BHA & BHT Free Instant Pot Steamed Artichokes
Artichokes are one of those vegetables that feel almost ceremonial to eat — pulling each leaf, scraping the tender flesh, working your way down to the prized heart. The Instant Pot makes the whole process genuinely effortless, delivering perfectly steamed artichokes in a fraction of the time a stovetop pot would take. Fresh lemon, smashed garlic, and a bay leaf perfume the steam from below, so the artichokes absorb subtle brightness before they even hit the plate. The accompanying dipping butter is where things get really good — real unsalted butter melted low and slow with minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a handful of parsley. Every ingredient here is whole and straightforward, which matters when you're avoiding the synthetic preservatives that sneak into so many packaged sauces, flavored butters, and seasoning blends. Cooking from scratch like this means you control exactly what goes in, with zero guesswork. Artichokes can feel intimidating to prep, but the trimming steps here are clear and quick, and rubbing the cut surfaces with lemon keeps everything looking fresh. Whether you're serving these as a starter or a hands-on side dish, they're the kind of food that slows a meal down in the best possible way — interactive, a little indulgent, and genuinely impressive with very little effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the artichokes
- 4 medium artichokes (about 10–12 oz each)
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp salt
For the dipping butter
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim the artichokes: slice off the top 1 inch of each artichoke with a chef's knife, then use kitchen shears to snip the sharp tips off the remaining outer leaves. Cut the stem flush with the base so each artichoke sits flat. Rub all cut surfaces immediately with the cut side of one lemon half to prevent browning.
- 2
Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot insert. Squeeze the remaining lemon half into the water, then drop in the spent lemon half, the smashed garlic cloves, bay leaf, and salt. Place the trivet or steamer basket in the pot and set the artichokes on it stem-side down.
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