Mediterranean Baked Artichokes

By Brita Britnell // May 26, 2021 (updated September 4, 2024)

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Simple, yet impressive Mediterranean Baked Artichokes are loaded with flavor and easier to make than you might think. These artichokes are topped with a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, feta and parsley, and roasted until tender and flavorful. A crowd-pleasing summer appetizer or side dish that everyone will love!

Mediterranean Baked Artichokes topped with feta and parsley

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Have you ever made baked artichokes at home? Before I learned how to choose, prepare and cook artichokes, I always thought they were fussy, complicated and not worth the trouble. Good news – they’re really no trouble at all! And I’m going to prove it. Today, I’m sharing the necessary ingredients, my process and all of my tips and tricks for making flavorful baked artichokes that your whole family will enjoy.

I absolutely adore this recipe – it’s tender, tasty and the topping or filling choices are endless. My latest version is Mediterranean inspired and topped with feta and parsley and roasted to golden perfection. Warm, delicious artichokes will have everyone racing to the dinner table in a hurry!

I know there are a ton of baked artichoke recipes out there, but give this one a try and you’ll be making it on repeat! And be sure to try out my air fryer artichokes too!

baked artichoke topped with feta and parsley

What is an artichoke?

An artichoke is an immature flower bud of a thistle plant. They are a round green vegetable made up of lots of leaves tightly packed together.

The most popular type of artichoke is called a Globe artichoke, which are big, round and are sometimes shaped like a tulip.

You can eat almost the entire artichoke. The stem, heart and leaves are all edible. The flavor falls somewhere between asparagus and celery, so if you can imagine, it has a really fresh, clean taste.

Are artichokes good for you?

Artichokes have great health benefits. They’re high in fiber, rich in antioxidants and offer a good amount of Vitamin C. Plus, like most vegetables; they are high in nutrients and low in calories.

When is artichoke season?

You can often find artichokes at the grocery all year round, but spring and fall is when they are actually in season. This is when they will have the best flavor, be most nutrient rich and will usually be a bit cheaper to buy.

How to choose ripe artichokes:

When buying artichokes, look for artichokes that are nice and green and a little bit heavy for their size. You want them to feel plump, not hollow, this how you know they are fresh and not dried out.

Look for leaves to be nice and tight on top. A really fresh artichoke will squeak when you squeeze it!

As for the stem, the fresher the cut the better, you don’t want the stems to be dry and shriveled up.

You may find the artichoke has some brown streaking on the leaves. It’s nothing to worry about, just a result of frost and many would argue that it actually makes the artichokes sweeter.

Ingredients needed:

Just a few simple ingredients and you’re well on your way to a tasty vegetarian side dish or appetizer! Here’s what you need:

Artichoke. Choose a large artichoke that is brightly-colored with tightly packed leaves.
Olive oil. Moistens the artichoke, so the leaves bake up nice and tender.
Red wine vinegar. Adds a boost of flavor!
Feta cheese. The creaminess and salty flavor the feta cheese gives to the artichoke is absolutely fabulous. Violife makes a delicious vegan feta!
Parsley. Fresh parsley is the perfect finishing touch!

How to make baked artichokes:

Don’t be intimidated! Preparing and cooking artichokes at home is quite simple and easy. Reference the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full, printable instructions, but here’s a quick rundown of the key steps:

Prepare the artichoke for roasting. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Slice off the top and the base of the artichoke. Use scissors to cut off the tips of all the leaves. Then, gently spread the leaves out from the center.
Season the artichoke. Pour olive oil and red wine vinegar on top of the artichoke and gently press inside the leaves of the artichoke. Add parsley and feta to the top of the artichoke and once again gently press the ingredients inside the leaves.

preparing an artichoke by cutting the tips of the leaves

Roast the artichoke. Wrap the artichoke in aluminum foil. Place in the center of the oven and cook for 50 minutes.
Cool and serve. Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving. You want it cool enough so that you can safely handle it without burning your fingers. Serve with your favorite dip and ENJOY!

wrapping artichoke in foil before baking

How to eat an artichoke:

To eat the artichoke, simply pull off outer leaves, dip them in a tasty sauce (if desired), then pull through your teeth to scrape off the soft, tender part of the leaves. Repeat until all of the leaves are removed. Discard the remaining petal. You will find more edible portion, the closer you get to the artichoke heart.

The choke is in the center and looks fuzzy. It is 100% not edible! Use a spoon to scrape off all of the fuzzies. Then use a knife and fork to cut through and enjoy the remaining artichoke heart. The artichoke heart is completely edible and so delicious!

Storing leftover baked artichokes:

Store baked artichokes in an airtight container in the fridge and they should last about 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave and add an extra sprinkling of feta cheese before serving again.

As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).