Cooking artichokes is no joke. The sharp and tiny tips can feel like they’re out to get you, and the cleaning process isn’t for the faint of heart. But, there’s a reason why we put up with the process: grilled artichokes are nothing short of an impressive dream. The roses of the vegetable kingdom, the artichoke’s beautiful look and subtle flavors are well worth the work, especially if you’re looking to impress. This grilled recipe takes the vegetable to a whole other level—read on for how to make it the best it can be:
Top tips for making grilled artichokes:
First things first: As you're cleaning, keep dipping the freshly cut parts into lemon water to slow oxidation and browning. Because of its tough, fibrous nature, most of the cooking happens in the boiling pot: salt the water well (don't be shy!), and be sure the artichoke stem is knife-tender before you drain and cool. The stem is connected to the artichoke heart, where most of the "meat" is, but don't neglect to nibble and ease out the pockets of flavor in the bottom of each leaf!
Need help cutting and cleaning your artichokes? Refer to our photos down below and video above for step-by-step guides!
Serving ideas.
We're pairing the smoky flavors of the grill here with a cool, green pistachio-yogurt cream and adding a little bit of spice and crunch with fried garlic chips and a pistachio-sesame topping. But, you can also serve them plain, with homemade Old Bay mayo to dip with, like we did in our roasted artichokes recipe.
Make it ahead.
If you're in a bit of a time crunch, feel free to make the yogurt cream, fried garlic chips, and pistachio-sesame toppings a a day or two before: store the cream in the fridge and the toppings in air-tight containers. You can also parboil the artichokes in advance and pull them out to grill right before serving—just keep them immersed in the cooking liquid and chilled.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 313
Ingredients
For the artichokes
- 4
large artichokes
- 1
lemon
Kosher salt
- 1/3 c.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 3
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
For the yogurt sauce
- 1 c.
raw pistachios
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 2 tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 c.
plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp.
lemon juice
For the pistachio topping
- 1/2 tsp.
ground coriander
- 1 tbsp.
sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 c.
finely chopped roasted pistachios
Lemon wedges, for serving
Garlic chips, for garnish
Directions
- Step1Clean the artichokes: Fill a large stockpot mostly with water and squeeze in juice of 1 lemon and drop in spent lemon halves. Using kitchen shears, trim off spiny tips of artichoke leaves, periodically dipping cut areas into the lemon water to prevent oxidation. Use a chef’s knife to cut away the top inch of the artichoke and the fibrous bottom ½” of its stem. Peel off tough outer leaves near the stem and use a paring knife or peeler to remove the fibrous skin on the remaining stem. Cut artichoke in half lengthwise and remove furry choke center with a spoon. Remove all purple inner leaves. Rinse under cold water, cleaning out the area surrounding the choke and between the outer leaves. Place cleaned artichokes into lemon water and clean remaining artichokes.
- Step2Place large pot containing artichokes over medium-high heat, add in a small handful kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook, covered, until stems are knife-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
- Step3Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and garlic until garlic turns lightly golden. Remove from heat immediately and sprinkle salt ongarlic chips. Set aside.
- Step4Make the yogurt sauce: In a food processor, process pistachios with salt until very finely ground, then drizzle in oil until smooth paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in yogurt and lemon juice.
- Step5Make the pistachio topping: In a small skillet over medium heat, toast coriander, sesame, salt, and pepper until fragrant and lightly golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in pistachios, salt, and pepper.
- Step6Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush artichokes with garlic oil all over and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on grill and cook until lightly charred on one side, 5 to 7minutes. Flip and continue to cook until charred on second side, 5 minutes more.
- Step7Serve artichokes with a squeeze of lemon, a dollop of yogurt sauce, and a sprinkle of pistachio topping and crushed garlic chips.
June Xie
Former Senior Food Producer
June Xie is the former Senior Food Producer for Delish, where she hosted recipe videos and the wildly popular YouTube show, Budget Eats. She previously worked in numerous restaurant kitchens throughout NYC before first joining Delish as our Test Kitchen Assistant and chief baking expert with a passion for bread dough, peanut butter, whipped cream, and gluten free cookies. She also loves staring at alpacas.
