How to Microwave Artichokes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 18, 2023 Tested

For a quick and healthy snack or side dish, artichoke can be cooked in the microwave. To start, you will need to cut your artichoke. Then, you can cook it in a microwave-safe container that's wrapped in plastic. Let your artichokes cool before eating them. You can serve them with dipping sauce on the side.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Slicing the Artichoke

1
Rinse the artichokes. You should always rinse produce before eating it. Rinse your artichokes under running water, turning them as necessary to get the full surface washed. Use your fingers if necessary to remove any excess dirt.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Tim the top and bottom. Cut half an inch from the stem at the bottom of each artichoke. Then, trim about half an inch from the top of each artichoke.^{[2]
X
Research source} Make sure to use a sharp knife. Artichoke are somewhat tough before they're cooked.

Advertisement
3
Remove the tips of the leaves. Artichokes have leaves that circle the stem. The tips of these are sharp and pointy, so they should not be eaten. Before microwaving your artichoke, use a pair of scissors or kitchen shears to snip the pointed tip off each leaf.^{[3]
X
Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Microwaving the Artichokes

1
Rub the artichoke with lemon. Lemon will help the artichoke from browning during cooking. Cut a lemon in half and rub down the full surface of the artichoke. Pay special attention to the trimmed edges. These tend to brown the easiest.^{[4]
X
Research source}
2
Place your artichokes in a dish. Get a glass microwave-safe dish big enough to contain all your artichokes. Place your artichokes in the dish with the stem-end up in the dish.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- If you don't have a glass dish, another microwave-wave safe dish big enough to hold your artichokes should be sufficient. However, you will be adding water so you need something like a bowl or pan over a plate.
3
Add water and cover the dish. Pour half a cup of water into the dish. Add a squeeze of lemon. Cover your dish tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap. If your dish has a plastic lid, you can also use this to cover it.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- For added flavor, substitute water for white wine.
4
Microwave your artichokes until they're tender. Microwave the artichokes on high heat for six to ten minutes. The exact time varies depending on your microwave's precise heat.^{[7]
X
Research source} When artichokes are done, a sharp knife should go through them with ease.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- When checking the artichokes after removing them from the microwave, be very careful when remove the lid or plastic wrap. There will be a lot of steam.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving the Artichokes

1
Set the artichoke aside for a few minutes. Artichokes will be extremely hot after you remove them from the microwave. Before proceeding, set the artichokes aside for a few minutes. Wait until they're cool to the touch to proceed.
2
Clean out the thistle of the artichoke. The center of the artichoke is called the thistle. Pull out the smallest petals surrounding the artichoke's center. From there, scrape out the hairy bits you see at the center. Only scrape out the hairy bits of the artichoke, as you want to leave the heart intact.
3
Eat your artichoke with dipping sauce. To eat an artichoke, you break off the leaves and eat them individually. Artichoke tastes great with dipping sauce. Things like aioli or mayonnaise go well with artichoke, but you can choose any dipping sauce you like to eat your artichoke.