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Stuffed artichokes are filled with a crunchy and cheesy breadcrumb mixture then baked in the oven. The result is a deliciously tender and crispy appetizer or main dish that has elevated flavor and is super easy to make!
I was actually introduced to artichokes in college. Prior to that, I honestly had not seen what it looked like nor really even tasted it. It’s not something my mom ever bought so when my roommate in college brought these large artichoke buds home, I was so intrigued. She would boil two to three buds in a large pot and then she would just sit at the dining table with some butter and cheese and pull each artichoke leaf off and scraped the leaves between her front teeth to get the meaty part out. She then showed me the heart of the artichoke and why it was called an artichoke. It was incredibly fascinating to me and seemed super labor intensive to just get to the heart, haha
In a similar vein, I know stuffed artichokes can seem like a labor-intensive and difficult recipe to make but trust me when I say I happily found out that they’re very easy to make! In this recipe, large artichoke buds are stuffed with flavorful ingredients and baked until tender. The combination of flavors and ingredients in the stuffed artichokes make it so that it pairs perfectly with the mild taste of artichoke.
What is an artichoke?
An artichoke is an immature flower bud of a thistle (ok, what?! I did not know this, lol). It is eaten as a vegetable in the culinary world. Although delicious, it does take some time to prep this vegetable for eating.
The base of the leaves is edible (which is why my college roommate would peel them off and suck on them for a little bit of the meaty parts). After you’ve removed those leaf layers, you’ll find the choke (which is the hairy center on top of the heart). The heart is the meatiest part of the artichoke, which is why you see jarred artichoke hearts in stores for like salads and such. In general, you clean out the choke because it’s not eaten…hence the name choke. It literally can choke you because of its fuzzy, pointy material.
Why You’ll Love This
- A new vegetable to try. If you’re anything like me and haven’t really dabbled in artichokes yet, these stuffed artichokes are the perfect gateway to all future artichoke recipes!
- Loads of flavor. Stuffed with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon, and spices, these artichokes are definitely not short on flavor!
- Unique way of preparing artichokes. If you’ve only really had artichoke hearts from the jar and in salads, this way of eating artichokes yields less waste and you can actually eat all that is comprised of an artichoke (leaves and heart!).
Ingredients You’ll Need
The star of the dish here is obviously artichoke but there’s also a short ingredient list to make stuffed artichokes. Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.
- Artichokes
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Lemon and lemon zest
- Fresh parsley
- Dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Melted butter
How To Make Stuffed Artichokes
Here is a general overview of the steps involved to prep and make stuffed artichokes. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Prepare and trim the artichoke. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the bowl and save the lemon halves. Cut off the stem so the artichoke can lay flat. Next, trim off at least 1” of the top of the artichoke. Remove the tough, dry leaves around the stem. Then, use kitchen shears to trim off the top of each leaf. Rub the cut parts of the artichoke with the lemon halves. Use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy interior of the artichoke heart, but leave the bottom intact. Place artichoke in lemon water while you repeat with remaining artichokes.
Make the stuffing. In a bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, melted butter, salt and pepper.
Stuff the artichokes. Stuff each artichoke with an equal amount of filling, pulling the larger leaves apart to make sure you get the filling in between each leaf.
Bake. Place the artichokes in a baking dish and fill the dish with water up to the first leaves of the artichoke. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the artichoke is tender.
Tips for Success
To help you make the best stuffed artichokes there is, I’ve got some tips and tricks to guide you through this process. It will make the meal much more satisfying and special!
- Don’t skip on adding water to the baking dish. You want to add water up to the first leaves of the artichoke in the baking dish because this helps steam the artichoke when it’s baking to ensure it evenly cooks.
- Make sure your artichokes are upright in the baking dish. To prevent the breadcrumbs from getting soggy and the artichokes falling over, make sure you have a baking dish that fits the artichokes just well enough. Not too big so they’re all falling over but not too small that you can’t squeeze them all in together.
- Buy artichokes in season. You’ll want to buy artichokes when they’re in season to ensure that they aren’t old and dried out. The best season for artichokes is in the Spring, so March/April.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
If you have any leftovers, wrap them in foil and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, bake covered in the oven on low heat (350 degrees) until warmed through.
What to Serve with Stuffed Artichokes
Stuffed artichokes can easily be a side dish or a main course. Either way you serve it, I highly suggest these dips below. While some may seem out of the ordinary, the artichoke has neutral enough flavors that these dips would enhance the artichoke!
More recipes to try with artichokes
- Spinach and Artichoke Quiche
- Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Pasta with Adobo Cream Sauce
- Add into this salad: Thai Tuna Salad
- Add into this salad: BLT Pasta Salad
Stuffed Artichokes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes, (if yours are on the smaller side, then use five small ones)
- 2 cups (216 g) Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup (114 g) melted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 whole lemon, for preparing the artichokes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C).
- To prepare the artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the bowl and save the lemon halves.
- Trim the artichokes. To do so, cut off the stem so the artichoke can lay flat. Next, trim off at least 1” of the top of the artichoke. Remove the tough, dry leaves around the stem. Then, use kitchen shears to trim off the top of each leaf. Rub the cut parts of the artichoke with the lemon halves
- Use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy interior of the artichoke heart, but leave the bottom intact. Place artichoke in lemon water while you repeat with 3 remaining artichokes.
- In a large bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, melted butter, salt and pepper.
- Stuff each artichoke with an equal amount of filling, pulling the larger leaves apart to make sure you get the filling in between each leaf.
- Place the artichokes in a baking dish and fill the dish with water up to the first leaves of the artichoke (this will steam them so they cook evenly in the oven).
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the artichoke is tender.
