How Long to Boil Artichokes: A Helpful Mini-guide

Artichokes are an incredibly unique and often overlooked vegetable. The innermost portion of the artichoke (called the heart) is edible when cooked, and becomes soft and tender. Artichokes make a fantastic summer appetizer or vegetable side when it’s in season. In this mini-guide, we’ll walk you through the process of boiling artichokes, how long to boil artichokes, and the different times you’ll need to cook them based on the type of artichoke and the final dish.

If you want to learn exactly how to boil artichokes, keep reading the next section. If, however, your only question is “how long do you have to boil artichokes?”, skip down to the next one!

How to Boil Artichokes

1. First, fill a large stock pot or saucepan with salted water. The water doesn’t need to cover the artichokes–about 3-4 inches is fine–but you can cover them completely if they’re frozen or if they’re especially large.
2. While you wait for the water to boil, prepare your artichokes. Thoroughly wash and dry the artichokes cut off the tips of all the leaves, and then cut off the top 1-1 ½ inches of the artichoke, and trim the stem about 2 inches from the base.
3. Next, add the artichokes to the pot of water and place it on the stovetop. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Then, once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer uncovered for the appropriate amount of time (more details below).
5. Once the outer leaves can easily be removed, you’ll know your artichokes are ready! At this point, you can carefully remove the artichokes from the water using tongs and discard the water.
6. Finally, scoop out the choke and purple inner leaves and serve with butter or your favorite dipping sauce!

So now you’re probably wondering, how long do artichokes take to boil? Keep reading to find out! Below you will find several different culinary scenarios involving artichokes and how long to boil this unique vegetable in each situation.

How Long to Boil Fresh Artichokes

For fresh-from-the-garden (or supermarket) artichokes, you’ll need to boil them for 20-35 minutes. If they’re on the smaller side, stick to the lesser amount of time. For large artichokes, 35 minutes will do.

How Long to Boil Frozen Artichokes

If you’re working with frozen artichokes, you’ll need to boil them for 20 minutes or until they become tender and the leaves soften.

How Long to Boil Stuffed Artichokes

To make stuffed artichokes, you won’t immerse the artichokes in the boiling water. Instead, you’ll place them in a steamer basket above the boiling water and allow them to steam for about 80 minutes.

How Long to Boil Artichokes for Grilling

If you need to know how long to boil artichokes before grilling, you’re in the right place! You’ll need to boil water and steam the artichokes for 20 minutes before you pop them on the grill to soften the inner core (which is the part you actually eat!).

Table: How Long to Boil Artichokes