Fried Artichoke Hearts with Lemon-Dill Yogurt

Crispy, irresistible fried artichokes with a mandatory herby dipping sauce (yes, it’s that good!).

Fried Artichokes with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Recipe

My cookbook launch party had an incredible market bursting with fresh produce, and at the end of the night, I filled a bag with gorgeous artichokes. (Unbeknownst to me, so did my husband!) I had no idea what I was going to make with them, but I couldn’t abandon them. The next day I felt ambitious—enough to carve out the artichoke hearts, steam them until soft, then bread them before popping them in the air fryer. The result was the perfect combination of tender artichoke and a crispy coating, made even better with an incredibly easy dipping sauce. These would be a great appetizer or party snack!

If you want, you could make this a bit easier by using jarred artichoke hearts. Just be sure to dry them REALLY well before you start, and season well with salt and pepper!

Ingredients for Fried Artichokes with Lemon-Dill Yogurt

5 whole artichokes
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
⅓ cup parmesan, grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Avocado oil spray

For the lemon-dill yogurt:

1 ½ cups full-fat plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, grated with a microplane
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup dill, chopped

How to Make Fried Artichokes with Lemon-Dill Yogurt

Prepare the artichoke. Holding the stem, cut the top part of the leaves off so you have a flat edge. Set the artichoke on this edge and use a paring knife to cut at a 45-degree angle to remove the remaining leaves. Once you’ve carved out the heart, use a spoon or paring knife to scoop out the center (filled with fuzzy thistles). You should be left with a soft heart that, when turned upright, resembles a chalice. This pale, soft flesh may turn brown as you cut the rest, that’s normal! Cut most of the stem off the artichoke.
Once your artichoke hearts are ready, add them to your steamer basket.
Add a few inches of water to the bottom of a pot so it just touches the bottom of the basket, then place your steamer basket with the hearts inside. Cover the pot and steam for 25-35 minutes, until the hearts are fork-tender, keeping an eye on the pot and adding more water as necessary.
Carefully remove the hearts from the steamer and season with salt and pepper. Cut the hearts into quarters.
Next, set up three plates: one with breadcrumbs, the next with flour, and the third with the egg.
Grate the parmesan into the breadcrumbs and stir with a fork.
Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the flour, and give that a stir, too.
Whisk the egg well.
Using one hand for wet ingredients (egg) and the other for dry (breadcrumbs, flour) take one of the heart quarters and coat it in the flour mixture.
Transfer it to the egg and fully coat.
Finally, transfer it to the breadcrumbs and make sure all sides are well covered. Place the breaded artichoke heart on a plate and repeat until all artichoke hearts are breaded.

Using an air fryer:

Spray the breaded artichokes with avocado oil, then add to the air fryer basket or tray.

Air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown.

Using an oven:

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the artichokes on a baking sheet and spray with avocado oil. Flip it over and spray on the other side.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown.
While the artichokes are cooking, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and dill, until smooth.

Serve as an appetizer or as a dinner side.

What You’ll Need

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