Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon
These Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon are a great side dish to enjoy during grilling season. Enjoy all the flavor of full sized artichokes without the tough outer leaves or the choke.
This article will teach you everything you need to know about grilling baby artichokes. Don’t be fooled by their unique appearance – grilled baby artichokes are super simple to prepare!
Making these Baby Artichokes on the Grill
I planted two artichoke plants in our garden. I love artichokes but they are always so expensive here.
Occasionally they will go on sale, but most often they are a few dollars each and that just seems crazy! I can’t wait till my plant starts producing some, which I’m guessing probably won’t be until next year.
A couple weeks ago I found a decent deal on baby artichokes. I’ve never prepared baby artichokes before, but they were so pretty that I decided to toss a 1 lb. package into the basket.
I am so glad I did, they were delicious and paired great with our flank steak and grilled potatoes. I will definitely be making this recipe again, and hopefully with my own fresh artichokes!
About Baby Artichokes
Did you know that an artichoke is the edible bud from a thistle flower? Artichokes might feel like they require a lot of prep work, unless you’re buying frozen or canned, but they’re worth it!
Baby artichokes are often available year round, depending on your local grocery store.
However, with their peak season is in the spring, you can often find baby artichokes in farmer’s markets between March and May (depending on where you live – colder climates will likely be later).
A large artichoke make a delicious side dish all on their own – I love them steamed served with aioli for dipping the leaves in. Artichokes are great in pasta dishes, pizzas, and other dishes, too!
For an easier to prep fresh artichoke, try baby artichokes, They don’t have a choke like larger artichokes have, so you won’t have to remove that. These grilled baby artichokes are one of my favorite ways to eat artichokes.
Ingredients to Make Grilled Baby Artichokes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple grilled artichoke recipe:
- Fresh Lemon
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Bay Leaf
- Whole Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Baby Artichokes
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Parmesan Cheese
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Baby Artichokes
Grilling these little artichokes is so easy! The below is a quick summary of this recipe for grilled baby artichokes.
Make sure you check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Prepping Baby Artichokes
First, trim the stems off of the artichokes using a sharp paring knife. Then, remove and discard the tough outer leaves and the thorny tips from the top of the artichoke.
Cooking Baby Artichokes Before Grilling
After prepping the artichokes, bring a large pot of water seasoned with the salt, garlic, bayleaf, and lemon juice to a boil. Then, cook the trimmed baby artichoke in the water until tender. Drain and cool.
Cut each whole baby artichoke in half and remove and discard the fuzzy choke if present. Then, cut the artichoke halves in half again.
Next, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl and whisk. Then, add the tender baby artichokes to the olive oil mixture and let marinate.
Grilling Baby Artichokes
Transfer artichokes, placing the tender flesh cut side down, to the hot grill grates. Grill for about 5 minutes.
How to Serve Baby Artichokes
After grilling, transfer the artichokes to the bowl with the marinade. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with parmesan with extra lemon wedges.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
What to Serve with Grilled Baby Artichokes
This Easy Recipe for Flank Steak Marinade is a family favorite that is perfect for summer grilling nights! Marinating flank steak will infuse the meat with tons of flavor and give you a tender and juicy piece of steak that pairs well with these grilled baby artichokes.
Since you’re already firing up the grill for these grilled baby artichokes, you might as well make these amazing Seared Filets with Mixed Herb Gremolata to serve with them!
Smoked Pork Shoulder is a classic summertime BBQ recipe. Come check out my tried and true method for making Traeger Smoked Pulled Pork along with my 9 pro tips for the best smoked pork. You’ll love how tasty this is!
You can never go wrong with a big bowl of this Classic Potato Salad during summer BBQ season. Creamy mayo, celery, onion, hard-boiled eggs, and of course plenty of potatoes make up this recipe.
These Garlic Sweet Potato Fries are the perfect side dish alongside grilled artichokes for a summer meal. These delicious oven baked sweet potato fries don’t take much time at all to prepare. They’re flavorful and crispy!
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
Try this Baby Artichokes Recipe!
Next time you see baby artichokes at the farmer’s market, give these Grilled Baby Artichokes a try! Did you think they were a wonderful appetizer? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this baby artichoke recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of these grilled baby artichokes!
More Artichoke Recipes
Looking for more recipes to make that use artichokes? Here are a few of my best artichoke recipes:
Rosemary White Bean Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip is a remake of the classic recipe so many know and love. In this recipe, creamy white cannellini beans and rosemary pair perfectly with artichokes, fresh spinach, and cheese.
These Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups are stuffed with chicken, artichoke hearts, and sautéed mushrooms. The rolls are then smothered in a roasted garlic creamy white sauce.
This recipe for Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Artichokes takes a classic shrimp scampi recipe up a notch with the addition of artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe.
This Turkey Sandwich with Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato is a great way to get creative with your sandwiches!
Made with just eight ingredients, this Artichoke, Potato and Leek Casserole comes together quickly. Perfect for holidays and family get togethers!
To browse all of the artichoke recipes, head over to search the Artichoke Recipe Category.
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Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon and Garlic
These baby artichokes are the perfect way to dress up your favorite meat. They look great on the plate and are likely something your family hasn't yet tried!
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 whole clove garlic
- 1 lb. baby artichokes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- freshly grated parmesan, if desired
Instructions
- Using a knife or kitchen shears, trim the stems off the artichokes. Remove the tough outer leaves, discard, and trim the thorny tips from the remaining leaves. Bring a 5-quart pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt, garlic clove, bay leaf, and juice of one lemon.
- Place the artichokes in the boiling water and cook till tender, about 6-12 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, drain the artichokes and cool until they can be handled.
- Cut artichokes in half and remove the prickly choke (if present – mine didn’t have any), discard the choke. Cut each half in half again. Combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil and juice of half a lemon in a bowl large enough to accommodate the artichokes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the artichokes with the olive oil mixture and let marinate while you preheat the grill to medium-high heat, or up to 3 hours.
- Place the artichokes (cut side down) on a grill preheated to medium-high heat. Grill for 4-5 minutes. Remove artichokes from the grill and toss in the bowl with the marinade. Add garlic and stir to combine. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Artichokes can be served with a small sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Note: a couple of the leaves that remained were a bit too tough to eat entirely, we at those leaves by scraping with the teeth (as you would eat the “meat” off a large artichoke). When we got down to the really tender leaves and heart we ate the whole thing.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1259mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
April says
I had 2 baby artichokes on my plant so I picked them and will be grilling them for dinner!
christine says
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marla {family fresh cooking} says
Grilled artichokes are so wonderful, especially paired with your flank steak! xo
Kristen says
Aren't those the cutest little things. I love artichokes, but have never tried baby ones.