Instant Pot Artichokes
Instant Pot Artichokes are easy to make and turn out tender and delicious. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
Growing up, I loved artichokes and it was always a treat when we had them with our dinner. Now, my kids are the same way and we look forward to artichoke season every spring.
My favorite way to cook artichokes is in the Instant Pot. It’s easy and you don’t need to watch a pot of boiling water on the stove. Whenever I cook artichokes on the stove, the water always seems to evaporate away by the time the artichokes are done. This isn’t a problem when you use your Instant Pot.
With these Instant Pot artichokes, you’ll set the pressure cook time based on the size of your artichokes. The artichokes will steam in your pressure cooker until they are tender and ready to eat.
We like to serve artichokes as a healthy side dish with grilled chicken, baked chicken thighs or grilled pork chops.
How to choose a fresh artichoke
Choose artichokes with leaves that are closed tightly around the artichoke, not loose or open. Artichokes should feel heavy for their size, which means that they haven’t dried out. It is ok if the leaves have discolored a little, as this happens when the leaves come in contact with air.
Storing
Store artichokes in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. You can add a paper towel to the bag to absorb any excess moisture. I find that artichokes are best used within a few days of purchase, but they may stay fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator.
How to cook artichokes in the Instant Pot
Cooking artichokes in an Instant Pot pressure cooker is a very simple process. Here are a few important steps with tips for the best results.
Prepare the artichokes
- Cut off the stem and about 1/2 inch from the leaves at the top of the artichoke. Use kitchen scissors to trim off the pointy ends of the leaves all around the artichoke.
- Rinse the artichokes and put them in a bowl of cold water to soak for about five minutes. Adding lemon juice to the water may help to prevent the artichokes from browning, but the difference is minimal and for appearances only so I usually skip this step.
Prepare the Instant Pot
- Put the metal trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. The artichokes will sit on the trivet as they cook.
- Add 1 cup of water to a 6 quart Instant Pot. Use 1 1/2 cups of water in an 8 quart Instant Pot.
- Adding a few lemon slices to the water can help to flavor the artichokes as they cook. I also like to squeeze some lemon juice over the artichokes in the pot, right before cooking. Both of these steps are optional.
How long to cook artichokes in Instant Pot
The cook time needed for tender artichokes depends on the size of the artichokes, and also possibly varies by the season the artichokes were harvested. It’s possible that two artichokes of the same size may cook a little differently. The cook times in this recipe are my best estimates based on my recipe testing with different artichokes.
Use the pressure cook (manual) function of the Instant Pot:
- Pressure cook small artichokes (about 200 grams by weight) for 15 minutes.
- Pressure cook medium artichokes (about 300 grams by weight) for 20 minutes.
- Pressure cook large artichokes (about 400 grams by weight) for 25 minutes.
When the cook time ends, use a quick release to release the pressure from the pot.
Cooked artichokes should be tender when you pierce the stem with a fork or knife.
Eating an artichoke
To eat an artichoke, remove the leaves one at a time and scrape off the meaty part of the leaf with your teeth. Serve artichokes with your favorite dipping sauce. Melted butter, with a squeeze of lemon juice, is a favorite. My kids enjoy dipping their artichokes in plain Greek yogurt.
Once the leaves have all been removed, you can prepare the artichoke heart, which is the other edible part of the artichoke. Use a spoon to remove the inedible fuzzy choke, and slice off any of the stem that remains before eating the heart.
Instant Pot Artichokes Cooking Tips
- You can cook one to four artichokes at a time, or as many will fit in a single layer on your Instant Pot trivet. The cook time is the same whether you are cooking one or four artichokes, and depends on the size of the individual artichokes.
- Choose artichokes that are similar in size, as the cooking time depends on the size of the individual artichokes.
- If your artichokes are not done when you open the Instant Pot, you can pressure cook them a few minutes more until they are tender. The Instant Pot will reach pressure much faster during a second cooking cycle, since it is already hot. You may need to add a little more water to the bottom of the pot if a lot of the water has evaporated.
More Instant Pot Vegetables:
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Broccoli
Instant Pot Artichokes
Ingredients
- 4 fresh artichokes, (see note)
- 1 lemon
- melted butter, lemon wedges, etc., for serving
Instructions
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut off the stem of each artichoke. Then cut about ยฝ inch off of the leaves at the top of the artichoke. Use kitchen scissors to trim off the pointy ends of the outer leaves.
- Rinse artichokes under cold water and then place them in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soak.
- Add 1 cup of cool water to the Instant Pot inner pot (use 1 ยฝ cups of water for an 8 quart pot). Cut the lemon in half. Cut one half of the lemon into 2 or 3 slices (reserve the other half of the lemon), and place the lemon slices in the water in the Instant Pot.
- Put the metal trivet in the Instant Pot. Drain the artichokes and place them, stem side down, on top of the trivet. Squeeze the juice from the reserved half of the lemon over the artichokes.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 15 minutes for small artichokes (about 200 grams each), 20 minutes for medium artichokes (about 300 grams each) or 25 minutes for large artichokes (about 400 grams each). The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
- When the cook time ends, immediately quick release the pressure by carefully turning the steam release valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon. When the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Use tongs to remove the artichokes from the pot and let them cool slightly before serving.
- Serve artichokes with melted butter and an extra squeeze of lemon juice, or with your desired dip.
Notes
- You can cook from 1 to 4 artichokes at a time, or as many as will fit in a single layer on your Instant Pot trivet.
Exactly how I have prepared artichokes for the last 65 years. Fortunately I obtain my “chokes” from Castroville, the California center for the greatest chokes anywhere.
Only one comment : I select the chokes with the largest diameter stem. Cut the stem off as close to the heart as possible with the serrated, bread, knife. Prop the cutoff up on the cut surface and cut off the exterior, fibrous, growth along the stem. Clean it up with a utility knife and drop it into the bottom of the pot.
After the pressure cycle has finished, the stem piece can be carefully plucked from the pot after the trivet removal, dropped into the dip sauce. It will be very soft and an exceptional gastronomic experience.