This roasted artichoke recipe is my favorite way to cook baby artichokes. Tender and flavorful, they're a delicious appetizer or side dish.
I make this roasted artichoke recipe whenever I see baby artichokes at the farmers market or grocery store. I have a soft spot for anything mini – from cherry tomatoes and peppers to skillets and spoons – so whenever the little, purple-streaked artichokes catch my eye, I can’t resist buying them.
They’re super cute, of course, but they have other advantages too. If you’ve ever cooked full-sized globe artichokes, you know that you need to scoop out the fuzzy choke inside the artichoke heart. That’s not the case here: once you peel off a baby artichoke’s outer leaves, you can eat the whole thing. As a result, baby artichokes are quicker and easier to prep. Fine by me!
You’ll find a step-by-step guide to preparing baby artichokes below, along with the roasted artichoke recipe that I nearly always use to cook them. They come out of the oven tender and lightly browned, with a bold, bright flavor from lots of lemon juice. Serve them as an appetizer or side dish, with an extra squeeze of lemon juice or a tasty sauce for dipping.
How to Roast Artichokes
Artichokes oxidize quickly, so whenever you’re working with them, keep lemons handy to prevent browning. When I cook large artichokes, I rub them with lemon juice directly, but in this roasted artichoke recipe, I toss the prepared baby artichokes into lemon water instead.
So, first thing’s first! Fill a large bowl with water, and squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Cut the lemon into quarters, and drop them into the water.
Next, prepare the artichokes. Start by peeling the tough, dark outer leaves off a baby artichoke. Keep peeling until you reach leaves that are a bright yellow-green.
Then, trim the stem. You don’t need to cut off much! The artichoke stem is meaty and flavorful, so save as much of it as you can.
After you trim the stem, peel off its tough skin with a vegetable peeler.
Then, cut off the top of the artichoke. Trim off about 1/2 inch, so that all the exposed leaves are flat across the top.
Finally, cut the artichoke in half lengthwise. Add it to the bowl of lemon water, and repeat with the remaining baby artichokes.
You’re ready to cook! Drain the artichokes, and place them in a large baking dish. Add a fresh quartered lemon, and toss everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange the artichokes cut-side-down, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and roast at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, until the artichokes are tender. Enjoy!
Roasted Artichoke Serving Suggestions
Serve the baked artichoke halves as an appetizer or side dish, along with the roasted lemon wedges for squeezing. They’re also delicious with a dipping sauce. I love them with this creamy artichoke dipping sauce, but they’d be excellent with Homemade Caesar Dressing or a simple lemon butter sauce, too!
Want to make this roasted artichoke recipe a meal? No problem. Baked artichokes are a great addition to salads and pastas. Try adding them to this Roasted Artichoke Salad or tossing them into my Artichoke Pasta or Easy Pesto Pasta.
More Spring Vegetable Recipes
If you love this roasted artichoke recipe, try cooking one of these spring veggies next:
- How to Cook Asparagus
- Roasted Asparagus
- Grilled Asparagus
- Roasted Radishes
- How to Use Radish Greens
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- What are Leeks? (And How to Cook Them)
- What is Fennel? (And How to Cook It)
Roasted Artichokes
Ingredients
- 2 lemons, quartered, divided
- 8 fresh baby artichokes
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- Artichoke Dipping Sauce, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Fill a large bowl with water, and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Add the squeezed lemon wedges to the water.
- Prepare the artichokes: Peel off 3 to 4 layers of the dark green outer leaves on the first baby artichoke. Stop when the leaves turn a light yellow-green. Use a paring knife to trim off the end of the stem, then use a vegetable peeler to peel away any leaves or tough skin on the remaining stem. Cut 1/2-inch off the top of the artichoke, and slice it in half lengthwise. Transfer the halved artichoke to the lemon water, and repeat with the remaining artichokes.
- Roast the artichokes: Drain the artichokes and discard the squeezed lemon wedges. Add the artichokes and the remaining lemon wedges to a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the artichokes and lemon wedges cut side down, and cover the pan with foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the artichoke leaves are tender and the cut sides are lightly browned.
- Serve with the roasted lemons and Artichoke Dipping Sauce, if desired.
Can I use canned artichokes
I was wondering this as well!
Can you envision serving these cold? I am on the hunt for make-ahead appetizers I can easily serve without reheating.
Hi Dana, yes, you can serve them cold with the dipping sauce.
Have you tried this roasting with normal sized artichokes? Our grocery store didn’t have baby ones and I really want to make the artichoke pasta you posted?
Hi Magen, here’s how I prepare globe artichokes: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-cook-artichokes/
You could follow this and use the hearts in the pasta (you’ll just need a lot of artichokes).
thank you, I generally avoid artichokes because they’re such a pain to eat and deal with, have never worked with baby artichokes, so I really appreciate the inspiration!