Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (2024)

Perfectly tender roasted artichokes, prepared Mediterranean-style with olive oil, capers and a garlic vinaigrette.

Once you've learned a few simple tips to clean and prepare artichokes, you'll be making this roasted artichoke recipe all the time!

Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (1)

I always keep jars of marinated artichoke hearts in my pantry. They’re convenient and can add a bit of something special to your pasta, salad, or even an egg casserole.

And I’m just as in love with beautiful fresh globe artichokes!

Artichokes are loaded with nutrition like vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, but we often overlook them because they can be intimidating to buy and cook. But they’re actually not!

There are a few key steps (below) to prepare artichokes for cooking, but once you nail those, you're on your way to making the best artichoke recipe.

Artichoke recipe with a Mediterranean twist

These beautiful tender roasted artichokes are next-level delicious, thanks to bright Mediterranean flavors.

The flavor makers here include Greek extra virgin olive oil to aid the roasting, and then a tangy garlic and dill vinaigrette. I ended up using the garlic cloves that have been roasted right with the artichokes, win-win!

With little effort, this roasted artichoke recipe can make a special appetizer to start your dinner (I especially love this to start a lemony salmon dinner or chicken). Or, if you're short on time, you can opt for the canned variety, like with this canned roasted artichoke hearts recipe.

Let’s cover a few important basics, first.

Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (2)

How to select artichokes?

Part of the issue many people run into is buying good fresh artichokes to begin with. Prime season for artichokes is from March to May and then again in October and November. Here are a few tips:

  • Select artichokes that are heavy for their size
  • Artichoke leaves should be deep in color and tightly gathered together (not spread out)
  • The size does not matter as far as taste or quality, but a smaller artichoke will cook more quickly
  • To test for freshness, give the artichoke a bit of a squeeze, it should make a squeaky noise like a brand new sneaker

What is the best way to cook artichokes?

There are a number of ways to cook artichokes. You can boil or steam them, braise and stuff them, cook them in the pressure cooker, or roast them. Many possibilities. What is the right artichoke recipe for you?

Personally, my favorite is roasted artichokes with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Roasting in the oven allows the artichokes to develop some deep and nutty flavors. They are so delicate and delicious.

One thing makes all the difference: warp them in aluminum foil!

Wrapping the artichoke halves in foil helps the vegetable cells to release moisture and traps the steam so that keeps the leaves moist so the artichokes are cooked to tender perfection.

How to prepare artichokes for roasting?

For this baked artichoke recipe, there are a few simple steps to prepare the artichokes before roasting

  • First, cut the stem (some people peel it, so you can do that if you’d like to keep the stem on)
  • Remove the tough layers. Peel the outer layers off by hand until you reach the inner more tender layers (they’re usually lighter in color)
  • Trim the sharp tips. Use a serrated knife to cut off about ¾ of an inch from the top of the artichoke. Use kitchen shears to trim off any pokey tips from the lower leaves.
  • Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise
  • Remove the fuzzy choke. Use a paring knife to remove
Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (3)

Once you’ve followed the steps to prepare them, what’s left to make this roasted artichoke recipe is to season the artichoke hearts, place each in a large enough piece of aluminum foil, place a garlic clove in each half and drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.

Be sure to wrap the foil packets around the artichokes well and then roast in the oven for about 40 minutes until perfectly tender.

That garlic you roasted along with the artichokes becomes a part of a tasty vinaigrette to finish the roasted artichokes.

I love adding some capers, shallots, and crumbled feta to complete this Mediterranean artichoke recipe.

How to eat roasted artichokes?

It may sound silly to talk about exactly how to eat roasted artichokes, but it’s not as obvious just by looking at them.

The roasted artichoke leaves are edible, you must peel them off by hand and scrape them with your teeth to eat the tender parts and discard the remaining petal (they need to be cool enough to handle). If you need a dipping sauce, set some of the tasty roasted garlic and dill vinaigrette aside for that.

Roasted artichoke hearts are edible and you can use your fork and knife to cut through and enjoy.

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Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (4)

Mediterranean Roasted Artichoke Recipe

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5 from 29 reviews

  • Author: Suzy Karadsheh
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 6
Print Recipe

Description

Mediterranean roasted artichoke recipe with capers and roasted garlic-dill vinaigrette. Perfectly tender and

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 large globe artichokes
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil)
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • Crumbled feta cheese to taste

For the Vinaigrette

  • Same 6 garlic cloves roasted earlier with the artichoke (see above ingredients)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. To clean artichokes, first, cut off the stem/stalk. Peel off the tough outer layers by hand. When you reach the softer layers, use a serrated knife to cut off about ¾ inches from the top. Now, cut artichoke in half length-wise. Then, using a spoon, remove the fuzzy choke on the inside.Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (5)
  3. As you clean the inside of each artichoke half, immediately add ½ teaspoon lemon juice to cover the surface to prevent the artichoke from discoloring.
  4. On a large baking sheet, place each artichoke half in a piece of lightly-oiled foil paper that is large enough to fold around.
  5. Season artichokes with salt and pepper, and nestle 1 garlic clove in the center of each artichoke half. Drizzle generously with quality olive oil (it's okay if some of the olive oil pools in the center or overflows onto the foil). Close the foil around artichokes.
  6. Roast in the 400 degrees F heated-oven for 40 minutes.Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (6)
  7. Carefully open the foil pouches using tongs. Remove the roasted garlic from the center of artichoke, and close the foils back until ready to serve. Let garlic cool.
  8. In the bowl of a small food processor, add the roasted garlic with the remaining vinaigrette ingredients. Pulse until smooth.
  9. Remove the artichokes from foil. Arrange on a serving platter, generously drizzle the roasted garlic-dill vinaigrette. Top with shallots, capers and crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Visit our online shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and all-natural and organic spices.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2017 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit. Enjoy!

I'm Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I'm all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you're here...
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Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe (Mediterranean style) | The Mediterranean Dish (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to cook artichokes? ›

How to Boil Artichokes
  1. Fill a pot large with enough water to cover the artichokes; season the water with salt. ...
  2. Bring the water to a boil.
  3. Add the artichokes in a single layer; reduce water to a simmer, cover and cook until a leave can be easily pulled off, 20 to 35 minutes.
  4. Drain the artichokes.
Nov 15, 2021

Is it better to boil or roast artichokes? ›

What is the proper way to cook an artichoke? You can boil, bake and grill artichokes, however we consider steaming to be the easiest and tastiest method of cooking them as it results in a good level of moisture. Boiling will also ensure a soft texture however, if you prefer this method.

What not to eat on an artichoke? ›

Pull off and eat the individual petals from the cooked artichoke, marking your way down to the heart of the artichoke. 4. When you get to the heart of the artichoke, you will notice the fuzzy hair layer referred to as the "choke". This part of the artichoke is not edible.

What is the healthiest way to eat artichokes? ›

Some people choose to peel away the petals of the artichoke and only eat the center, or "heart.” However, some of the best nutrients are concentrated in the leaves. To get the full health benefits, you can pull the leaves off the artichoke and scrape off the meaty part with your teeth.

Why do you soak artichokes in water? ›

If your artichokes are going to sit out for more than a few minutes before cooking, submerge them in a large bowl of acidulated water (water plus the juice of one lemon) to keep them from oxidizing.

Are jarred artichokes as healthy as fresh? ›

You'll find similar nutritional benefits in canned or marinated artichoke hearts. However, the liquid or oil they're stored in may add extra calories, sodium and fat.

Are roasted artichokes good for you? ›

Loaded with nutrients

Artichokes are packed with powerful nutrients. Artichokes are low in fat while rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Particularly high in folate and vitamin C, they also supply important minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium ( 2 ).

Why do my artichokes taste bitter? ›

Artichokes require trimming, and lots of it. Do not skimp or you can wind up with bitter, tough, poorly-cooked artichokes. Not only that, if you miss the thorns on the bract tips, it hurts! NEVER skimp on scraping out the choke.

Why can't you eat the stem of the artichoke? ›

The stem is edible too, so don't toss' em out. Just peel them to get to the tender center. The stem is as tasty as the heart, so worth it.

Do you eat all of a fried artichoke? ›

While other countries usually eat the leaves and discard the stalk, in Rome we usually trim the hard, outer leaves along with the base and exterior part of the stem before preparing and cooking the artichokes whole, making the result fully edible (many Romans believe the stem, or gambo, to be the best, most flavorsome, ...

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