THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY
DeLallo Foods, who I’m so excited to partner & share with you all throughout 2019. Their olives just so happen to be this olive lover’s absolute fave! All thoughts & opinions are my own.
My love for olives knows no end. Seriously.
Despite having the pickiest palate as a kid, the one thing my mom could always count on me eating (other than boxed mac & cheese, of course) was olives. Kinda bizarre, right? Olives aren’t necessarily the first thing you think of when you think of picky kid-friendly foods. But, MAN, I loved ’em.
Still do, in fact! You can always find a jar of olives (or 2!) in my fridge. I put them on salads, I put them in bowls, I put them on pizzas, I put them on cheese boards, I put them in vodka…seriously, you name it, & I’ll probably eat olives with it.
But one of my all-time favorite ways to enjoy olives? Simple: straight out of a big ol’ bowl, after they’ve been marinated with tons of herbs & garlic.
& guess what! Enjoying marinated olives doesn’t have to be the kind of thing that only happens when you go to your favorite Italian restaurant or when you just so happen to grab some from the olive bar at your grocery store. Making marinated olives at home is seriously easy, seriously quick, & seriously delicious (of course!).
All you have to do is layer your favorite olives in a jar with some flavorful aromatics (this recipe calls for just 5), then pop them in the fridge to infuse for a few days. After the olives do their thing for a couple of days, you’re in for such a treat: citrusy, herby, garlicky goodness.
(& I mean…does it get better than that?!)
Best olives to use for homemade marinated olives:
Since they’re pretty much the star of the show, it’s important to use the best quality olives you can find when you make homemade marinated olives.
When it comes to anything having to do with olives, I turn to my friends at DeLallo: DeLallo has the best olives! They’re super fresh, super meaty & substantial, & can be delivered straight to your door – gotta love that convenience!
For this marinated olives recipe, I chose:
- DeLallo Gigante Olives, DeLallo’s signature green Sevillano olives. They’re meaty, & have the most gorgeous buttery flavor & texture.
- DeLallo Colossal Calamata Olives, the famous Greek olives we all know & love. These taste slightly tart & have a nice, soft texture. So good!
Italian marinated olives ingredients:
Aside from olives, of course, this easy marinated olives recipe calls for 6 really simple ingredients (Note: the full Ingredients List, including measurements, is provided in the Recipe Card, below):
- garlic
- lemon
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- bay leaf
- & olive oil
This combination of citrus, fresh herbs & garlic is my absolute favorite, though the beauty of this recipe is that it’s pretty flexible. You could swap out the fresh herbs with dried, the lemon with orange, scale back on garlic, etc. There’s lots of room to play with things & really make them your own.
How to make marinated olives at home:
The glorious thing about this marinated olives recipe? It’s SO easy, & you only need 10 minutes (tops!). Here’s what you’ll do (Note: the full Recipe Directions, including storage instructions, is provided in the Recipe Card, below):
- Grab a jar or any other airtight container with 16-ounce capacity.
- Build some layers: Add in some olives, then layer them with the fresh herbs, garlic & lemon. Repeat until you reach the top of your jar.
- Stream in some olive oil, slowly & carefully to avoid overflows, until all of the olives are submerged.
- Marinate: Seal the container & set it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 48 hours, or up to 1 week, before enjoying.
How to use marinated olives:
The other glorious thing about this marinated olives recipe? You can use them for just about anything…
- for satisfying everyday snacking
- as the perfect easy party appetizer
- to take any charcuterie or cheese board to the next level
- or as an amazing hostess gift (& it’s really a 2-in-1 gift since they can enjoy the olives & use the garlicky herb-infused oil for cooking!)
Have your hand at making marinated olives at home this holiday season – it’s SO easy, & I know you’ll love them!
If you do make them, be sure to leave a comment with a star rating below – I love hearing from you! You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. One of my absolute favorite things is seeing your pwwb creations!!!
Easy Marinated Olives with Rosemary, Garlic & Lemon
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 48 hours
- Yield: 1 pound 1x
- Category: appetizer recipes, snack recipes, food gifts
- Method: no-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A delicious blend of Italian & Greek olives marinates in olive oil infused with fresh herbs, lemon & plenty of garlic. Making marinated olives at home couldn’t be easier, and they’re perfect for everyday snacking, holiday entertaining, all of your charcuterie & cheese board needs, or to offer as a showstopping hostess gift.
Ingredients
- 1 pound mixed olives, such as DeLallo Gigante Olives & DeLallo Jumbo Pitted Calamata Olives, drained & rinsed
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 8–10 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- lemon rind from 1/2 lemon
- optional: 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Assemble: Layer the olives, garlic, herbs, bay leaf, lemon rind, & chili flake in a 16-ounce jar (or 16-ounce airtight container of choice). Slowly pour the olive oil over top, just until the olives are submerged. Depending on the size of your olives, you may or may not need the full cup of olive oil.
- Marinate the olives: Set the sealed jar in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours, or up to 1 week.
- Serve: 2 hours before serving, remove the olives from the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature. Transfer to your favorite serving bowl. Enjoy them on their own, or serve along with crackers, charcuterie, or on a holiday cheese board. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store the marinated olives in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
More Easy Holiday Snacks & Appetizers…
If you love this Easy Marinated Olives recipe, here are a few more simple snacks & appetizer recipes to try this holiday season!
- A stunning holiday appetizer: Bejeweled Marinated Goat Cheese
- Great for entertaining: The Ultimate Dessert Cheese Board
- The most festive winter snack: Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
- Another great hostess gift: The Ultimate Cheese Board Gift Basket
- All PWWB Christmas Recipes
- All PWWB Appetizer Recipes
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
Isn’t there a risk for botulism with using the garlic when stored for longer than a week? May have to leave this out if not planning on serving completely within that timeframe.
Hey Wendy, we recommend storing these olives in the fridge to maintain freshness. Of course, you can always eat them quicker! 🙂
Hey so I wanted to keep these olives in the fridge but won’t the olive oil just become thick when cold? I’ve marinated things before and sealed them and anytime I keep them in the fridge. It’s really hard when I want to snap on them because I have to leave them out to defrost which is so time consuming sometimes.
Am I able to use sunflower oil or vegetable oil or maybe a mix of olive oil and vegetable oil?
Hi Jen, we haven’t had any issues with refrigerating these marinated olives! We always just allow them to come to room temperature for a bit before serving 🙂
Thanks for this easy recipe. I have just used it with lots of olives that I’ve cured! I’m just wondering if they have to go in the fridge? I thought if sealed, they would be ok sitting in the pantry? I have lots of jars and would prefer them not taking up the whole fridge 😉
Hi Danni, those sound delicious!! You should definitely be able to store properly sealed and brined olives at room temperature 🙂
Marinated olives, excellent recipe I have shared with friends. Thank you.
Thank you, Mary Ellen! We’re SO glad you enjoyed!! 🙂
My gosh! U r buying MARINATED PREPARED to eat olives and what? like extra-marinade them??? sorry but thats the strangest way to play cooking… very western though..
Hi there! You’re right – most olives are already prepared in a mild liquid brine (typically water, vinegar, salt, & a few simple spices) so they can stay fresh for an extended length of time. This recipe is for marinating in olive oil & infusing the olives with fresh herbs & other flavors to add additional flavor & make a simple appetizer or gift. Hope that helps clear things up & totally fine if its not for you!
When I refrigerated the jars of marinated olives the olive oil solidified. Did this happen to anyone else? When left out of the fridge for a few hours, the oil will liquify again but it means that I can’t serve the olives straight from the fridge.
Hi Deb! Depending on how cool your refrigerator is set, the olive oil could naturally solidify. You could try storing in the door of the refrigerator to avoid this (typically temperatures will be slightly higher in this area of the fridge) or allow time for the oil to liquify prior to serving. Either way this should not affect the flavor!
Making my 3rd batch! These are so flavorful….& fresh rosemary + thyme cannot be compared to buying a jar of store-bought marinated olives! Infused (+easy) in the best way!
I can’t wait to make your marinated olives! Is there any reason you couldn’t throw in some feta cheese chunks?
Hey Genevieve – Feta would be delish! Be sure to store your olives & feta in the fridge so nothing spoils. Let me know if you try!!