Slow Cooker Artichokes
25 Comments Oct 21, 2022
Updated Nov 18, 2022
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Earthy with a slight nutty sweetness, Slow Cooker Artichokes is an easy, no-fail method of cooking this fresh vegetable. Cooked with garlic, butter and lemon, how can you go wrong?
Steamed artichokes or spinach artichoke dip are classically vintage appetizers, but why stop with appetizers? We love them for dinner, too like in this delicious Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta or this Creamy Artichoke Mushroom Chicken.
Table of Contents
Artichokes tend to be viewed as either a special occasion food or too intimidating to bother with. While certainly they can be added to any fancy or special occasion meal, they aren’t too intimidating to prepare.
In fact, as far as prep or cooking goes, crockpot artichokes are simple. And what’s even better, they are incredibly healthy and nutritious; high in fiber, minerals, and vitamins A and K. They’re also low fat, well, they’re low fat until you dip the meaty leaves in melted butter or mayonnaise.
Recipe Ingredients
- Artichokes — you’ll want plump large artichokes versus the skinner ones; they’re more meaty. Fresh artichokes can almost always be found at the grocery store!
- Lemon — we recommend using freshly squeezed lemon instead of lemon juice in a bottle for best flavor.
- Butter — as the better melts, it will seep between the petals for maximum deliciousness.
- Seasonings — salt, pepper, and freshly minced garlic.
- Water — this will create the steam for cooking.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One — Prepare the artichokes by trimming any undesirable outer leaves and cut the stem so they can sit flat in the crockpot. Cut about between 1/2-1 inch off the top. The thorns on the tips of the leaves tend to soften while cooking, but snip them off if in doubt.
Step Two — Place the artichokes in the slow cooker. You’ll want them to sit flat. You may have to trim a few additional leaves off.
Step Three — Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top of the artichoke, then add the minced garlic. Squeeze the lemon (or drizzle the juice if you juiced them) over the artichokes and top each with a pat of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the crock.
Step Four — Cover and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE LID WHILE COOKING, this will release the built up steam needed for cooking. Once done, serve with melted butter or your favorite mayonnaise.
How to eat an artichoke
- Peel a petal off from the base, they should easily pull off. Dip the bottom portion of the petal in any desired dipping sauce or melted butter. Strip the meat off of the petal through clenched teeth and discard the leaf.
- After the leaves are fully removed, you’ll be at the heart. Use a spoon to scoop out the choke, or the fuzzy part and discard it.
- Slice or dice the heart and enjoy it with your dipping sauce. We love mayonnaise, melted butter, chipotle aioli, or even garlic butter for dipping sauces for artichokes.
- If there’s some stem left, the very center portion is also edible, so remove the outer portion and dice the very center to enjoy.
Variations
- Use your favorite herbs and spices to further season your artichokes.
- Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese over the top with the garlic for a slight Italian flair.
- Use broth, white wine, or sherry as the cooking liquid for your crockpot artichokes.
- Use roasted garlic instead of fresh minced garlic.
Recipe FAQs
We think so! Cooking them in the slow cooker does take longer, but the process is much simpler and doesn’t require the same attention as stovetop steaming; totally worth the wait to try this yummy recipe. Keeping the vegetables upright and water evaporation are the biggest concerns with stovetop cooking. The veggies will stay upright snugly in the crock and there’s little-to-no evaporation in the slow cooker.
Yes, you’ll need to cook them for 8-9 hours without opening the lid.
A serrated knife works better than a chef’s or paring knife for cutting off the stem and the top portion of the artichoke. Kitchen scissors or shears can be used to snip off the pointy thorns on top of the leaves.
The petals (at the base), the center of the stem, and the entire artichoke heart are edible. The choke, or the fuzzy fibrous section of the artichoke, is not edible, as its name implies; you could choke if you try to eat it.
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Slow Cooker Artichokes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 artichokes, medium or 2 large
- 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Trim the artichokes: Cut the bottoms off the artichokes so they sit flat.
- Cut the very tops off the artichokes (I cut about a half inch off)
- Add the artichokes to the slow cooker. If you have a hard time getting the artichokes to fit, peel off a few of the leaves and that should allow them all to fit nicely.
- Sprinkle over with salt and pepper, then add the garlic.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice.
- Cut the butter into slices and place on top of the artichokes.
- Add the water to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 -4 hours or LOW for 8-9 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve with melted butter (or mayonnaise if that’s your thing).
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Peel a petal off from the base, they should easily pull off. Dip the bottom portion of the petal in any desired dipping sauce or melted butter. Strip the meat off of the petal through clenched teeth and discard the leaf.
- After the leaves are fully removed, you’ll be at the heart. Use a spoon to scoop out the choke, or the fuzzy part and discard it.
- Slice or dice the heart and enjoy it with your dipping sauce. We love mayonnaise, melted butter, chipotle aioli, or even garlic butter for dipping sauces for artichokes.
- If there’s some stem left, the very center portion is also edible, so remove the outer portion and dice the very center to enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I’m solo and eat an artichoke for dinner often. Would I do anything different with time if I did one artichoke in the slow cooker? Or is that totally a waste?
I think it would work fine! The same cooking time.
When my Mom taught me how to make artichokes on the stove top (at a low boil for 2 hours), she told me to add water to about halfway up the artichokes & add olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic powder.
I am going to try my Italian Grandmas recipe with bread crumbs, parmean cheese salt, pepper and olive oil! It will take some time to stuff leaves but will be amazing to the taste, I promise!
This is how I always make them.