These Instant Pot steamed artichokes are tender, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. Pressure cooking dramatically cuts down the cooking time while delivering perfectly cooked artichokes with minimal effort. Finished with lemon and served with melted butter or a simple dipping sauce, this Instant Pot artichoke recipe works beautifully as a healthy side dish or a classic appetizer for any occasion.
The Instant Pot doesn’t always meant that dinner happens in an “instant.” Some recipes can take just as long as the regular version when it comes down to it. It takes time for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot, so cooking time needs to also take into account the time for that pressure to build before the actual timer begins.
The more you have in the pot, the longer it takes for the pressure to build…
But in this case, these Instant Pot steamed artichokes are a total time saver.
Because there’s only a cup of water in the pot, that pressure builds super quick. And while steamed artichokes can take up to 45 minutes on the stovetop, these Instant Pot steamed artichokes only take about 15 minutes, add another 5 minutes or so for that pressure to build… So, 20 minutes total!
That’s like half the time. And that’s the perfect amount of time to make some of my yummy “magic” artichoke dipping sauce.
Serve these artichokes as an appetizer, or as a side dish. They’re perfect with some roasted chicken, chicken piccata, or a pasta dish.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Artichokes – You can use small, medium or large artichokes. More on that below ↓↓↓
- Garlic & Lemon Juice – These add flavor to your artichokes, but they’re optional.
- Salt
- Water
- Artichoke Dipping Sauce – Optional, but so delicious! Or, try dipping it into some browned butter.
How to make them
Here’s the game plan: I trim my artichokes with a serrated knife, add a bit of garlic, lemon and salt to the pot, and place them on a trivet or steamer basket, cut side down (stem side up).
By placing them stem side up, it means that the water won’t drop down into the leaves and they steam away, instead, with the cut side down, the water will drip out of them as they become tender inside, meaning your artichokes won’t get waterlogged.
Also, I feel like all that pressure in the pot really helps those flavors to soak into the artichokes. I don’t have any scientific evidence to back me on this, but I really do think it makes a difference!!!
Once the cook time is up, quick release the pressure by turning the release valve. Use tongs or a large spoon to remove the artichokes from the pressure cooker and serve with melted butter or this yummy artichoke dipping sauce.
Just look at these beauties! ↓↓↓
How long to cook artichokes in the instant pot
- Small Artichokes – 5 Minutes
- Medium Artichokes – 10 Minutes
- Large Artichokes – 15 Minutes
TIP: Sometimes I will make a big batch of these in the Instant Pot – As many as will fit a single layer (3 large artichokes, or 4 small-ish ones) and then I’ll reheat them on a hot grill. Just cut them in half and let them get a bit charred on a hot grill (or grill pan). They take on a bit of a smoky flavor and reheat perfectly this way!
NOTE: The artichokes were flipped over at the end for photography purposes. This may be a bit misleading. They were in fact cooked stem side up in the Instant Pot.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Artichokes (like asparagus) can be notoriously difficult to pair with wine. The pairings that I’ve found work best are Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, or a light, fruity red wine, such as a Beaujolais.
More easy side dishes
More instant pot recipes
Did you try this instant pot artichoke recipe?
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PS – Be sure to try this “magic” artichoke dipping sauce! Plus, if you can’t get enough artichokes, check out my air fryer artichoke hearts too!
Full Recipe
Instant Pot Artichokes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-4 artichokes
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 lemon wedges
- Salt
- Dipping sauce
Instructions
- Prepare artichokes for steaming: Snap off tough outer leaves. Cut off the top 1/3 of artichoke. Snip remaining sharp or spiky tips using kitchen shears. Trim stem of artichoke.
- Add 1 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 2 lemon wedges and a couple pinches of salt to your Instant Pot.
- Place artichokes in a single layer on the steamer basket, stem side up. Close lid and set the vent to “sealing”.
- Select “Manual” mode, leave the setting on High Pressure, and adjust the time based on the size of your artichokes: 5 minutes for small, 10 minutes for medium, 15 minutes for large. When the time is up, turn the vent to “venting” for a quick pressure release.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2023 to add new photographs and content. The instapot artichokes recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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