How to Bake (& Eat) Artichokes (Whole30, Paleo, AIP)
These oven-baked artichokes are easy to make and delicious to eat! Learn how to bake and eat this beautiful and unique vegetable.
I don’t think I ever even considered trying to make artichokes at home until a few years ago. I never even took a second glance at them at the grocery store. Yes, they look beautiful, but they also looked really complicated to me! I’ve heard of artichoke hearts in salads, dips, and on pizzas, but a whole artichoke? Well, in reality, it’s really not that hard, and it’s really delicious!
This recipe for oven baked artichokes is a springtime staple! Serve it with a protein like baked chicken or even a steak, and enjoy!
First, A Bit More about Artichokes…
What are the health benefits?
Artichokes are rich in fiber, Vitamin C, and help support the health of the liver by increasing bile flow. Plus, it’s always great to mix it up by adding new vegetables to your diet!
Where do you get them?
Every region is different, but I don’t have trouble finding them at grocery stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Natural Grocers when they’re in season.
What time of year can you get them?
March through May is peak season for artichokes and when you’ll find them the most abundant and for the best price. I’ll see them every once in a while out of season, but spring is the best time to get them.
How do you prep them to be baked?
So, you can roast artichokes mostly whole without slicing them down the middle, but here’s how I like to do it…
- Use a sharp knife to slice off the pointed top of the artichoke.
- Slice any excess off of the stem on the bottom of the artichoke, only leaving a short base.
- Remove the hard, short leaves at the base of the artichoke by simply pulling them off. There should only be 3-5 of these or so.
- Using kitchen scissors, snip the pointed tops off of each leaf, being careful as these can be sharp. I’ve pricked myself before when I was being careless!
- Slice the artichoke in half vertically. Use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy part of the inside of the artichoke.
- Brush the artichoke with lemon juice to prevent browning.
It sounds like a lot of steps, but they’re really easy to work with! They’re not hard to cut like squash or even sweet potato, so the process goes quickly, and the results are beautiful.
How to eat whole artichokes
Start with the leaves
Most people only ever eat the heart of the artichoke, and they’re seriously missing out! The leaves are great too!
All you have to do is pull off the leaves and slide your teeth over the base of the leaf to enjoy some of the meat of the artichoke. I like to dip the base of the leaves in melted ghee for flavor. There’s not a ton to get out of with the leaves, but with the number of leaves there are, it adds up!
And finish with the heart
The heart is the innermost part of the artichoke that’s connected to the stem. It’s the meatiest part of the artichoke and you can just nibble on it easily!
The Ingredients & Tools You’ll Need
Artichokes
The star of the show. I like to make at least two at a time (one for both me and my husband) but will usually make an extra for leftovers!
Garlic
Minced garlic cloves roasted inside the artichoke add an amazing flavor.
Lemon
This adds flavor as well as prevents the artichoke from browning too much.
Salt & Pepper
The basics are great for this recipe. You can omit the pepper for AIP.
Optional- melted butter or ghee for dipping
You don’t need to dip artichokes in butter or ghee, but man is it good!
Something to cover the baking dish
I do not love using aluminum foil in cooking. Aluminum leaches into food and it’s just not ideal. However, if you’re okay with using it for one dish here and that’s what you have, it does work for recipes like this. You can also use something like a lid over a casserole dish to create the same steam effect that the foil does.
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PrintHow to Bake (& Eat) Artichokes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
Description
These oven-baked artichokes are a flavorful spring side dish!
Ingredients
- 2 whole artichokes
- Juice of one lemon (plus lemon slices for garnish)
- 5–6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- Optional- melted ghee for dipping (omit for AIP)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F and prepare a casserole dish (see notes about having a lid or something to cover the dish) and very lightly grease with oil.
- Prepare the artichokes by cleaning well, and using a sharp knife to slice off the pointed top of the artichoke. Slice any excess off of the stem on the bottom of the artichoke, only leaving a short base. Remove the hard, short leaves at the base of the artichoke by simply pulling them off. There should only be 3-5 of these or so. Using kitchen scissors, snip the pointed tops off of each leaf, being careful as these can be sharp. Slice the artichoke in half vertically. Use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy part of the inside of the artichoke. Brush the artichoke with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Place the artichoke leaf side down, and heart side up in the casserole dish. Fill the hearts with the garlic cloves and generously add about half of the salt and pepper and half of the oil.
- Carefully flip the artichokes (using your fingers to hold the garlic under the artichoke as best as you can) leaf side up and add the rest of the salt, pepper, and oil.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven and cover the casserole dish and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the leaves easily pull from the artichoke.
- Allow cooling slightly before using a spoon to flip the artichokes.
- Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with optional melted ghee.
- To eat the artichokes, pull off the leaves, dip in optional ghee and slide your teeth over the base. Repeat with all of the leaves until you get to the heart, which you can also enjoy with ghee.
Notes
I do not like using aluminum foil in cooking. Aluminum leaches into food and it’s just not ideal. However, if you’re okay with using it for one dish here and that’s what you have, it does work for recipes like this. You can also use something like a lid over a casserole dish to create the same steam effect that the foil does.
All nutrition facts are estimations and will vary. Nutrition facts do not include optional ghee or garnish.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Sides
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Global
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 176
- Fat: 14.2g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 4.9g
- Protein: 3.2g
AIP
Low Carb
Paleo
Whole30
I see them at Walmart, but I’ve been a bit intimidated to buy. Now I’m armed!!
Thanks! You always have such great recipes!
I made these last week and everyone loved them! My husband doesn’t usually like artichokes, but I love them. I’m so happy to have a recipe that we both really like. Looking forward to your new cookbook!
Thank you so much, Christina! So glad you guys enjoyed this 🙂
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Yum! I use unbleached, natural Parchment Paper for any kind of roasting. Not only is it easy cleanup, but the vegetables don’t overcook or dry up as much as when I use the naked pan (or have used aluminum foil in the way distant past before I knew better). Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
★★★★★