I avoided cooking artichokes for years because they seemed complicated. Then a friend trimmed four large artichokes at my kitchen counter in about five minutes: cut off the top third, trim the stem, slice in half, scoop out the choke with a spoon. She brushed them with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and set them cut-side-down on the grill. Twenty minutes later we were pulling leaves off and dipping them in lemon juice.
Grilled artichoke has a smokiness that steaming or boiling cannot match. The cut surface caramelizes against the grate, and the outer leaves get slightly crispy while the heart stays tender. Lemon wedges on the side are all you need. We keep making these every time the grill comes out in late spring.
Tips for Grilling Artichokes
Remove the choke completely before grilling
After slicing the artichoke in half, use a spoon to scrape out the fuzzy choke in the center. It is not edible and traps grill smoke in an unpleasant way. 
Young artichokes sometimes have a very small choke that is barely visible. Scrape it anyway. The effort takes 30 seconds and makes eating the grilled artichoke much more enjoyable.
Grill cut-side-down first for color
Place the artichoke halves cut-side-down on the grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes. This is where the caramelization happens.
Flip and grill for another 5 to 10 minutes until the leaves pull away easily and the heart is tender when pierced with a knife. If the outer leaves start to burn before the heart is done, move them to indirect heat.
Grilled Artichokes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These grilled artichokes are a delicious and healthy option that will satisfy both carnivores and herbivores.
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Trim the artichokes by cutting off the top third and the stem.
- Slice the artichokes in half and remove the choke with a spoon.
- Brush the artichokes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the artichokes on the grill, cut side down, and grill for about 10 minutes.
- Flip the artichokes and grill for another 5-10 minutes until tender.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 artichoke
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 14
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 2
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to parboil artichokes before grilling?
This recipe grills them raw, but parboiling for 10 minutes in salted water before grilling speeds up the cook time. It is not required if you grill over medium heat for the full 20 minutes.
How do I know when they are done?
The leaves should pull away from the base with gentle pressure, and a knife should slide easily into the heart. If the leaves resist, they need more time.
What can I dip grilled artichokes in?
Lemon juice from the wedges is the simplest option. Melted butter with garlic, aioli, or a vinaigrette with olive oil and lemon also work well.
Apartment dweller without a grill, curious about the indoor version. Have you tried this with frozen artichoke hearts on a grill pan?
Pulled the leaves off and dipped in lemon, SOOO much better than the steamed version I grew up with, this is now the only way!
Made these on a Sunday with friends and we worked through six artichokes between four of us, lemon-dipping leaves all afternoon!
I love that you can sit and pull leaves for an hour, the slow-eating part of grilled artichokes is half the joy!
Perfect early-summer side, the smokiness from the grill made artichokes go from intimidating to actually fun to eat!
Scraped out the choke with a spoon completely, fifteen seconds per artichoke, made eating them on the grill so much easier. Cut-side-down for ten minutes over medium first for the caramelization, flipped, another seven for the heart. Lemon wedges and good salt at the end. Genuinely fantastic spring side.
I’d been avoiding artichokes for years because the prep looked impossible until my friend trimmed four of them at my counter in five minutes flat. The grill version is hands down the best way to eat them, the cut surface caramelizes and the outer leaves crisp up. Pulled the leaves off and dipped in lemon juice for an hour straight on the porch. Worth every minute of the trim work.