Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts
15 minute air fryer artichoke hearts served with a creamy, dairy-free lemon aioli. Perfect for a party, as a side dish, or on top of pasta, salads, and more.
These crispy artichoke hearts are a fantastic, simple appetizer to share with friends, especially when paired with my lemon aioli dipping sauce.
Or, enjoy them on top of your favorite salad for an elevated, bistro-inspired meal. Grab a can of artichoke hearts, toss in seasonings, and air fry until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Why I love this recipe
Fried artichoke hearts are a must-order every time I head to my favorite pasta restaurant in St. Louis, Katie’s Pizza and Pasta (IYKYK). There, they are served over stracciatella filling and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It’s one of my favorite appetizers, and I love how crispy and crunchy they are!
When we had friends over a few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to recreate that appetizer but served like finger food– with a creamy lemon dipping sauce.
These air fryer artichoke hearts are a perfect snack for entertaining, as they take just minutes to assemble and can be quickly fried in just 15 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Artichoke Hearts: I use canned artichoke hearts for ease; grab already quartered artichoke hearts or whole hearts that you halve or quarter after draining. If you want to use frozen artichoke hearts, then I recommend thawing and patting them completely dry before combining with the olive oil and spices.
- Smoked Paprika: I love the almost meaty flavor that smoked paprika adds to these air fryer artichoke hearts, but it also dominates. You can adjust depending on spice and flavor preference.
- Cashews: This is what creates the dairy-free aioli! Raw cashews are preferred as they blend more easily, but roasted cashews can be used in a pinch. If you do use roasted, omit the salt at first and then only add as needed to taste. Soaking the cashews first will make them easier to blend; I often do a quick soak method by covering them in boiling water for 10 minutes and then draining.
- Dijon Mustard: This adds a tart, umami taste to the aioli. It’s my secret ingredient in so many of my sauces and dressings, like my herbed potato salad.
How to Make
Season the Artichoke Hearts
Toss the quartered artichoke hearts with olive oil and the spices, ensuring that the hearts are well coated in the spices. I usually use my hands as I find it’s much easier than using a spoon!
Air Fry
Place the artichoke hearts in a single layer in the base of your air fryer and cook for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make sure to place the hearts in a single layer so they have room to crisp on all sides.
Make the Lemon Aioli
Add all of the ingredients to your blender. I use a small blender, like my Nutribullet, to make this sauce as the small size makes it much easier to blend.
A large blender likely has too large a base and will likely need to double the recipe in order for it to blend easily. Or, you can try stopping the larger blender and scraping down the sides as needed to let it blend all together. If you do use a large (normal) blender, then I highly recommend soaking the cashews first.
Tips for Success
If using frozen artichoke hearts, make sure to thaw and pat them completely dry before adding the spices and frying, otherwise the artichoke hearts won’t become crispy in the air fryer.
If you want to bake these artichoke hearts, then preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and cook for 20-25 minutes.
What to Serve With
These air fryer artichoke hearts are great with my lemon aioli dip, but will also work with other dips. Try my creamy sriracha dip or my romesco sauce.
These artichoke hearts are also fantastic on top of a salad, like they serve at Katie’s! Try them on my roasted beet salad or persimmon salad.
Storing Notes
These air fryer artichoke hearts are best right out of the fryer. As with most fried foods, they will lose their crispiness as they sit.
If you do have leftovers, you can refry them in the air fryer or in the oven to restore their crispiness.
More Artichoke Recipes
- Artichoke Pesto Pasta
- Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Mediterranean Farro Salad
- Chopped Italian Pasta Salad
If you try these air fryer artichoke hearts, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts
Equipment
Ingredients
Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts
- 2 cans artichoke hearts, quartered or whole1
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Lemon Cashew Aioli
- 1/4 cup raw cashews2
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon dijon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Artichoke Hearts
- In a large bowl, toss the artichoke hearts with the olive oil and seasonings. Spread in an even layer in the air fryer and cook for 14-16 minutes at 400℉
Make the Lemon Aioli
- Combine all of the ingredients for the aioli in a blender3 and puree until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Notes
- If buying whole artichokes, then quarter them or halve them first.
- Soaked cashews will be easier to blend. You can either soak for an hour before blending or do a quick soak by covering the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and use.
- This will blend much easier in a small blender; a large blender likely has too large a base and will likely need to double the recipe in order for it to blend easily. Or, you can try stopping the larger blender and scraping down the sides as needed to let it blend all together. If you do use a large (normal) blender, then I highly recommend soaking the cashews first.