These Italian marinated olives are steeped in an herb and garlic-infused olive oil with chili flakes and lemon zest to make an easy appetizer for every party.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made these for a get-together and before I knew it, they were gone. I’ve been asked for the recipe several times. This recipe is a keeper!!” -Patty, FoodieCrush reader
This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods
The Easiest Party Appetizer EVER
Nothing says “welcome to the party” more than a finger-food-picking bowl of olives to nibble on.
Plump and flavorful, these marinated olives are fast to make and enjoyed on-the-fly or refrigerated for weeks to be eaten when the tangy cravings strike. To make them, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon peel, and red pepper flakes are warmed in olive oil, infusing their aromatic oils before pouring over the punchy mixed olives.
One of my favorite ways to eat these tangy olives on top of sourdough toast slathered with ricotta cheese or mashed feta. They’re also the ideal addition to charcuterie boards or antipasto platters or kept stashed in the fridge to add to easy pasta salads for lunch or dinner.
Heidi’s Tip: How to Select the Best Olives
As one of the biggest importers of Mediterranean olives, DeLallo Foods varieties are some of the most flavorful olives around. Naturally cured and brined, DeLallo’s gourmet imported olives add tang to any dish, and are the ultimate pop-in-your-mouth snack, too.
For this marinated olives recipe, I use a colorful combination of two of my favorite DeLallo olive varieties:
- Mild and plump, Delallo’s bright green Sicilian Castelvetrano olives are famous for their irresistible buttery-sweet flavor and creamy, meaty texture.
- DeLallo’s jarred classic Greek calamata olives (kalamata olives) have the tangy, tart, meaty bite that Mediterranean olives are most commonly known for.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Olives — You can use DeLallo Calamata olives, Castelvetrano olives, or a combination of the two. In choosing olives for this recipe, look for brine-packed olives. Don’t use oil-packed olives as they are typically already flavored. I choose pitted olives because they’re easier to eat (especially in salads), but olives with the pit lend even more flavor.
- DeLallo extra virgin olive oil — Has a natural fruitiness to it that pairs well with the Italian flavors going on in these olives.
- Aromatics — The marinade develops a well-rounded flavor from the addition of garlic cloves, lemon zest, red chile, a little kosher salt, and your choice of fresh herb(s).
How to Marinate Olives in 3 Steps
Heidi’s Tip: Use a jar or airtight container with a fitted lid. This recipe fills 1 quart jar, or about 4 cups. I like the looks of these Weck jars, or a basic quart Mason jar with a lid works great too.
- Make the marinade. Marinated olives might look fancy, but the marinade is simply a combination of olive oil, smashed garlic, lemon zest, chile flakes, and herbs that have been warmed in a skillet over medium heat.
- Layer the olives in the jar with the herbs. Then, pour the flavored oil over top.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes. This quick appetizer can be served on the fly, but the olives taste more flavorful the longer they sit.
Keep These in the Fridge for Up to 4 Weeks!
Marinated olives get better and better the longer they soak in the flavorful infused oil. Marinated olives last in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks, making them a great make-ahead appetizer for the holidays.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Marinated Olives Recipe
Ingredients
- 5.3 ounces DeLallo Castelvetrano olives
- 5.3 ounces DeLallo Calamata olives
- 1 cup DeLallo extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6-8 black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon red chile flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Drain the olives in a colander and rinse in cool water. Set aside to drain.
- In a medium skillet, add the oil, smashed garlic cloves, half of the fresh herbs (reserve the rest for packing with the olives), lemon zest, red chile flakes, and black peppercorns. Bring to medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, swirling the herbs in the oil, until the garlic is fragrant and the herbs sizzle. Remove from the heat, season with the kosher salt, and set aside.
- In a quart jar with a fitted lid, layer the olives with the garlic and cooked and reserved fresh herbs. Pour the flavored oil over the olives.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The olives taste better the longer they sit in the flavored oil, up to 3 days before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With Marinated OIives
- Slather toasted bread with ricotta cheese. Top with marinated olives and drizzle with the oil.
- Add to any cheese board or snack bowl
- Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
- Easy Baked Brie
- Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Crostini
- Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip
Additions and Substitutions
- Use any variety of herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or parsley
- Instead of lemon peel, give orange zest or orange peel a try
- For more tang, add 1-2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar to the mix
More Quick and Easy Holiday Appetizers
- Baked Brie with Blueberries
- Caramelized Onion Crostini
- Antipasto Christmas Wreath
- Kid-Friendly Cheese Board
- Clam Dip
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo Foods. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Funday Holidays
Olive is really healthy very high in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants.
Patty
Made these for a get-together and before I knew it, they were gone. I’ve been asked for the recipe several times. This recipe is a keeper !!