Roasted Artichokes

This roasted artichoke recipe is my favorite way to cook baby artichokes. Tender and flavorful, they're a delicious appetizer or side dish.

Roasted artichoke recipe

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.

Peeling outer petals off baby artichoke

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.

Hands slicing tough stem off artichoke with knife

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.

Hand peeling artichoke stem with vegetable peeler

After you trim the stem, peel off its tough skin with a vegetable peeler.

Hand cutting off top of artichoke with knife

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.

Baby artichoke halves on a cutting board

Finally, cut the artichoke in half lengthwise. Add it to the bowl of lemon water, and repeat with the remaining baby artichokes.

Bowl of artichokes in lemon water

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!

Baby artichokes cut-side-down in a roasting dish

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.

Plate of roasted artichokes

More Spring Vegetable Recipes

If you love this roasted artichoke recipe, try cooking one of these spring veggies next:

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Roasted Artichokes

rate this recipe:
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
This easy roasted artichoke recipe is a delicious appetizer or side dish! Serve the artichokes with a squeeze of roasted lemon juice, a drizzle of Caesar dressing, or this sauce for dipping.

Ingredients

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.

7 comments

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  1. Michelle Vasiliu
    11.18.2022

    Can I use canned artichokes

    • João Santos
      07.15.2023

      I was wondering this as well!

  2. Dana
    05.22.2021

    Can you envision serving these cold? I am on the hunt for make-ahead appetizers I can easily serve without reheating.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.22.2021

      Hi Dana, yes, you can serve them cold with the dipping sauce.

  3. Magen Scholtens
    05.16.2021

    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?

  4. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    05.11.2021

    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!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.