How to cook a whole artichoke without a steamer basket, no special equipment required.
Springtime means artichoke season!
Sadly, I've never met a vegetable that looks as intimidating as artichokes, especially if you've never prepared it. Personally, for most of my life, I saw them in canned or jarred form only. So when presented with a whole artichoke, I didn't even know where to start eating it, much less cooking it.
Luckily my MIL showed me how easy they are to prepare and eat a whole artichoke! I was so amazed. I filmed a Facebook live (this was five years ago with FB live was all the rage) from their house with her walking me through how to cook them in the background. I found that old video on my Youtube channel. You can view it here if you want a good laugh. I have no idea what I'm doing.
Luckily, I have made artichokes at least a hundred times since then and am now confident enough to share our method with you today!
I ate so many artichokes in my last pregnancy that I had to swear them off for a bit. Haha, weird pregnancy craving, I know, but at least the baby wanted something healthy in addition to jolly ranchers.
Okay, so on to the cooking method because I know, people hate when bloggers ramble (insert eye roll emoji). Our method of cooking is a half boil half steam method. You fill the pot about a quarter way with water and bring it to a boil. Since you aren't going to submerge your artichokes the full way, it isn't quite a full boil. But, since they are still partially submerged, it isn't quite a full steaming method either. It's a hybrid!
I love this hybrid method over boiling for several reasons. First, no one likes to wait for a full pot of water to boil. Second, no one wants to worry about the pot of water boiling over. Third, when you boil artichokes, they float to the top, and you have to find something heavy to stick on top of them, then put the lid on top of that. Basically, it's a hassle that I don't have time for.
Steaming is a good method, but I struggle to get all the artichokes I want to cook in the steamer basket. The method also takes longer than my hybrid method. So really, the only method I like better than my hybrid method is the Instant Pot, but I know that many of you don't have those, so that we will go with the hybrid method for today.
How to Select an Artichoke
The Produce for Better Health Foundation recommends choosing artichokes that feel heavy and firm. They should have a healthy green color, compact center leaves, and an overall look of freshness (not dehydrated). You'll want to choose the right size of artichoke for the cooking methods you have available to you! You could always cook larger artichokes simultaneously if you have multiple pans with lids. Otherwise, you may want to choose smaller artichokes that fit in one pan.
How to Cook A Whole Artichoke (without a steamer basket)
First, you have to prep your artichoke.
Cut the Stem Off. You'll cut the stem off, creating a flat bottom so that the artichoke will sit flat in the pan.
Cut the Top Off. Next, you'll cut the very top of the artichoke off. This will vary by artichoke, but you'll probably want to cut around one-quarter of the top off. To judge how much to cut off, just look at what would be edible. What's edible is the part of the leave closest to the heart of the artichoke, the pointy part of the leaves are not edible. By cutting off about a quarter, you cut off most of them.
Snip the Remaining Pointy Ends. You should have a few rows left of whole leaves. You'll want to snip the pointy ends, so they don't poke people when they try to remove them and eat them!
Pull-Apart Artichoke. Now that you have them prepped, you'll want to slightly pull at the sides to widen them and create space, making them cook more evenly.
Boil Water. Fill a pan with a lid about one-quarter of the way full. Salt the water and bring to a boil.
Cook Artichokes. Using tongs, add your artichokes into the boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and cover with the lid. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your artichoke, but most need at least 30 minutes. Larger artichokes can take up around 45-55 minutes.
Check If They Are Done. There are several ways to check to see if your artichokes are done. I recommend using all of them because undercooked artichokes are gross. Trust me. I've made that mistake. The outer AND middle leaves should pull off VERY easily like you barely pull, and they come off. Think shredding super tender chicken or pork. A fork or skewer should also easily pierce the bottom. Overall, ever since I undercooked an artichoke, I have lived by the rule that artichokes are challenging to overcook but taste disgusting when undercooked.
How to Serve An Artichoke
You can finish them on the grill.
You can stuff them. (I've never done this, but I've heard it is divine.)
Or, the most basic way to serve them is on a platter with a variety of dipping sauces!
How to Store & Freeze Cooked Artichoke
Storing: Store leftover artichoke in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
To Freeze Cooked Artichoke: After cooking, place in an ice bath to prevent cooking any further. Fully dry your artichokes. Cut artichoke in half, and scoop out the fuzzy center. Place each artichoke half in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up 8 months. Reheat by thawing under refrigeration and warm to eat.
More Artichoke Recipes
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
How to Cook A Whole Artichoke (without a steamer basket)
Equipment
- 1 medium to large pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 4 artichokes
- 2-4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the Top Off. Next, you'll cut the very top of the artichoke off. This will vary by artichoke, but you'll probably want to cut around one-quarter of the top off.
- Cut the Stem Off. You'll cut the stem off, creating a flat bottom so that the artichoke will sit flat in the pan.
- Snip the Remaining Pointy Ends. You should have a few rows left of whole leaves. You'll want to snip the pointy ends, so they don't poke people when they try to remove them and eat them!
- Pull-Apart Artichoke. Now that you have them prepped, you'll want to slightly pull at the sides to widen them and create space, making them cook more evenly.
- Boil Water. Fill a pan with a lid about one-quarter of the way full. Salt the water and bring to a boil.
- Cook Artichokes. Using tongs, add your artichokes into the boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and cover with the lid. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your artichoke, but most need at least 30 minutes. Larger artichokes can take up around 45-55 minutes.
- Check For Doneness. The outer AND middle leaves should pull off VERY easily like you barely pull, and they come off. A fork or skewer should also easily pierce the bottom.
Video
Nutrition
Carolyn says
What about the actual “choke”? Shouldn’t that be removed before consuming?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Well yes. If you are going to eat it with just peeling off the leaves around then you won't accidentally consume the choke part. But, yes, it does need to be removed. I feel like this is a great topic for a follow up post - how to eat an artichoke!