How To Cook Artichokes In The Microwave - Savory Tooth

• Skip to content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Summary: This is one of my favorite low carb appetizers, and is excellent when paired with a garlic mayo dipping sauce. Cooking artichokes in the microwave is easy and convenient compared to stovetop or oven methods. Includes notes on selecting, preparing, and eating artichokes.

Microwaving Artichokes

4.6 from 7 votes PRINT PIN EMAIL Prep: 10 minutes mins Cook: 10 minutes mins Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 2 fresh artichokes (Note 1)
• ▢ 1/2 cup water

Dipping Sauce:

• ▢ 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

Optional Toppings:

• ▢ olive oil
• ▢ ground black pepper and sea salt
• ▢ dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

• Prepare Artichokes: Rinse artichokes. Snap off and discard any errant outer leaves on stems. Snip off any large thorns on leaves using kitchen shears. Saw off and discard top-third of leaves (inedible leaves furthest from stem) using serrated knife. Cut off and discard lower part of stem, leaving at least 1 inch attached to artichoke (Note 2).
• Cook Artichokes: Place both artichokes in microwave-safe dish with water. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes for small artichokes or 9 minutes for medium to large artichokes (Note 3). Artichokes are done when outer leaves can be easily pulled off and toothpick can be inserted into stem with little resistance. If not done, microwave for another minute and test for doneness again. Set artichokes aside until cool enough to handle.
• Make Dipping Sauce: Whisk or vigorously stir all dipping sauce ingredients in medium mixing bowl until very smooth, with no mayonnaise clumps remaining. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Serve: Slice cooled artichokes in half, through stem, handling carefully to avoid breaking off tender leaves. Scoop out and discard fuzzy needle-like white centers and purple leaves from each artichoke half using spoon. Arrange artichokes on serving plates. Optionally, lightly brush cut surfaces with olive oil and season with pepper, salt, and thyme. Serve with prepared dipping sauce and empty plate for discarded leaves (Note 4).

NUTRITION

Makes 2 Servings

Amount Per Serving (1 artichoke with dip):

Calories 410 (83% from fat)
Total Fat 37g	57%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 1020mg	43%
Net Carb 6g
Total Carb 13.5g	5%
Dietary Fiber 7.5g	29%
Sugars 1.5g
Protein 4g

Vitamin A 4% · Vitamin C 26% · Calcium 5% · Iron 9%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Selecting Artichokes. Use globe artichokes, which are green, round, and large (about 1 pound each), not the elongated types. They should be fresh, whole, and raw, available in the produce section of grocery stores, not canned or pre-cooked. Select ones with tightly formed leaves and a vibrant green color, avoiding any that look dry, have very woody stems, or have loose or split leaves. Ideally, the artichoke should have at least 1 inch of stem still attached. Artichokes are in season from March to May, although you can find them in many U.S. grocery stores year-round. Selecting fresh, high quality artichokes makes a huge difference in this dish; if you select a bad artichoke, it can taste dry or tough even if you nail all of the cooking steps. Once you bring your artichokes home, store them unwashed in a produce bag in the fridge. Plan to use them within a few days. (2) Preparing Artichokes. You should cut off only the brown woody part of the stem. Try to leave intact as much of the green stem as possible because it’s one of the most delicious and tender parts of a cooked artichoke. (3) Microwaving. The artichokes are cooked in the microwave by effectively steaming until tender. For 2 artichokes, it takes 8 minutes (small artichokes) to 9 minutes (medium to large artichokes). For 1 artichoke, it takes 6 to 7 minutes. For 3 artichokes, it takes 11 to 12 minutes. Since microwaves vary, the best way to know if artichokes are done is to perform the leaf and toothpick tests described in the instructions. (4) Serving. To eat, peel off one leaf at a time (starting with the outermost leaves), dip into the sauce, and use your teeth to scrape off the meat of the leaf. Repeat until all of the leaves are gone. Only the heart and stem should remain (the best parts); the heart is completely edible, and the stem is edible if it’s tender and not too woody. For leftovers, cover and refrigerate, reheating using the microwave. (5) Other Cooking Methods. Microwaving is the fastest way to cook artichokes, and for some people, the most convenient. Other methods include boiling and pressure cooking, which may produce better and more consistent results.

More Appetizers

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Garlic Knots

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

How To Cook Artichokes Perfectly Every Time

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at [email protected].

Previous Post: « Instant Pot Pork TenderloinNext Post: Instant Pot Split Pea Soup » 4000 Did you make this? Rate this recipe: Did you make this? Rate this recipe: 4000 Did you make this? Rate this recipe: Did you make this? Rate this recipe: newest oldest most voted Mimi

Well this is a new one for me! I would never have thought to cook artichokes in the microwave! I usually steam mine as opposed to boiling them so they don’t get water-logged, but I can’t wait to try your method! My dijonnaise-style mayo is exactly like yours!!!!

Vote Up7Vote Down Reply7 years agoMeredith

Thank you for the microwave tips and times for cooking!!❤️

Vote Up5Vote Down Reply6 years agoEliza Cheesborough

This is a tasty addition to the recipe book for artichoke lovers. I really liked microwaving them rather than stove-top steaming, esp. in the heat of summer with a gas stove. Much quicker and cooler! And the dipping sauce is very good. As a variation, I would recommend substituting yellow curry for dijon mustard, and garlic powder for minced. It makes a nice variation. I found the (optional) black pepper and thyme a bit superfluous with the dipping sauce. But what a nice way to kick off artichoke season! Thank you very much for posting.

Vote Up3Vote Down Reply4 years agoMary K. Collen

I use mayo,curry,lemon peel and minced garlic with seed mustard and a smidge of anchovies paste its delicious.

Vote Up3Vote Down Reply4 years agoKaren Frattali

Agreed it’s 113 here today and thought of using my stove just isn’t happening ! Came out perfect and the dipping sauce was yummy ! Thank you

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply3 years agoMelissa

It worked! And dinner was served 30 minutes earlier than it would have been cooking the ‘chokes in the steam basket. Thank you for the time saver!

Vote Up3Vote Down Reply4 years agoemmae

Yum! Thank you for this. I love artichokes, too. I’m looking forward to browsing your recipes for other vegetarian ones 🙂

Vote Up3Vote Down Reply6 years agoNan

So much easier and perfect every time! Thanks!

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply4 years agoChelsea

Not sure what kind of subatomic microwaves y’all have but it took over an hour of microwaving with basting every 10 minutes. Worked in the end though

Vote Up-3Vote Down Reply4 years ago

Primary Sidebar

Trending Recipes This Month:

Mushroom Cheeseburger Casserole

Pan-Seared Swordfish

Ground Beef & Broccoli Casserole

Easy Shrimp Avocado Salad with Tomatoes

Fried Cabbage and Potatoes with Bacon

Footer

About

Terms And Conditions Privacy Policy

Search

Search this website MENU

• Home
• Recipes By Course
  • Mains: Poultry
  • Mains: Beef
  • Mains: Pork
  • Mains: Seafood
  • Mains: Lamb
  • Mains: Vegetable
  • Appetizers
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Breakfast
  • Salads and Dressings
  • Soups
  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Sauces and Dips
• Recipe Collections
  • Instant Pot
  • Low Carb
  • Asian Takeout
  • One Pan Meals
• Boston Restaurant Reviews