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Artichokes and lemons in an instant pot
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4.80 from 10 votes

Instant Pot Steamed Artichokes

The tender, savory leaves of an artichoke make a great side dish or appetizer, especially when served with your favorite dipping sauce. Steamed Artichokes in the Instant Pot take a fraction of the time compared to steaming them on the stovetop.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Total Time34 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: instant pot, steamed vegetable
Servings: 4
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $6.50

Equipment

  • 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker
  • Instant Pot Trivet (usually comes with the pressure cooker)

Ingredients

  • 2 large Artichokes (see note)
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 Lemon, halved
  • Dipping Sauce, for serving (like pesto, hollandaise, or garlic butter)

Instructions

  • Prepare artichokes: Rinse and drain artichokes, being sure to rinse between the leaves. Slice off enough of the stem so that the artichokes can sit upright. Slice off the top of the artichokes to remove the thorns at the top of the leaves. (Note: Sometimes all thorns are removed before the artichokes are sold in stores, but if any remain after you sliced off the top, use kitchen shears to remove them) Remove and discard any of the small, tougher leaves near the base of the artichoke.
  • Add water to the bowl of an Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
  • Add the trivet that came with the machine.
  • Place the artichokes on top of the trivet, stem-side down.
  • Squeeze the juice from the lemons over top of the artichokes and then tuck the remaining lemon peels around the artichokes (the lemon peels will continue to flavor the artichokes as they cook).
  • Close and lock the lid.
  • Set the pressure valve to Sealing.
  • Cook on manual / high pressure, using the following timeframes as a guide (use the weight of the heaviest single artichoke as a guide):
    * 8 oz Artichoke - 10 minutes
    * 12 oz Artichoke - 14 minutes
    * 16 oz Artichoke - 18 minutes
  • At the end of the cook time, manually release the pressure.
  • Test one artichoke by peeling off an outer leaf. (The leaf should easily pull away. If it does, the artichokes are done. If not, leave the artichokes to the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Again, manually release pressure.)
  • Serve artichokes with dipping sauce of choice.

Notes

2 large artichokes (about 12 to 16 oz each) is a good amount to be shared by 4 people as a side dish. Alternatively, you can serve one artichoke per person, but aim to get smaller artichokes around 8 to 10 oz each. Try to get artichokes of a similar size so that they finish cooking at the same time, and use the guide in the recipe above to determine how long to steam / pressure cook the artichokes.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg