• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Trending: Healthy New Year
  • About
  • Shop
  • Work with Me
  • Contact

Cooking for Keeps

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Casseroles
    • Cocktails
    • Dips
    • Main Course
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups & Stews
    • Stir Fries
    • Sweets
  • Protein
    • Beef/Lamb
    • Chicken/Poultry
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
  • Method
    • Casseroles
    • Slow-Cooker
    • Grilling
    • Minimal Ingredients
    • Quick
    • Air Fryer/Instant Pot
    • Oven
    • No cook
    • Stovetop
    • Kid Friendly
    • Dinner Party Worthy
    • One Pan
Home Appetizers
Easy easy

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

By: Nicole 4 Comments
Posted: 03/06/17

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

I am two very different people when it comes to restaurants. I’m the girl that wants to try a restaurant I’ve never been to with dishes I’ve never tasted, every time I go out to eat. But I’m also the girl that loves tradition, wants to return to my favorite spots over and over again, and eat the same dishes that made me fall in love with the restaurant to begin with. It’s a constant battle between not wanting to be disappointed and fear of missing out on something that could potentially become one of my favorites.

Kevin likes to joke he’s never been to the same restaurant twice with me, and I will admit, I do hightail it to the newest restaurant in town as soon as it opens (although with a one year old that’s becoming increasingly more difficult), but I also make sure to frequent our favorite spots on a somewhat regular basis.

There’s the Mexican hole-in-the-wall we can’t get enough of. The neighborhood breakfast spot that has the best mini waffles and bottomless coffees. The bakery we walk to more than I care to admit. The cozy French restaurant we go to for all our special occasions. And the old-time Italian restaurant I could eat at every day for the rest of eternity.

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

Each of these spots has a dish (or two) I order time and time again, but the Italian restaurant in particular, has a few I can’t skip over when I’m there – fettuccine alfredo for my entrée and a stuffed artichoke to start.

I’ve been going to this restaurant for what feels like an eternity, and even as young child, I vividly remember going to town on the butter, cheese and breadcrumb-stuffed vegetable. I would scrape off every bit of flesh from every single leaf of the artichoke until I got down to the fork-tender heart, which was obviously demolished as well. All that was left in the end was a shell of an artichoke heart in a puddle of butter.

It’s taken me the better part of two decades to make stuffed artichokes at home, but I can confidently attest that it was worth the wait. Instead of a strictly butter, bread crumb and cheese stuffing, I compiled the filling sort of like a crab cake with lots of lump crab meat (obviously), lemon juice, zest, a mixture of panko and plain breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, grated parmesan cheese, and of course, plenty of butter (although not near as much as the original).

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

Before the filling can make it in to the actual artichoke hearts, they need to be properly prepared. I start by cutting off the top ¼ of the artichoke, and then gently scoop as much of the choke (the fuzzy part inside the artichoke) as possible. You will have to sort of gently pry the artichoke open to scoop the choke out, but it’s pretty easily done. I cut enough of the stem off so the artichoke can sit flat in the baking dish, pull the tough outer leaves off, and then use kitchen shears to cut off some of the prickly tops of the artichokes. While they’re not they easiest or quickest vegetable to cook with out there, they are one of the most delicious, so the little bit of extra effort it totally worth it.

Once all the artichokes are prepped, I pop them top-down into a pot filled with about an inch of water and some lemon juice, bring it to a boil, reduce the temperature and then let the artichokes cook in the lemon water bath. You could also steam them, but I didn’t want them to get too brown so I let them cook in the water mixture, either way works. Once they’re almost ready to go, I pry the leaves back, stuff each layer with the crab mixture, and then pop them in to a hot oven.

What happens while it cooks, is the stuffing inside the leaves, sort of adheres to the leaves, so when you pull them off, the crab mixture doesn’t come tumbling out. At the same time, the stuffing that’s exposed to the heat of the oven becomes super crispy, and almost nutty from the butter, making it almost impossible to decide which part of the artichoke is better – luckily, you don’t have to….

One artichoke could easily feed two to four people for an appetizer, but if you’re like me, you’ll want an entire guy to yourself…

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

5.0 from 1 reviews
Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Total time
55 mins
 
Serves: 2 artichokes
Ingredients
  • 2 artichokes
  • 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. lemon juice, divided
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ⅛ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 4 oz. lump crab meat
  • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a medium pot with 1-inch of water. Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
  2. Cut the top ¼ off of each artichoke. Gently separate the leaves of the artichoke so you have room to stuff. Use a small spoon to gently scrape out the fuzzy choke of the artichoke. Peel off the tough outer leaves. Use a kitchen shears to cut off the very tips of the sharp leaves (I don't find this step necessary, but if you don't want to be poke by the prickly leaves, don't omit). Cut off the bottom of the stems so that each artichoke can sit up straight.
  3. Bring the pot of water to a boil, place the artichokes, cut-side down in the water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  4. While the artichokes cook, make the filling.
  5. Heat a small skillet to a medium heat. Add butter. Once butter has melted, reduce heat to a medium-low and add garlic. Saute until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest, plain breadcrumbs, panko, and salt. Toss until breadcrumbs are completely coated in the butter. Cook until crispy and golden brown, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  6. Add crab, mustard, parmesan cheese and remaining lemon juice. Toss gently to combine.
  7. Once the artichokes have cooked for 15 minutes, drain and pat dry with paper towel. If the leaves have come together again, gently pull them apart to make room for the stuffing. Evenly divide the crab filling between the two artichokes, try to pat some of the mixture in to the leaves. Place artichokes in a square baking dish and place in the oven. Bake until golden brown and hot, about 20 minutes.
  8. Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
  9. *To eat artichoke: Pull leaves off artichoke and scrape the filling and flesh from the leaves. Discard the leaves. Once you get to the heart, eat whole or cut and divide!
3.3.3077

Crab Cake Stuffed Artichokes

Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved over time into an equal love of showing you an elevated meal can be easy, approachable and most importantly, tasty. Dive in and find something perfect for you and your family!

Read more...

You May Also Like...

  • Crab Cake Spaghetti
  • This lump crab cake recipe is easy to make, uses barely any filler, is PACKED with lump crab meat, and SO delicious! We kept to tradition with a little bit of old bay seasoning, but also added in plenty of lemon juice, zippy dijon mustard, and hot sauce for a little kick.  
    Lump Crab Cake Recipe
  • Cornbread Dressing Stuffed Acorn Squash

Never miss a recipe!

Loading

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Josh @ The Kentucky Gent says

    Posted on 3/7/17 at 5:25 pm

    I am right there with you! But trying my hardest to be less of a creature of habit when it comes to eating out.

    Reply
  2. Milena | craftbeering.com says

    Posted on 3/9/17 at 5:11 pm

    Fascinating recipe, would love to try it and I will most certainly not share my artichoke:) I can see it paired with a light Gose style beer to echo the bread crumbs and the tartness.

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      Posted on 3/12/17 at 6:33 pm

      Ooo that sounds delicious!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

hey

Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved into an equal love of showing you easy elevated meals can be approachable and most importantly, tasty.

Read More

Browse by Difficulty

Easy easy Medium medium Advanced hard

Reader Favorites

Best Chicken Enchilada

Best Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Italian Stromboli

Italian Stromboli (5 Ingredients!)

French Onion Chicken Skillet

French Onion Chicken Skillet

One Pot Mexican Past

One Pot Turkey Mexican Pasta

Subscribe to latest recipe updates

Loading

Trending

Coconut Curry Meatballs

Coconut Curry Meatballs

Bulgogi Beef Lettuce Wraps

Bulgogi Beef Lettuce Wraps

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Spinach and Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Ground Beef and Spinach

Never miss a recipe!

Loading

By Course

Appetizers

Breakfast

Quick and Easy

Main Course

Soups

Salads

Side Dishes

Sweets

Explore

About Nicole

Shop Favorites

Press

Work With Me

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Contact

© 2025 Cooking for Keeps
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top