THE Ultimate Artichokes (Instant Pot + Grilled)

Oh…my goodness. I have peaked. It is impossible that it will ever get any better than this, so I might as well just quit blogging. It was nice meeting you and knowing you for 3+ years, byeeeee.

Just kidding…but seriously…these are legitimately one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made or eaten. I was having a bit of an emotional experience while stuffing mass amounts of artichoke leaves + the hearts (THE HEARTTTSSS) into my mouth. The flavor here…it’s just ridiculous.

The Instant Pot makes a normally looonnnnggg steaming process super short and quick (ten minutes to be exact), and then we throw them on the grill for a few minutes just to get a nice char, and then we’re done! Make the easiest dipping sauce ever by stirring together melted butter with a little lemon juice, and proceed to eat a million leaves and then savor that delicious artichoke heart that is waiting for you at the end.

PURE FLAVOR.

There is something about making artichokes that is therapeutic and fun. Cutting the top off, slicing the sharp tips off of the leaves, cutting the artichokes in half, scooping out the choke, and then stuffing them full of goodies before letting them steam away in your Instant Pot.

This is what we place inside the artichokes to infuse TONS of flavor while they steam:

• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Lots of minced garlic
• Lemon zest
• Lemon slices

YOU GUYYYYYSSS. If you want to skip the grill step, these are unbelievably delicious right out of the Instant Pot, but that extra charred, smoky flavor is a yummy addition, if I do say so myself. But if I’m not feeling grilly that day, you best believe I’ll be pulling those babies out of the Instant Pot and devouring STAT.

I meaaannnnn, come on ^^^. Look at all that flavorful goodness in there. Let’s talk process…

1. Prep your artichokes (like briefly described above)
2. Throw ’em in the Instant Pot
3. Add your goodies into/on top of each artichoke
4. Turn the instant pot on for a whopping ten minutes – hello time saver!
5. Release the pressure. Take the artichokes out, add some extra olive oil, and throw those babies on the grill until you’ve got some delicious char marks
6. Stir up your sauce, and you’re ready for action!

Introducing the easiest and MOST perfect appetizer/side/whole meal if you want to get super artichokey. I think they work particularly well as an appetizer because artichokes aren’t a quick-eating situation. You pull off individual leaves, slowly making your way to the heart. It’s a process that takes some time – perfect for an appetizer!

So throw a dinner party, sip some wine, pick on these artichokes, and discuss sophisticated things like your mortgage and our current political climate. Or ditch that plan and talk about day to day things like how you learned a new method of multitasking that involves rolling the back window of your car up and down in a quick pattern while driving so your baby doesn’t fall asleep (hi – this was Monday). Or don’t talk at all because you’re busy devouring artichokes.

It’s up to you peeps…you do you…live your best life. As long as it involves some of this butter lemon sauce dipping action that is shown below for your viewing pleasure 💃🏻.

On a non-artichoke note for a quick sec, sorry I have been so sporadically posting lately! These past few weeks have been a little bit wild. First there was memorial day weekend, and Seth’s parents came up from Thursday-Monday, which was super fun, and I wanted to spend time with them instead of working.

Then soon after that, Seth started this weird cycle of shift changes at work. For a few days he was working from 7pm to 7am, but then they stopped that and started doing noon to midnight for a few days…but then they changed again and switched him to midnight to noon…so basically just the inverse of what he was doing.

Anyway, this new one should stick (the midnight to noon one), but all the changes led to him being home a lot during the day, so I spent that time with he and Ford instead of working.

To sum it all up…crazy few weeks, sorry for being super absent on the blog, BUT things should be regulating here. Until the next thing hits and I have to be sporadic again…🙂. Sometimes life takes over. Which is one of the great things about having a food blog! I can be flexible when weird weeks hit, and I can make my own hours and decide to take several days off here and there if it means spending some quality time with the fam! Oh – and I can eat nine of these artichokes and pretend it’s for “work,” so that’s a perk too!

Have a lovely Tuesday, friends!

THE Ultimate Artichokes (Instant Pot + Grilled)

★★★

3 from 2 reviews

This recipe is whole 30 and paleo approved!

• Author: Annie Chesson
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the artichokes

• 2 artichokes
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 lemon, fully zested and then sliced into thin circles
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup butter, melted (or ghee if whole 30/paleo)
• 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. To prep the artichokes, cut off the very bottom of the stem and cut off the top inch or so of the artichoke. Using kitchen scissors, cut off the very tops of the leaves that have sharp tops all around the artichoke. Slice the artichoke in half, and scoop out the choke (the furry center) from the middle of both halves. Rub lemon juice all over the artichoke to prevent oxidization (optional – if you want to do this, use of one or two of the circular slices you cut from your lemon)
2. Place the trivet attachment into your instant pot, fill the pot with about 2 cups of water, and place your artichokes on top of the trivet. Drizzle olive oil onto the artichokes, and sprinkle in your minced garlic and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, and lay your lemon slices across the tops of the artichokes
3. Close the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, preheat your grill (I did medium high)
5. When the artichokes are done, quick release the pressure, remove the artichokes, brush on more olive oil, and grill cut side down on your hot grill until there are char lines across the artichokes
6. To make the sauce, stir together the melted butter and lemon juice. Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add up to 2 depending on how lemony you want the butter sauce to be

Notes

If you’ve never prepped an artichoke before and these instructions seem like a lot to process, there are tons of YouTube videos on “How to Prep an Artichoke” that you can watch for extra help!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 artichoke and 1/4 of sauce
• Calories: 197
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 142 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Carbohydrates: 8 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 31 mg

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more yummy appetizers? Check these out:

Super Simple Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, and Pine Nut Toasts