The Ultimate Stuffed Artichoke Recipe

Very big stuffed artichoke that's golden on top, on a black background.

4.82 from 22 votes

This Ultimate Stuffed Artichoke recipe is out of this world. Serve it for a scrumptious vegetarian shared appetizer or first course. One of the best artichoke recipes ever, your guests will absolutely flip for it!

Prep Time35

Cook Time1

Total Time1 35

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked stuffed artichokes, stuffed artichokes, appetizers for sharing, stuffed artichoke recipe

Servings: as an appetizer

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

steamer pot with rack
kitchen scissors
chef's knife

Ingredients

2 (approximately 1-pound) artichokes, washed and dried
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 cup plus 1½ teaspoons unsalted butter
¾ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup minced garlic
½ cup dry white wine
2¾ cups breadcrumbs
¾ cup finely chopped parsley (curly or flat), washed and dried
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Artichokes

Use a Chef's knife to cut a couple of inches off of the top of each artichoke, and enough off of the bottom to form a nice base, so the artichokes can "sit" without wobbling.
Remove any especially tough outer leaves and discard them. (These are most likely small and towards the bottom of the artichoke.) Then use kitchen scissors to cut off the sharp tips of the leaves. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice on each artichoke.

Steam the Artichokes

Fill a steamer pot with a few inches of water, and place a rack on top. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer.
Place the artichokes, stem-end up, on the rack, cover and steam until they're tender, about 45 minutes. You should be able to pull off one of the outer leaves with only a slight tug. Set aside to cool.
*While the artichokes are steaming, preheat the oven to 375°F and make the stuffing.

Make the Stuffing

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Let it simmer until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in the remaining ½ cup of lemon juice and the wine. Stir and let this simmer on low heat for about 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and parsley, stir to blend, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper (here's how). Set aside to cool.

Remove the Chokes

Once the artichokes are cool enough to touch, gently pull the leaves away from the center of the artichoke -- just enough so that you can see down to the choke. Now use a spoon to reach down and very gently scrape away and discard all of the fuzz, to reveal a clean heart.

Assemble

Place the artichokes, sitting on their bases, in a baking dish that they can fit into snugly. Use a spoon and/or your hands to carefully fill the center of each artichoke with the stuffing -- fill it to maximum capacity! (If you think there's too much stuffing, don't worry, just pack it in.) Then fill all of the spaces between the leaves as much as possible. Sprinkle the top of each one with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and then drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil each.

Bake and Serve

Place the stuffed artichokes in the preheated 375°F oven and bake until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. You can slice them into halves or quarters for sharing, or everyone can share them whole.

Notes

Lighter version: Replace some of the butter with extra virgin olive oil. Keep some butter, though, since browning it adds a delicious nutty flavor.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs, about ½ cup less, keeping everything else the same.

Less lemon or garlic: Reduce the lemon juice to taste. If you use less garlic, add more shallots.

Pack it in: It will seem like too much stuffing, but it's not! Fill the center and between the leaves as much as possible.

Golden tops: If the tops aren't golden after baking, broil for just a few seconds.

Make ahead: Make the stuffing up to a day ahead, or steam and stuff the artichokes a day ahead. Wrap and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking.

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition