Instant Pot steamed artichokes

Quick and easy Instant Pot steamed artichokes! These pressure cooker artichokes are super speedy and cook perfectly every time.

Hello, Rhubarbarians! Here we are with yet ANOTHER Instant Pot recipe. I’m growing pretty darn fond of this handy kitchen gadget. I just can’t get enough Instant Pot baked potatoes, but with the sun starting to shine I need a lighter go-to veggie: INSTANT POT STEAMED ARTICHOKES!

Man, I friggin love love love artichokes. I remember being so excited about them when I was a kid, back in my unconventional household where an artichoke was dinner. I definitely wasn’t complaining. These days, I still love them. But we eat them as more of a side dish than a meal, LOL!

Steaming artichokes in the Instant Pot has become my absolute favorite way to cook them. It only takes 30 minutes to cook them from start to finish (including time to come to pressure) and you can cook 3-4 of them at a time. Gone are the days of steaming 2 small artichokes on the stove top for 45 minutes to an hour!

How to prep an artichoke for steaming

Steamed artichokes are, in my opinion, best cooked and served whole. That way you can make your way around the artichoke eating all the leaves and enjoy a whole artichoke heart to yourself (ahem… is there anything better?).

To prep a whole artichoke for steaming, start by using a large serrated knife like a bread knife. The leaves can be really tough to cut through so you need something that will really get the job done.

• Cut the stem down to about 1/2″
• Slice about the top 1/3rd off the top of the artichoke. You won’t be eating the tops of the leaves and they can be very sharp.
• If the remaining leaf tips are sharp, snip those off with some kitchen scissors.

Watch this video on how to prepare an artichoke if you need a visual.

How to steam artichokes in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker

• You’ll need to grab the steamer rack that came with your Instant Pot. Place that in the bottom of your pot along with 2 cups of water.
• Decide if you’re going to use aromatics. They aren’t necessary, but can add a lot of brightness and flavor to your artichokes. I recommend this if you aren’t going to use a dipping sauce. Just add a squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a bay leaf, and a bit of salt to the water.
• Add your artichokes to the pot stem side up.
• Pressure cook. For small artichokes, 9 minutes. For medium artichokes, 12 minutes. For large artichokes, 15 minutes.
• Manually release the pressure and serve plain or with your fave dipping sauce!

So, how do you eat these things?

Artichokes can be a bit of a mystery if you’ve never eaten one before! I realized this quickly when I served one to my two year old last week, LOL!

• Start by eating the outermost leaves. Gently pull off a leaf and it should leave a soft, pulpy portion at the base. Place the base of the leaf in your mouth and pull the leaf through your teeth, removing that portion. Discard the leaf and continue eating the leaves this way until the leaves get translucent and the pulpy portion is no longer on the leaves.
• Now you’ll have to clean up the heart. Use a small spoon to remove the translucent leaves and the artichoke hair that’s left in the center. When all the hair is cleaned up, you’ll be left with what’s called the artichoke heart. This is the best part!
• The entire heart is edible. Either cut into pieces or pick up with your fingers and enjoy.

Dipping sauces for artichokes

I enjoy eating artichokes plain, but for a truly impressive appetizer or side dish, you’ll want to have some dipping options.

• Melted butter
• Mayonnaise
• Lemon juice (with a bit of honey added, optional)
• Spicy garlic mustard
• Magic artichoke dipping sauce
• Vegan cilantro crema

Is a steamed artichoke an appetizer or a side dish?

It can be either one! We usually eat them with dinner alongside some spring pasta or a veggie burger. But they make amazing appetizers as well! There’s something kind of fun about sharing an artichoke or two.

Here’s a pro-tip:

Make sure you have a large bowl for the discarded leaves! They can pile up very quickly.

Instant Pot steamed artichokes recipe

5 from 8 votes

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Instant Pot steamed artichokes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Quick and easy Instant Pot steamed artichokes! These pressure cooker artichokes are super speedy and cook perfectly every time.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, vegetable

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot, pressure cooker

Servings: 3 artichokes

Calories: 60 kcal

Author: Trish Bozeman

Ingredients

• 3 medium fresh artichokes, prepped
• 2 cups water
• fresh lemon juice, bay leaf, and/or a bit of salt (optional)
• dipping sauce of your choice (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the water to your Instant Pot and insert a steamer rack. If desired for aromatics, add the lemon juice, bay leaf, and a bit of salt. Place your artichokes stem side up evenly inside the pot. It's ok to stack them.

2. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes*. When the timer goes off, hit cancel. Manually release the pressure with the pressure valve. 

3. Remove the artichokes with tongs and serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Recipe Notes

The cook time includes 13 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.

*cook times will vary. Try 9 minutes for small or halved artichokes, 12 minutes for medium, and 15 for large.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot steamed artichokes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60

% Daily Value*

Sodium 128mg5%

Potassium 473mg14%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 61mg6%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you make this recipe, please let me know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag me on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands that I recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!

Hope you try out these Instant Pot steamed artichokes!

Trish

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