let it melt, and slowly start turning golden.3 tablespoon Butter or vegan butter
- Add crushed garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Be sure not to burn the garlic. Switch off the flame.
- Add cilantro, basil leaves, lemon juice, and salt and stir.2 to 4 sprigs Cilantro or parsley, chopped, ½ teaspoon Dried basil leaves, 2 to 3 teaspoon Lemon juice, Salt, to taste
- Transfer this to a small bowl or ramekin.
How to eat an artichoke?
- To eat: pull the leaves off the steamed artichokes one at a time. Dip the base of the leaves into the prepared garlic butter dip and pull through your teeth to remove the soft and pulpy portion. Discard the remaining fibrous part of the leaves.
- Once you finish off the leaves, use a spoon and scrape out the hair of the artichoke, and there comes the best part. The "heart of the artichoke." Eat this by dipping it in the melted garlic butter sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use basil, thyme, rosemary, or any herb of your choice.
- Substitute butter with olive oil for a vegan version.
- You can add peppercorns and bay leaves while steaming artichokes if desired.
- The time to cook artichokes may depend on the size. The bigger it is, the longer time it takes.
- You can add other flavors to the sauce or simply serve the artichokes with melted butter and enjoy.
Rosey
This is the second artichoke recipe I've seen this week that I want to try. This sounds tasty.
khoingn | The Broad Life
Wow, I haven't thought of Artichokes can be eaten this way. Looks good for me!
Fransic verso
I'm not big fan of Garlic but the recipe look yummy. Although I cant eat it for that but I know my friend would be interested. As we were talking about new recipes to try.