Crispy Oven-baked Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Herb Dip
Crispy Oven-baked Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Herb Dip
These crispy, oven-baked artichoke hearts are SO good! The breading makes them crispy on the outside and the artichokes, once baked, are as tender as can be on the inside. Paired with a flavourful lemon and herb dip, it is one of my absolute favourite appetizers to share! While the breading process takes a bit of time and patience, using store-bought marinated artichoke hearts keeps the recipe simple. It’s worth every minute, I promise! You can bake the artichoke hearts in the oven or cook them in the air fryer; whatever you prefer. If baking in the oven, I recommend using a rack on top of your baking sheet to ensure that they get extra crispy.
The sauce is really what makes this vegetarian appetizer so good! The base is a blend of mayonnaise and greek yogurt and added to the base is a little chopped fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice, capers and parmesan cheese. It all comes together in one little bowl in just minutes. When serving, plate the artichokes on a platter with the sauce in a small bowl and fresh lemon wedges on the side. Add a little colour with some sprigs of fresh parsley as well, if desired. Enjoy!
Crispy Oven-baked Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Herb Dip
Let’s go over a few of the main ingredients:
For the artichokes:
Artichoke hearts - We are using marinated artichokes for this recipe. You can find them at the store in the aisle where the olives are. Be sure to drain them well and pat dry before coating in the breading. We don’t want them to be too soggy.
Flour - I like to use tapioca flour for the first step of breading, so that I can lessen the amount gluten I use in the recipe. However, if you are not gluten-free, regular wheat flour works just as good here.
Egg - You will need 1 small egg for this recipe.
Bread crumbs - This recipe is not meant to be 100% gluten-free, so we are using panko bread crumbs for the final coating of the artichokes. They have long been my favourite “crumb” for breading. If there is a gluten-free crumb that you like to use and you want to make this recipe totally gluten-free, feel free to use that.
For the lemon herb dip:
Greek yogurt - Yogurt and artichokes pair deliciously well together, so it will be making up half of the base of the dip. For best results I recommend using full-fat greek yogurt. We will be adding lemon juice and don’t want the final product to be too watery, so choose a good, thick yogurt to use.
Mayonnaise - The mayonnaise adds a rich, creaminess to the base of the dip. Mixed with the greek yogurt, it’s absolutely perfect! Make sure you use real mayonnaise and not a faux type like Miracle Whip; it will affect the overall flavour.
Lemon juice - The lemon juice adds a necessary acidity to the dip and it helps to balance out the other ingredients. It’s a very important ingredient! You would definitely notice if it wasn’t there.
Parsley - Parsley is what makes this the “Lemon Herb Dip.” It adds a beautiful colour to the dip as well as delicious, fresh flavour. I do recommend using fresh parsley for the dip for best results. I used a flat leaf parsley, but any variety would work.
Garlic - I’m a big proponent of using the freshest ingredients possible and garlic is no exception! Fresh garlic packs a punch with aggressive flavour and a bit of spice. Using it in the dip makes it really yummy.
Capers - Adding capers to the dip adds another element of flavour. Capers and artichokes pair well together, so I was happy to add a few. I finely chopped marinated capers into a mince before adding them to the dip. If you like it chunky, then you can chop them more roughly.
Parmesan cheese - I wanted this dip to be a little chunky, so along with the capers and parsley I added a little fresh grated parmesan cheese and it totally makes it! Cheese and artichokes are a well-known pairing, so I had to include some in the dip. Parmesan that is more finely grated, but not powdered is the best size for the dip.
Crispy Oven-baked Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Herb Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cups marinated artichoke hearts
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or regular)
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1 tsp water
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1/4 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup real mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp capers, minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Reserve 2 tbsp of the oil from the artichoke jar and then drain 2 cups of artichokes. Pat them dry with paper towel. (It's ok if there is a little oil on them, we just don't want them too soggy.)
- Arrange three shallow bowls for breading the artichokes: one with the flour, 1/4 tsp sea salt and a pinch of black pepper, one with the egg + 1 tsp of water and one with the panko crumbs, 1/4 tsp sea salt and a pinch of black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a rack on top of the baking sheet for the artichokes.
- One by one, toss the artichokes in the flour first, then dredge them in the egg and finely coat them in the panko crumbs. Shake off the excess and place them on the prepared baking rack.
- With a basting brush, lightly drip the reserved artichoke oil over the breaded artichokes. Then, bake them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- While the artichokes are baking, make the dip: in a small bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, parmesan, capers, salt and pepper until completely combined.
- Plate the artichokes on a platter with the dip on the side. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley and enjoy!