This Grilled Artichokes with Artichoke Dipping Sauce is the best artichoke recipe. Grilling adds a smoky flavor that is delicious. The dip is cooling and creamy. The dip is so good that it would go really well with grilled chicken or fish.
When buying artichokes, the size doesn’t necessarily matter. However, the bigger the veggie, the bigger the heart, which means you get more ‘meat’ for less work. What’s more important is the freshness and seasonality of the artichoke. Artichokes that are in season taste the best and look even not bruised. You should also look for artichokes that have tight leaves. If they are fanned open, then take a pass.
Do I need to wash artichokes?
If you’ve never prepared artichokes, don’t be intimidated. I can walk you through preparing artichokes and it’s incredibly easy. For this recipe, you won’t need to wash off the artichokes because they are being boiled which does the washing for you.
In regards to preparing artichokes for cooking, you’ll need to trim the stalk, if there is one. I usually cut right above the stalk where it meets the leaves. Don’t cut too much or you cut out the best stuff, the heart.
Should I cut artichokes in half before boiling?
You’ll need to cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom. Make sure you are using a sharp knife. The leaves are tightly packed and can be difficult to cut.
What parts of the artichoke can you eat?
If you’ve never eaten artichokes, I can walk you through that one too. The leaves are tough except for the ends. The leaves actually get less tough the closer you get to the center. You only eat the ends of the leaves. You use your teeth to scrape the goodness from the leaf. The part of the leaf that you eat is generally lighter in color.
Once you eat the ends of the leaves, you’re left with a hairy hockey puck. Just joking. No one calls it that and it tastes way better than a hockey puck. It’s just called the heart. You’ll need to scrape the ‘hair’ off of the heart. Sometimes restaurants will do this for you however, if you’re making them yourself you’ll need to do it yourself. Don’t get lazy and try to eat the hair. If you eat the hair, you’ll end up choking like a cat hacking on a hairball. The rest is totally edible and my favorite part. It’s super tender and delicious.
What to dip artichokes in?
There are a few options for dipping. The traditional dip would just be melted butter and lemon. However, Avocado Artichoke Dipping Sauce is amazing. It’s the perfect creamy and cool compliment to the smokiness of the grilled artichokes. It’s actually good enough to use as a dip for veggies, plantain chips, cassava chips or to smother grilled chicken or shrimp. It’s. So. Good!
Tips on how to make the best artichoke recipe aka these Grilled Artichokes with Artichoke Dipping Sauce
- If you’ve got questions about how to buy, prep, cook or eat artichokes go to my post to give you more details plus a video on how to eat artichokes.
- You can also cut the top of the artichoke off with a knife and trim the leaves with scissors to prevent getting stabbed. The tips of the leaves can be sharp. However, this step is optional. I usually do it for my son since he’s small but it’s a tedious step that I usually forget.
- The best season for artichokes is spring and early summer. The best season for artichokes is spring and early summer. If you’re into eating with the seasons, I have a book called AIP by Season. It’s filled with recipes that take advantage of all the produce that is popular throughout the year. You can download it here!
If you like grilling, then you’ll love these recipes.
- Grilled Meat Skewers with Basil Marinade
- Grilled Chicken and Cucumber Dill Salad
- Turmeric Grilled Shrimp
- Grilled Peaches
- Grilled Garlic Shrimp
Grilled Artichokes and Artichoke Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- Grill or Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon zested and juiced
- 1 cup Avocado about 2 small
- 1 Shallot
- 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 bunch Cilantro about 1 cup
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2-4 Fresh Artichokes stems removed
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Add the lemon juice, zest, avocado, shallot, coconut milk, and cilantro to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add salt to taste.
- Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Cut the ends off the artichokes and then cut in half.
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- Add the artichokes to the pot.
- Cook for about 10-20 minutes depending upon the size of the artichokes. If you’re unsure, the outer leaves should come off relatively easily.
- Next, place artichokes on a hot grill for about 10 minutes or until there are nice grill marks
- Remove artichokes from grill.
- Serve hot with dip.
Notes
Nutrition
The artichoke season is short, so I urge you to get out and fire up your grills. Have you ever had artichokes? Let me know below in the comments.
This is a great new recipe for one of our favorite veggies.
I love avos and liked the idea using them as an artichoke dip. I followed this recipe closely but unfortunately didn’t have any coconut milk. I used 1/2 the amount requested but substituted mayo. This was sooo good! I’ll definitely make this again, only with coconut milk next time. Thank you!
That's a great sub if you've been able to reintroduce eggs and mayo. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
This looks so good. Thanks for sharing!
No problem. I hope you enjoy.