How to cook air fryer artichokes roasted perfectly is here! Tender leaves and the perfect artichoke heart in the middle. Great vegetarian meal or vegetable side dish. Make in your Cosori or Ninja Foodi air crisp.
If you too love this vegetable you are going to love how this air fryer artichoke turns out! It has become one of our favorite snacks, even my kids love this easy air fryer recipe. (affiliate links present)
Artichokes in Air Fryer No Breading
Last week we shared how to make air fryer artichoke hearts. Those weren’t from fresh veggies, but rather from a jar or can and a must try as well after you enjoy this one. Great thing about this is you can make them even when they’re not in season. Many times in stores you’ll find these palm size but unsure what you’d do with them. This is it!
There is no need to bread them, they are way better dipped into mayonnaise or aioli as a side dish with dinner or vegetarian meal. Crispy on the outsides while the middle gets tender it is a way to cook them without a steamer.
Jump to
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite models are this Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well; bookmark them both!
- It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Artichokes
We made Instant Pot artichokes WAY back when we first got that machine. When I got my Ninja Foodi I tried them in there too and they rocked. Then I thought I’d use the other function of that machine and air fry them with the other lid that is attached. OH MY were they yummy. The crisp on the edges with a tender middle, total win.
Fast forward to today I have 3 different machines. It doesn’t matter what brand you have but I always recommend the Cosori or this one here because of the shape of the basket. This is what you’ll need….
Ingredients
- Palm sized baby artichokes
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Fresh lemon squeeze
- Salt and pepper for seasonings, garlic powder is great too
Then if you want to dip into mayonnaise or fry sauce you’d want that too for the end.
What is the best air fryer temperature for vegetables?
That depends on what you are making. There is a slight range of 360-400. For some air fryer vegetables that are more delicate like squash and mushrooms I go for higher to get that crisp since they don’t take long to get tender. With firmer choices like carrots, cauliflower or an artichoke you should use a lower temperature for a bit longer to get the middle fork tender.
What size artichokes can you air fry?
A lot of times these “babies” get overlooked and ignored so you can get them fairly cheap. NOW you will grab them right away in your produce section and enjoy year round. These little ones are the best for this hot air cooking method overall and are preferred.
They work perfectly this way, you’ll want to just remove and discard the very first layer of harder leaves before slicing in half. These really won’t get done, they’re too thick and unless you steam them unfortunately they won’t get tender.
If all your store has is larger you might want to add a bit of water to a shallow dish, slice in half with cut side down and paper towels on top and microwave for a few minutes to soften. Then follow directions below. Really large ones with ultra tough leaves aren’t going to work very well for this method. Steaming is better for those.
How to Roast Baby Artichokes
The best method is to rinse and remove first outer layer of leaves, these are harder since they have been exposed to the air. Then pull the other leaves out a bit so there is a bit of space between them, this will help get them tender. To air fry you will slice each one in half lengthwise before cooking.
Yes! Unlike larger counterparts the leaves on these are much softer, get ultra tender, and you can eat the whole darn thing. Just slice into quarters, dip and enjoy each bite without scraping off the “meat” on only one end. Then air fry them like we show you here for the perfect texture
Not only are these yummy but they are “so cute” to kiddos. This means if you have a veggie hater at home they may just come around to try one of these. With some dip they can be a really kid friendly food that is super healthy.
Ok now that you kinda’ get the drift looking at the step by step photos let’s drill it down a bit with instructions. There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom with exact ingredients but let’s talk about them real quick:
How Long to Cook Artichokes in the Air Fryer
- You’re going to use small palm sized fresh artichokes for this recipe. Remove all of the larger tougher outer leaves. Then cut the artichokes in half lengthwise.
- Drizzle each piece with lemon juice and olive oil on all sides.
- Season all over with salt and pepper (and any other seasonings you love). Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Place into air fryer basket cut side facing down and air fry artichokes at 360 degrees F for 8-10 minutes cooking time. Timing may vary slightly depending on the size, test for tenderness or add a few more min.
If yours have poky tops they may be a bit bigger than mine. Cut the top off after you remove the thicker leaves and you may need 12 minutes – 15 to get perfectly roasted artichokes that are as tender as you’d like.
Serve with small bowls of fun dipping sauces, that is what we do. Looking for more vegetables in air fryer recipes to try? Give our air fryer frozen okra a whirl too.
Dips
Remove them once they’re as tender as you’d like. Slice and serve with your favorite dips like bang bang sauce, fry sauce or just mayonnaise.
Air Fryer Artichoke
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 3 artichokes, small, palm sized, large leaves removed off outside
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
- salt and pepper, sprinkle, to taste
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Use small palm sized artichokes for best results and timing above. Remove larger tougher outer leaves. Then cut each one in half lenthwise.
- Drizzle each piece with lemon juice and olive oil on all sides. Season all over with salt and pepper. Preheat air fryer to 360 F for 5 minutes.
- Place into basket cut side facing down and cook at 360 degrees F for 8-10 minutes (timing may vary slightly depending on the size, test for tenderness or add a few more min.)
- Remove once as tender as you'd like, slice and serve with your favorite dip.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
