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Roasted artichokes are a game-changer—simple, elegant, and packed with flavor! With zesty lemon, fragrant garlic, and a creamy herb-packed sauce, these artichokes turn into a deliciously tender dish that’s perfect as a side or a stand-alone appetizer. If you’ve ever been intimidated by cooking artichokes, don’t worry—I’ll walk you through the easy steps to roast them to perfection. Whether you’re making them for a cozy dinner at home or impressing guests at a gathering, this recipe will get five stars from everyone. Get ready to fall in love with this Mediterranean-inspired favorite!
Master the art of roasting artichokes for a perfect flavor and texture. Although artichokes are often overlooked, they really are a tasty option. You’ll love this dish!
You might also like to try this baked artichoke dip, these artichoke and spinach stuffed mushrooms, or perhaps this Mediterranean chicken dish.
Why You’ll Love It
So delicious: The artichokes are complemented with fresh lemon juice and zest, garlic and shallot, along with a beautiful creamy garlic sauce and delicious caper and herb garnish.
Makes a tasty change: It’s all too easy to make the same side dishes all the time, so it’s nice to find something new and different to keep mealtimes fresh.
Easy to prepare: Even a newbie in the kitchen can make this recipe. It’s simple to cook artichokes to perfection.
It’s good for you: Artichokes are a healthy ingredient too, making this recipe nutritious as well as delicious.
Gluten-free: There’s no gluten in this dish.
Herb Butter Artichoke Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Artichokes: Choose artichokes that seem heavy for their size, are vibrant green and have tightly packed leaves. Ones that seem light might be dried out and less meaty. Loose leaves can also mean an older artichoke. Snip off the sharp tips using kitchen scissors.
Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest is wonderful with the fresh artichoke flavor. And lemon wedges are good to serve on the side.
Aromatics: Add accents of flavor with garlic and shallot.
Sour cream and mayo: The basis of the creamy garlic sauce.
Fresh herbs: Mint, parsley and dill add fragrant flavor to this dish.
Capers: These add a briny pop of flavor to the recipe.
How to Make Herb Roasted Artichoke Hearts
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the artichokes: Snip off the sharp tips and the pointed parts on top of the artichoke, and trim the stem, peeling it also. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and rub lemon juice over them. Remove and discard the fuzzy part of each artichoke and squeeze lemon juice into the hollowed out parts. Add the artichoke halves and garlic to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything and drizzle with oil.
Roast the artichokes: Add minced shallots to the hollows in each artichoke half, flip the artichokes and fresh garlic over, and add olive oil, salt and pepper to the other side. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until tender. Remove the foil and cook until browned.
Make the creamy garlic sauce: Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl and mash with the sour cream, mayo, fresh herbs, fresh lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble the dish: Serve the artichoke halves hot, with capers, chopped fresh herbs and lemon wedges on the platter too. You can grind some salt and black pepper over the dish before serving or just let people season their own.
Substitutions and Variations
Spice it up: You can use chili flakes, Aleppo pepper or even hot sauce to add some extra heat.
Boil the artichokes instead: Boil the artichokes and roast the shallots and garlic separately. After boiling the halved artichokes, remember to sprinkle with salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice over, and top with the shallots.
Vegan version: Replace the mayonnaise and sour cream with your favorite vegan versions.
Herbs: Any herbs work great with artichokes. You can substitute or add in fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh oregano – whatever your heart desires!
Creamy garlic sauce: If you don’t want the sauce, you can serve your baked artichokes with melted butter or a melted butter sauce and maybe some grated parmesan cheese, or just serve your preferred dipping sauce with the artichokes.
Serving Suggestions
As a side dish: Pair these roasted artichokes with a tasty coffee-rubbed steak, chicken Milanese or pistachio-crusted salmon.
As the main course: Enjoy this recipe as a vegetarian main dish, perhaps paired with hibachi rice or a smashed potato salad.
How to Store Mediterranean Roasted Artichokes
Store: The roasted artichokes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Although you could freeze the artichokes, they’ll probably thaw out with a mushy texture so I’d recommend making this recipe fresh each time.
Reheat: To reheat, you can either steam them for 10 minutes or wet a paper towel and place it over the artichokes on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until they reach your desired temperature.
Top Tips
Choosing fresh artichokes: When you squeeze an artichoke, the leaves should “squeak” – this is a sign of freshness.
Trim your artichokes: Don’t forget to cut the top tips on the artichokes, snip off the pointed tips all around it (they can be pretty sharp!) and trim and peel the stems before roasting. You can also discard the small leaves that might be around the base.
Check for doneness: The artichokes are done when the stems are fork tender and the artichoke leaves can be pulled off easily.
Roasted Artichokes FAQs
Eating this hot is highly recommended. However, it can also be enjoyed straight out of the fridge.
Yes, you can. If you can’t find the large artichokes, you can use 6 small ones instead. Still follow the directions as written, but check them after 20 minutes of roasting for doneness. Typically, the smaller they are, the faster they cook.
Roasted Artichokes with Creamy Garlic Herb Sauce Recipe
Roasted Artichokes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Artichokes:
- 3 artichokes, large
- 2 lemons, halved
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ Cup olive oil
- 2 Heads garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1 shallot, small, finely minced
For the Creamy Garlic Sauce:
- ½ Cup sour cream
- ½ Cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons mint, fresh, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, fresh, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons dill, fresh, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- salt and pepper to taste
To Garnish:
- 2 Tablespoons capers, drained but not rinsed
- mint, fresh, roughly chopped
- parsley, fresh, roughly chopped
- 6 Sprigs dill weed
- 6 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the Artichokes:
- Cut just the top tips of the artichokes crosswise, trim the sharp points of the leaves with scissors, trim the stem, and peel the stem while also removing small leaves around the bottom.
- Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and immediately squeeze and rub lemon juice from one lemon all over them.
- Scoop out the fuzzy part of artichokes with a spoon and discard.
- Squeeze the other lemon into the wells of the artichokes.
- Put the artichokes and halved garlic heads cut side up on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Add the finely chopped shallots to the wells of the artichokes.
- Flip both the artichokes and garlic heads over so the cut side is down.
- Oil, salt and pepper the backs of the artichokes.
Roast the Artichokes:
- Cover the entire baking sheet with aluminum foil and roast for 45 minutes or until the artichokes are tender.
- Remove the foil and pop them back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the bottoms of the garlic and artichokes have browned.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the artichokes to a serving platter, scooping any shallots stuck to the bottom onto the tops of the artichokes. Reserve the garlic heads for the sauce.
Make the Creamy Garlic Sauce:
- Squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl, mash with a fork until a paste forms.
- Combine the garlic with the sour cream, mayonnaise, mint, parsley, dill, lemon zest and juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Dish:
- Add capers, roughly chopped mint, parsley, dill sprigs, and lemon wedges to the plate and serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
Trim your artichokes: Don’t forget to cut the top tips on the artichokes, snip off the pointed tips all around it (they can be pretty sharp!) and trim and peel the stems before roasting. You can also discard the small leaves that might be around the base.
Check for doneness: The artichokes are done when the stems are fork tender and the artichoke leaves can be pulled off easily.
Nutrition
Oven roasted artichokes make a delicious side dish or you could even enjoy this recipe as a main dish. The tender artichokes are flavored with fresh lemon and garlic, and they’re served with a lovely creamy garlic dressing that has tangy sour cream and fresh herbs. Garnished with briny capers and more fresh herbs, this delicious dish is sure to delight anyone lucky enough to taste it.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I never knew roasted artichokes could taste this amazing!
Roasting artichokes was easier than I thought—so tender and flavorful!