Italian Steamed and Stuffed Artichoke Recipe

Have you always wanted to cook an artichoke but were too intimidated to take it on? Making stuffed artichokes is a super easy recipe for any level cook to master!

Steamed artichokes are stuffed with garlic and bread crumbs, baked in the oven, and served with a creamy yogurt sauce for dipping!

Updated: This post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated with new photos and additional content.

Stuffed artichokes make a great first course to start a meal! It's a showstopper dish that seems super difficult to prepare but is actually quite easy.

Serve them up with nomato sauce and pasta or this tempeh bolognese for a tasty meal.

Jump to:

• 💚 Why You Will Love This Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredients
• ✅ How to Make Stuffed Artichokes
• ️❄️ How to Store Fresh Artichokes
• 🔪 Helpful Kitchen Tools and Gadgets
• 🍽️ How to Serve Artichokes
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
• ❓FAQs
• 🌎 Sustainability Suggestions
• ➕ More Spring Seasonal Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Steamed and Stuffed Artichokes
• 💬 Comments

💚 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• An easy recipe with lots of photos to make sure your artichokes come out great!
• A healthy plant-based appetizer everyone will enjoy, especially artichoke lovers!
• Less waste! Steamed artichokes serves up almost the entire edible portion of the artichoke to enjoy.

🛒 Ingredients

Here's a look at the main ingredients needed to make breadcrumb-stuffed artichokes.

• Artichokes: The obvious star of the show in this recipe. California artichokes are available throughout the year, but the peak season is in March-May and then again in October. Make sure to choose artichokes that are firm and have tightly packed leaves. The stem will be slightly brown but shouldn't be dry or slimy. It's fine if the leaves have a few brown spots.
• Lemons: Adds flavor but, most importantly, keeps the artichokes from browning.
• Seasonings for steaming: Thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns add flavor to the artichoke leaves and heart as it cooks.
• Italian-style breadcrumbs: These pre-seasoned breadcrumbs work great because they require less work. You can also use plain breadcrumbs and add some Italian seasoning.
• Olive oil: My favorite healthy oil for making breadcrumb stuffing.
• Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic adds the best garlic flavor.
• Herbs and seasonings for stuffing mixture: Fresh herbs and Italian seasonings heighten the flavor of the artichoke stuffing.
• Parmesan cheese: Totally optional, but adds umami flavor to the stuffing. Use vegan parmesan cheese or add nutritional yeast instead for a vegan option.

✅ How to Make Stuffed Artichokes

Making this dish involves a few steps. First, you will need to prep and steam the artichokes. Then when they're done, we will stuff them and finish them off in the oven.

Step 1: How to Prep Artichokes

1. Juice half a lemon.
2. Cut off the bottom of each artichoke at the stem.

3. Pull out and discard the lowest outer leaves near the stem that are badly damaged or don’t form the outer petals covering the choke. (Make sure to compost the trimmings!)
4. Slice 1 inch off the top of the artichoke so you can see a cross-section of the petals. 

5. Trim off the pointy tops of the outer petals, as they can stay a little sharp, even after cooking. You might find this easier to do with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. 
6. Spread the leaves apart under running cold water to clean out any residual dirt or grit.

7. Dip the bottom of the artichoke stem into the lemon juice or brush it onto exposed areas using a pastry brush. This will help slow down the browning of the artichokes while you’re prepping and cooking them.

Step 2: Steam Artichokes

1. Place the steamer basket in a large pot with enough cups of water to reach the bottom of the basket but not flow over.
2. Add the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and a few slices of lemon to the water.

3. Bring the water to a gentle boil and steam the prepped artichokes for approximately 30 - 45 minutes. The amount of time needed depends on the artichoke's age. You will know it's ready when you give a leaf a little tug, and it comes off.

PRO TIP: Not feeling super comfortable with the process? Watch this video by Simply Recipes for a little more instruction.

Step 3: Stuff and Bake the Artichokes

1. Mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, olive oil, fresh herbs, and parmesan cheese or pecorino romano cheese.

2. Spread the leaves apart on the steamed artichoke and spread the stuffing mix between/inside the leaves.

PRO TIP: When stuffing artichokes after steaming, remove the center leaves either before or after steaming to allow more room for the delicious filling! 

3. Bake the stuffed artichokes in a baking dish covered at 375° F for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for five minutes longer.  

️❄️ How to Store Fresh Artichokes

When you bring artichokes home from the store, here are some tips for storing them. They are delicate vegetables. Proper storage is important to maintain their freshness and flavor.

• Keep them dry. Any moisture causes them to spoil more quickly. Pat them dry using a clean kitchen towel before storing them.
• Refrigerate: Store artichokes in your fridge's vegetable crisper drawer. Make sure they are in a bag with holes so the air can circulate around them.
• Wash right before using. To avoid exposing them to moisture that can cause them to spoil quickly.
• Use within a few days. Raw artichokes are best used within a few days after buying. After that, they can start to dry out and lose flavor.

After cooking: Store steamed artichokes in the fridge for up to five days. Place them in the microwave for a few minutes or in a pot with water to reheat. Then once heated, you can stuff them and finish cooking them in the oven using the recipe directions.

Freezer: I don't recommend freezing steamed or stuffed artichokes.

🔪 Helpful Kitchen Tools and Gadgets

TMF recommends its Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets to have, and steamer baskets almost made it to the list. They are inexpensive and very handy to have around for steaming vegetables.

You're going to want a sharp knife and kitchen shears for prepping the artichokes.

🍽️ How to Serve Artichokes

Steamed and baked stuffed artichokes make a perfect appetizer or side dish for many meals! If you're unsure what to serve with steamed artichokes, here are some ideas for inspiration!

• It would be a great starter for a pasta dinner made with Nomato Sauce or Veggie Tempeh Bolognese.
• Try them with Mussels with Chili and Samphire or this Creamy Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Chickpeas for a dinner party.
• It tastes excellent paired with a glass of dry white wine.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• It helps to have bowls on the table to discard the eaten leaves! To prevent browning, only cut the artichokes when you plan to eat them.
• Apply some fresh lemon juice to any cut areas on the artichoke to help slow browning. 
• Be sure to buy artichokes close to when you plan to cook them and check the storage instructions mentioned above.
• It's important to trim off any pointy parts to make eating easier.

❓FAQs

🌎 Sustainability Suggestions

Are artichokes sustainable? Yes, as long as they are grown organically and without harsh chemical pesticides.

Since artichokes grow best in climates suitable for problematic pests such as aphids and moths, farmers tend to overspray their crops with pesticides.

This shouldn’t deter you from eating artichokes, though! Just remember to buy local and organic when possible.

➕ More Spring Seasonal Recipes

If you made this recipe, please leave a star 🌟 rating on the recipe card right below! You can also drop a review in the comment section. Your feedback is appreciated! And don’t forget to tag @themindfulfork so we can see your creations.

📖 Recipe