Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli are so easy to make and so good for you! A gorgeous vegetable side dish or appetizer for everyday meals or holiday dinners!
We do love our artichokes. We crave our Grandma’s Stuffed Artichokes, filled with sausage and breadcrumbs, or these Cheesy Artichokes filled with tons of garlic and cheese!
How Do You Steam Artichokes?
I find that a lot of people are afraid of artichokes, cooking them at home and even eating them! We both grew up eating artichokes so we have no fear, just love. When you’re making stuffed artichokes, there’s a little more involved but these Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli couldn’t be easier.
All you need to do is trim the stems off of the artichokes and then trim the tops to make it kind of flat like you see here. You can go around and trim the bottom leaves, too if you like, just to get off those pointy ends!
Season the artichokes with salt and pepper and place them into a steamer basket in a large pot. Add water with a splash of wine and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Steam the artichokes for 30-35 minutes until you can grab a leaf and pull it out easily.
Of course you should also test the artichoke at this point, quality control and all that…
The flesh on the artichoke leaf should pull off easily, if it’s firm or tough at all then just steam the artichokes a little longer. The amount of time for steaming will depend on how large your artichokes are, and sometimes we’ve found that different artichokes that we have gotten are just tougher than others.
So like I said, get in there and do some testing to make sure that your steamed artichokes are done!
How Do You Eat Artichokes?
Again, this is something that seems second nature to us since we’ve all been eating them since we were little but I know it does stump some people! SO what you do is pull off a leaf, dip it into a delicious sauce like this garlic aioli and then put the end in your mouth and pull off the flesh.
Seems weird I know, but it’s oh so delicious.
Our boys really prefer to eat their artichokes plain, without the sauce, but we love using this aioli for dipping.
Once you get to the bottom of the artichoke and you’ve eaten all the leaves, you can choose to be done, or you can cut off the fuzzy “choke” at the bottom and eat the artichoke heart. The artichoke heart is very tender and full of flavor, some people think it’s the best part of the artichoke!
What Are Some Other Dipping Sauces That I Can Use For Steamed Artichokes?
If you’re not a mayo fan, then this garlic aioli might not be for you. Again, our boys eat these steamed artichokes plain but if you’re looking for another sauce option, we’ve got some ideas!
- Lemon butter sauce
- Awesome Sauce
- Bearnaise or Hollandaise Sauce
- Basil Pesto
- Any type of vinaigrette
Looking For More Recipes With Artichokes?
- Cheesy Artichoke Bread
- Fried Artichoke Hearts
- Brown Butter Roasted Artichokes
- Sausage Stuffed Artichoke Hearts
- Artichoke Walnut Pesto
Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeSteamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli are an easy, delicious vegetable side dish for everyday meals of holiday dinners!
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper for seasoning
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- Lemon wedges for serving and for soaking the artichokes
For The Garlic Aioli:
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Trim the stems off of the artichokes so that they sit flat. Trim the top third of the artichoke off and place the artichokes upside down in a large pot of water with lemon. Repeat for the rest of the artichokes.
- Soak the artichokes in the lemon water for an hour (can be longer) and then drain them from the water.
- Place the artichokes, stem side down, into a large steamer basket set in a large pot. Fill the bottom of the pot with water, just so that it comes to the bottom of the artichokes and then pour in the wine. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a hard simmer, cover the pot and steam the artichokes for 30-35 minutes until tender. If the liquid in your pot evaporates, just add a splash more of wine and water, or one or the other.
- While the artichokes are steaming, make the garlic aioli by combining the ingredients in a bowl and whisking together. Taste for seasonings and set aside. If you have time to make the aioli ahead of time, it’s always best to let the flavors blend together in the refrigerator!
- When the artichokes are tender, remove them from the pot and tilt the artichokes to drain off any water inside. Serve with the garlic aioli and lemon wedges if desired.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
