Artichokes with Ham Recipe: Authentic Spanish Tapa Classic 2026

Artichokes with ham is a classic Spanish dish that is as simple as it is delicious. It needs very little to shine at the table: just a handful of ingredients and the care of the most traditional home cooking. Tender artichokes, sweet softened onion and garlic, and salty cubes of serrano ham come together in one pan in under an hour.

It works just as well as a starter for a weekend lunch as it does as a light supper with good bread. The dish belongs to the family of Spanish guisos and salteados that depend on a good sofrito — the slow sweating of onion and garlic in olive oil — which is what gives the artichokes their deep savoury base.

Ingredients for Artichokes with Ham

This quantity serves 4 people as a starter.

• 9 fresh artichokes
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 50 g serrano ham, cut into small cubes
• 100 ml vegetable stock, or the cooking liquid from the artichokes

How to Make Artichokes with Ham Step by Step

1. Clean and prepare the artichokes

If you are starting from fresh artichokes, first pull away the tough outer leaves of the 9 artichokes until you reach the paler centre with tender leaves. Once peeled, trim the tips. Next, cut away a little of the outer part of the stem, then cut the artichokes in half and remove the hairy choke in the middle, which is what makes artichokes taste bitter. As you clean them, keep them in a bowl of cold water with a little parsley so they do not oxidise and discolour.

2. Boil the artichokes

Cook the artichokes in plenty of salted water for 30 minutes. When they are cooked, reserve the cooking liquid and drain them well so they are as dry as possible — this makes it easier to brown them later with the ham and the softened vegetables.

3. Make the sofrito

While the artichokes are cooking, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and gently sweat 1 onion cut into small pieces together with 3 garlic cloves. Add a little salt and let the mixture sweat over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the onion begins to take on a golden colour.

4. Add the ham

Add 50 g of serrano ham cut into cubes to the pan and sauté it with the softened vegetables.

5. Brown the artichokes

Add the cooked artichokes to the pan and sauté them so they brown a little without burning. If you are using frozen artichokes, this step will take longer.

6. Add the stock

Pour in 100 ml of the artichoke cooking liquid or vegetable stock so they stay juicy. Let the liquid reduce slightly, then take the pan off the heat.

7. Serve

Serve the artichokes with ham hot, with a drizzle of olive oil.

Tips for the Best Artichokes with Ham

Choosing fresh artichokes

If you are going to use fresh artichokes for this dish, keep in mind that you should pick ones with tight, firm leaves and a firm stem, with no black or brown marks. If you have the chance, choose the smaller specimens too, because the smaller they are, the more tender they turn out.

Using pre-cooked artichokes

If you are going to prepare this dish with artichokes that are already cooked, whether jarred or frozen, you can skip the first two steps of this recipe. In that case you simply focus on sweating the vegetables with the ham, then add the artichokes to brown them lightly and let them hydrate with a little of the stock.

Choosing the ham

To finish with the keys to this popular dish before we get to the recipe, it is also important to choose a good serrano ham and, if you can, ibérico, which is even better — it will make this dish a genuine treat. Serve these artichokes freshly made, as a first course accompanied by good bread, and simply enjoy.

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If you’re like me, you probably enjoy keeping a mix of easy comfort food, classic international dishes, and crowd-pleasing desserts on hand.

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Over the years of testing and refining recipes in my own kitchen, I’ve learned that the best dishes combine simplicity, reliable techniques, and bold flavor.

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