Roasted Whole Artichokes

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Artichokes are naturally delicious, so there's no need to add lots of ingredients or prepare them using a complex method. A favorite way to enjoy this nutritious thistle is by simply steaming the whole artichoke and serving with lemon halves and drawn butter or mayonnaise. Although this is traditionally done on the stovetop, tender and delicious artichokes can also be made by roasting in the oven. When each artichoke is wrapped tightly in foil and baked, they essentially steam, concentrating the flavors and resulting in easy-to-pull-off leaves and a soft inner choke. Serve these artichokes any way you like—hot, warm, or chilled.

Simple Roasted Artichoke Recipe

The Spruce

Ingredients

  • 4 large whole artichokes

  • 2 lemons, halved

  • 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Tear off 4 large square pieces of heavy-duty foil. 

  3. Using a serrated knife, cut off the stem of the artichoke where it meets the base. Turn the artichoke around and cut off 1 inch of the top. Quickly rub each artichoke with a cut lemon to keep them from discoloring.

  4. Rub a few drops of olive oil on each piece of foil and place an artichoke stem-side down on top. Stick a clove of garlic into the center of each artichoke and push down an inch or so.

  5. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of each artichoke. Finish by squeezing the half lemon over the top. The lemon juice will "wash" the salt and olive oil down in between the leaves.

    Whole artichoke in foil.
     The Spruce
  6. Gather up the corners of the foil and press together on top to tightly seal the artichoke (like a chocolate kiss). Repeat with the other artichokes.

  7. Place foil-wrapped artichokes in a roasting pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

    Foil-wrapped artichokes.
     The Spruce
  8. Let rest for 20 minutes before unwrapping. Serve hot, or allow to cool or chill before serving. 

    Foil-roasted artichoke.
     The Spruce
  9. Enjoy.

Tip

  • When wrapping the artichokes, you can wrap around a second piece of foil if you don't think you have a tight enough seal. The tight seal helps the steaming process, so we don't want partially wrapped artichokes.

All About Artichokes

Artichokes are a thing of beauty in nature. The artichoke is actually the very large bud of a type of thistle that grows to be 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Artichoke buds that are not harvested bloom as violet-blue flowers. No wonder the artichoke is one of the most visually appealing plants, and is often used as creative kitchen or table decor.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300 Calories
15g Fat
47g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 624mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 15g 53%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 137mg 686%
Calcium 94mg 7%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 855mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)