Microwave-Steamed Artichokes

Learn how to cook artichokes in the microwave for one of the simplest and best cooking methods for artichokes! When you have a microwave, you can cook an artichoke without a steamer!

Prep time: PT1M

Cook time: PT5M

Total time: PT6M

Rating

4.84 stars (6 reviews)

Keywords

artichoke recipe, How to Cook an Artichoke Without a Steamer, how to cook artichokes in the microwave, microwaved artichokes

Ingredients

1 artichoke

Cuisine

Vegan
Vegetarian

Steps

Trim any excess stem from the artichoke. If the artichoke's outer leaves have tiny thorns, trim them with scissors. Rinse the artichoke, and place in a bowl large and deep enough for the vegetable. Add about 3/4 cup of water to the bowl and cover the bowl with a silicone microwave cover or plastic wrap.
Cook for 5 minutes on high. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the artichoke and the power of your microwave, so check for doneness by gently tugging on the outer leaves. If the leaves release easily and the flesh attached is tender, it is done. If it needs more time, return the artichoke to the microwave and continue cooking in 2-minute increments. *Be careful handling the hot, steamed artichokes.
When the artichoke is cooked, allow it to cool slightly. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 30 kcal
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 0.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.03 g
Sodium: 60 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.05 g

Reviews

Geometry Dash on 2026-03-18 (5 stars):
Your description really captures both the effort and the reward of cooking from scratch—totally worth the sweat in the end!
Sherri Redfern on 2025-09-01 (5 stars):
SOOOO YUMMY!
James Wilson on 2025-08-21 (5 stars):
I've made this recipe using two artichokes. It takes 10-12 minutes for me. So easy. Love it! Be very careful when removing plastic wrap due to hot steam. My gf likes lemon butter and garlic for dipping. I use mayo and lemon mixture.
Penny on 2025-07-15 (4 stars):
Thanks for sharing this. I wish it was clearer that multiple artichokes take a LOT longer to cook in the microwave. I made 3 tonight and the rest of dinner was eaten by the time these 3 finally cooked (20+ min), with me getting up every 2 min to check them per your instructions. I’ll do it again but will plan better and just set the cook time for 18 min to start.
Grace David on 2023-04-05 (5 stars):
I live in Mexico where you can't use the tap water for cooking or drinking. I have bottled drinking water, but didn't want to fill up a pan with drinking water to cook my artichokes. Thankfully I found your recipe where it only took 3/4 cup of water. Perfect for me. Thanks for the recipe.
Peggy on 2022-08-22 (5 stars):
Love the recipe