For those of you that haven’t yet joined the #artichokelovers club, it’s time to get on board! Intimidating at first glance, these Keto Stuffed Artichokes are worth the effort it takes to get to the good stuff, and they have a starchy quality to them that feels like cheating but is actually keto friendly! These Keto Stuffed Artichokes make the most delectable first course or side dish!
Why Artichokes?
The poor artichoke is not the most popular of veggies, but for those in the know, artichokes stand out for their unique flavor and satisfying texture. These are not only delicious but also keto-friendly, offering a distinctive starchy quality that feels like a cheat but aligns perfectly with a low-carb lifestyle.
Keto Stuffed Artichokes: A Landmark Dish
These keto meat stuffed artichokes are a delicious low carb dinner. The meat stuffing has mediterranean flavors of cinnamon and lemon with crunchy pine nuts. People who know us personally (and especially his parents) know what a huge deal it is - the man hates almost all vegetables. Like, really really hates them.
Mastering the Artichoke: Preparation is Key
For those of you that aren’t sure how to prep an artichoke, I’m providing a link to a great video on how to prepare artichokes, since I didn’t have time to make one for you! If you have never used fresh artichokes before, you may be a little wary of how to properly prepare this unique vegetable. The first thing to do with a fresh artichoke is to trim the end, removing the majority of the stem so that the artichoke sits flat on a plate.
Trimming the Artichoke
To trim the artichoke, you will cut about 1" from the top. Then, you will use some kitchen shears to trim the points from the leaves that did not come off when you cut the top off. The pointy ends on the tip of artichoke leaves can be prickly and are inedible so you want to be sure to remove them.
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Removing the Choke
When preparing the artichokes, remember that it’s important to remove the purple leaves from the center to reveal the tough fibers or “choke”. Slicing the artichoke in half can make it easier to remove, but you may also leave them whole and gently pull the leaves apart to reveal the center flower and choke.
Rinsing and Acidulating
Once the artichokes are trimmed and the choke has been removed, it is time to run it under some cold water to rinse it. Then, rub some fresh lime juice over the leaves and squeeze some inside the artichoke and the leaves.
Keto Stuffed Artichoke Recipes
Cheese and Herb Stuffed Artichokes
This low-carb recipe for Cheese and Herb Stuffed Artichokes is an impressive and delicious side dish for your dinner table. These artichokes have a cheesy herb filling that is steamed in the artichoke leaves. And, at the very end are popped in the oven to broil a little more filling on top. This is a perfect recipe to share as part of a special meal for that certain someone. I adapted this to make it low carb by omitting the breadcrumbs and substituted ground pork rinds in their place.
Ingredients:
- Large artichokes
- Ground pork rinds
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Dried herbs
- Mayonnaise
Instructions:
- Wash, trim, and remove choke from artichokes.
- Rub down artichokes with ½ fresh lemon juice. Be sure to rub over the leaves and squeeze juice inside of artichoke leaves and heart.
- Mix together pork rinds, garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt.
- Remove about ½ cup of filling and set aside.
- Push the remaining filling in between each artichoke leave and in the center where the heart is. You don't need a lot in between the leaves and if you don't get in between each leaf it's not a big deal, as long as your're dividing the 1 cup of filling evenly between each artichoke.
- In your stock pot, add water until it reaches almost the top of the steamer rack.
- Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon into the water and drop the lemon halves in the water also.
- Place the artichokes in the pot on top of the steamer, top side up.
- Cover with a lid to trap the heat/steam. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer to continue cooking for at least 45 minutes.
- Once the artichokes are steamed, a leaf should be able to be removed easily by slightly tugging with a pair of tongs.
- When they are ready, remove the artichokes and place them on a cookie sheet.
- Mix the last ½ cup of pork rind mixture with the mayonnaise.
- Next, the reserved stuffing will be sprinkled on top of the steamed artichoke and placed under the broiler. Watch this carefully as you don't want to burn the topping.
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Artichokes
This buffalo chicken stuffed artichoke recipe will definitely accomplish that goal. The artichokes make a perfect bowl to hold the spicy chicken mix, giving you a complete meal that looks as great as it tastes.
Ingredients:
- Artichokes
- Ground chicken
- Buffalo wing sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Lemons
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a rimmed sheet tray with foil.
- Place the olive oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium. Add the ground chicken, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the chicken as it cooks so that it is in tiny crumbles. Once the chicken is completely cooked and starting to brown (about 10 -12 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemons and artichokes. Cover the pot and let boil for 30 minutes to cook the artichokes completely.
- Remove the artichokes from the water and place them on a paper towel to drain all the water.
- Once dry, place the artichokes on the baking tray and push the leaves back to open the flower of the artichoke.
- Scoop the cooked chicken into the artichoke, putting it in between the petals and stuffing it well.
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the buffalo wing sauce and the shredded cheddar cheese and stir to melt the cheese.
- Pour the cheese sauce over each artichoke, coating it completely.
- Place the tray in the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden browned and bubbling. Serve immediately!
Mediterranean Meat Stuffed Artichokes
These keto meat stuffed artichokes are a delicious low carb dinner. The meat stuffing has mediterranean flavors of cinnamon and lemon with crunchy pine nuts.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Ingredients:
- Artichokes
- Ground beef
- Onions
- Pine nuts
- Lemon
- Cinnamon
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat. Add olive oil to a and turn the heat down to medium heat. Add the chopped onions and saute until they start to turn translucent. Then add the ground beef, salt, black pepper and cinnamon. Mix well.
- When the meat is just turning brown, add the pine nuts and cook for a 1-2 minutes more.
- Lay slices of lemon in a microwave and oven safe baking dish. Place the artichokes on top of the lemons. Pour ½ cup of. water in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid if you have one and microwave for 8-10 minutes. Depending on the size of your artichokes it might take longer. You should be able to pull a leave off easily and then you know they are done.
- When the artichokes are done, let the cool a few minutes so you can handle them. Take a spoon and baste them with the lemon juice and water from the baking dish. Then spoon the meat mixture into the center of the artichokes and place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes and that’s it!
Cheesy Keto Stuffed Artichokes
This recipe stuffs the fibrous veggie with a cheesy “breading” of almond flour and parmesan cheese and is baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients:
- Artichokes
- Almond flour
- Parmesan cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Olive oil
Instructions:
- Set up a large pot with water to boil. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Rinse artichokes well. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top of the artichoke to expose the purple center, and trim the point from the outer leaves. Cut the stem so the artichoke can sit on a flat surface.
- Bring the water to boil and ensure the water will cover the artichokes. Place each artichoke in the water and cover. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the artichokes from the hot water and drain upside down to dry and cool.
- Pull the purple leaves from the center of the artichoke to reveal the tough fibers or “choke”.
- Slice each in half and remove the entire choke with a sharp spoon or small knife.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, mayonnaise, garlic, and parmesan cheese to create artichoke filling.
- Drizzle each artichoke half with olive oil. Stuff the center of the artichoke halves with the prepared filling. Make sure you put some filling in between the leaves, too.
- Place artichoke halves on the baking sheet.
Keto Artichoke Bottoms with Goat Cheese Filling
In the cans of artichoke bottoms available at our local grocery, we got 6 pieces in each 13.75 ounce can. A rounded tablespoon of filling perfectly filled this size artichoke bottom.
Ingredients:
- Canned artichoke bottoms
- Goat cheese
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Pine nuts
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Black pepper
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 375°F. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Drain canned artichoke bottoms, rinse, and pat dry. If needed, level the bottom so they can sit flat on the baking sheet and remove any tough outer leaves. You should get about 6 artichoke bottoms from each 13.75 ounce can. Set on prepared baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together room temperature goat cheese, softened cream cheese, and lemon juice until very well combined. Stir in parmesan cheese, pine nuts, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and minced or pressed garlic.
- Evenly fill each artichoke bottom with a rounded tablespoon of cheese filling and sprinkle with pepper.
- Bake for 21-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and tops are browned. Remove from oven and garnish with remaining tablespoon chopped parsley.
Cooking Artichokes: Steaming
One of the things I love about making these Keto Stuffed Artichokes in the Instant Pot, is that they cook quickly and thoroughly. There’s nothing worse than working your way through the tasty but scanty “leaves,” while anticipation builds of getting to the best part, only to find a hard, undercooked artichoke heart at the center. Cooking these Keto Stuffed Artichokes will give you a soft and meaty heart, which is absolutely saving the best for last - especially when you dip it in melted butter.
Steaming on the Stovetop
I like to steam mine on the stove top with some water and lemon juice. Both artichokes fit nicely in my stock pot with a steamer rack. After about 45 minutes of steaming, check to see if a leaf can easily be removed from the artichoke. Use caution and don't use your fingers! I use a pair of kitchen tongs. You will only need to give a little tug and it should come out easily. When the artichoke is cooked, carefully remove it from the steamer. I use the same tongs to remove them from the steamer as I used to pull the test leave out.
Steaming in the Instant Pot
I was worried that cooking these Keto Stuffed Artichokes in the Instant Pot was going to be a waste of time, an epic fail even, but when I took the lid off the most amazing smell came out - so much so that even Hungry Jr.
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How to Eat a Stuffed Artichoke
If you have never eaten a stuffed artichoke before, then you may be wondering how you do it! To eat the artichoke, you will pull a leaf from the artichoke. Start with the outer leaves and work in. Place about ¾ of the leaf in your mouth, holding the top of the leaf with your fingers and placing the bottom part in your mouth. Close your teeth around the leaf and drag your teeth to the end. This will remove the cooked part of the artichoke from the leaf for you to consume. Discard the leaf after you have scraped it with your teeth.
Cooking a fresh artichoke is not the only intimidating part for most people. Understanding how to eat this spiny vegetable can be just as confusing! The rough leaves have an edible underside that once cooked, can be scraped with the teeth removing the meaty portion. The rest of the leaf would be discarded. The leaves are traditionally dipped in butter or sauce and scraped, though in this recipe we are scooping the bread-like filling.
Serving Suggestions
This particular time, I served Sweet and Sour Veal Meatloaf with my artichoke. However, this recipe for Dill Pickle Meatloaf goes amazingly well with it also! It would also be a great side to this Killer London Broil recipe!
tags: #keto #stuffed #artichokes #recipe