Gorgeous Marinated Olives
Briny olives stuffed with feta, marinated in a blend of chili peppers, lemon zest, fresh herbs & garlic. These easy marinated olives are guaranteed to steal the show at your next dinner party!
Marinated olives are my go-to when hosting friends. They’re incredibly easy to make (with 10 minutes of hands-on time), with no cooking required, and they never fail to impress my people.
This recipe feels like a little secret weapon I keep in my back pocket, perfect for elevating the menu without any substantial effort. It feels 100x fancier than putting out a simple jar of olives.
- Served with a bowl of crusty bread for dipping into the marinade
- Skewered onto toothpicks for easy access
- Alongside a pitcher of tinto de verano, croquetas, and a tortilla for a Spanish themed meal
- Chopped up and tossed with some buttered noodles for an easy dinner
My favorite part is how customizable these are. Obviously feta is a delicious but acquired taste, so feel free to stuff your olives with anchovies, bleu, or even goat cheese instead. Or skip the stuffing entirely and let the zesty, garlicky marinade speak for itself.
I promise you, your olive-loving guests will be begging you for this foolproof recipe.
What You’ll Need
Whether you’re going for stuffed olives or just sticking to a simple marinade, the grocery list is pretty simple:
- olives – you’ll want to use pitted olives if you plan to stuff them
- optional: feta cheese – keep reading for more stuffing alternatives
- olive oil – an herb flavored olive oil can work really well in this recipe if you’ve got one you like
- red wine vinegar – you could also use balsamic
- garlic cloves
- lemon zest – feel free to substitute or supplement this with orange zest
- parsley
- chili flakes
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.
How to Make Marinated Olives
Tip: The longer you marinate these, the more the olives will soak up all the flavors. I recommend a minimum of an hour.
More Stuffing Options
If you’re wanting to go the extra mile, I really recommend stuffing your olives. This adds another layer of flavor and mouthfeel, plus it just feels fancy!
Here are some more stuffing ideas:
- Anchovies – the saltiness here pairs incredibly well with the olives and marinade
- Other Cheeses – goat or bleu are always delicious
- Garlic – roasted or fresh will both work
- Peppers – roasted red peppers all the way here!
- Pickled Things – pickled jalapenos, cornichons, or pickled garlic add a wonderful acidity
If you plan to stuff them, remember to buy pitted olives and stuff them after draining and before adding the marinade ingredients.
Use a chopstick or cocktail skewer to stuff the olives with ease!
Perfect Pairings
Marinated olives are a staple in many different cuisines, often served as an appetizer or small bite to accompany drinks or the main dish. I’ve enjoyed iterations of these while visiting family in both Spain and Morocco.
Here are some recipes you’ll often see on my table with them:
Buen provecho!
Gorgeous Marinated Olives
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Marinated
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Briny olives stuffed with feta and anchovies, marinated in a blend of chili peppers, lemon zest, fresh herbs & garlic. These easy marinated olives are guaranteed to steal the show at your next dinner party!
Ingredients
- 1 jar of olives (about 1 1/2 cup)
- optional: 4 oz feta cheese*
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2–3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp parsley, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Drain & stuff the olives. Drain the olives (if they were packaged in liquid) and add to a medium sized bowl. If stuffing, stuff the olives with tiny chunks of feta, or your desired filling.
- Marinate. Add the oil, vinegar, grated garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and chili flakes to the bowl and mix everything well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Stuffing your olives is optional but highly recommended. Other stuffing options could be anchovies, bleu cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic, red peppers, pickles, pickled jalapenos, etc.
- Use a chopstick or cocktail skewer to stuff the olives with ease!