Crispy Artichoke Hearts Appetizer

These crispy roasted artichoke hearts are such an easy appetizer to make. The interior of the artichoke is soft and tender, while the tips of the leaves and breadcrumbs are crispy and full of flavor from the Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. They take just about 15 minutes to cook, whether you do them in the oven or the air fryer. 

Jarred or Frozen Artichokes

My preference for this recipe is to use frozen artichoke hearts. You may not have seen them before in your grocery store, but that might just be because you haven’t been looking. Take a look. If you still don’t find them, you can use jarred artichoke hearts, but I recommend those packed in oil rather than water. The water packed hearts can be a bit water-logged and take longer to dry out. That is the key to this recipe – make sure you defrost and/or dry your artichokes well on a kitchen towel before moving ahead with the recipe. No shortcuts!

Quick and Easy Way to Crispy

Once the artichoke hearts have dried, the rest is easy. Combine coarse fresh breadcrumbs (those are breadcrumbs that you make yourself by chopping or processing some leftover bread) with grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped lemon zest and a little garlic powder. Drizzle olive oil over the artichokes and season with salt and pepper. 

Tossed not Breaded

Then toss the breadcrumb mixture with the artichoke hearts. There’s no need to go through a laborious breading procedure. Just toss everything together and get as many crumbs as you can attached to the artichokes, but don’t worry too much about thoroughly coating. You can toss the extra crumbs onto the tray or baking sheet with the artichokes and serve the delicious crispy crumbs with the finished dish.

Lemon Mayo Dip for Artichoke Hearts

Aïoli is the most common dip for artichokes, but I prefer a lemon mayo that doesn’t have a heavy garlic flavor. This is a simple dip that you can stir together while the artichokes are cooking – in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or in the air-fryer for 12 to 15 minutes. It’s light and bright and provides the perfect compliment to the crispy roasted artichoke hearts.

How to Serve Crispy Artichokes

Right away. That’s how you serve the crispy roasted artichoke hearts. Straight from the oven or the air fryer, these tasty morsels are best enjoyed immediately. They’ll lose their crisp if you wait too long. Toss some more lemon zest and a few green herbs on top and put them out in front of your guests. They won’t wait!

Crispy Roasted Artichoke Hearts with Parmesan and Lemon Mayo - Oven Version