There’s no better way to dress up olives than to infuse them with a simple homemade citrus marinade. Whether you’re looking for an easy appetizer or hors d’oeuvre for entertaining or a fun snack, these warm marinated olives at home are showstoppers for any occasion!
Dad showed me how to make his signature marinated olives recipe…and it’s perfect! Watch us make these olives together in the video below!
Serve Citrus Marinated Olives as a snack or appetizer alone, or with Easy Beet Hummus or Creamy Italian Tonnato Tuna Sauce/Dip with bread and veggies.
The Best Olives for Homemade Marinated Olives
My favorite olives to use for marinated olives at home are assorted Mediterranean olives found in a jar or in the antipasto bar at your local grocery store!
I especially love assorted green, purple and black Greek olives, but any kind of high-quality olives work perfectly!
Marinated Olives Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for homemade citrus marinated olives!
- Assorted Mediterranean olives – use your favorite green, purple and black assorted olives. I especially like Mediterranean Greek olive blends for this recipe (pitted or unpitted!).
- Orange segments & orange zest – a mixture of both orange zest and orange segments is a crazy delicious combination of orange flavor and pops of juiciness.
- Sliced garlic – garlic! Enough said. Fresh sliced garlic infuses the olive oil.
- Red pepper flakes – a dash of hot pepper flakes add a slight back-heat.
- Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil brings all of your flavors together and moistens your olives.
- Salt – since the olives are salty, a pinch of salt goes a long way.
How to Make Marinated Olives At Home
The full instructions and step-by-step video are in the recipe card below!
- Zest and segment oranges.
After you’ve zested your oranges, peel them. Use a sharp knife to cut the thin white membrane off the outside of an orange. Pick the orange up and place it in the palm of your hand so that you can easily see the membrane that separates each orange segment. Use your knife to cut between the membranes (lines between segments) to the center of the orange so that the segments pop out.
Repeat for all segments and the other orange. - Heat.
Add olive oil, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and orange zest to a medium pot. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Combine.
Add olives and orange segments to a separate bowl. Pour hot olive oil mixture over the olives and oranges. Stir gently until combined.
How Long Do Olives Last?
Although your olives will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, I recommend serving them right away for the best results!
Re-warm stored olives by covering your container with plastic wrap and microwaving in increments of 15 seconds, until just warm.
What to Serve With Marinated Olives
Marinated olives can be eaten anytime, for any occasion!
- Part of a holiday get-together as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, with Hot Honey Ricotta Toasts, Parmesan & Pancetta Popcorn, and/or Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites.
- A delicious addition to a charcuterie board, with Sun-Dried Tomato Olive Tapenade, a Grilled Apricot & Burrata Board, or Easy Beet Hummus.
- Or simply alone as an easy homemade snack!
More Olive Recipes That You’ll Love On Tastefully Grace!
- Grilled Eggplant Panini with Sun-Dried Tomato Olive Tapenade
- Cod ‘alla Puttanesca’
- Caramelized Onion & Kalamata Olive Pastry Twists
Citrus Marinated Olives
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups assorted Mediterranean olives, (pitted or unpitted) and drained
- 2 oranges, cara cara or navel
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest, packed
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- After you’ve zested your oranges, peel them. Rest the bottom of an orange on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the thin white membrane off the outside of the orange. The orange should now be completely orange!
- Pick the orange up and place it in the palm of your hand so that you can easily see the membrane that separates each orange segment. Use your knife to cut between the membranes (lines between segments) to the center of the orange so that the segments pop out. Repeat until all segments are removed from the membrane for both oranges.
- Add olive oil, garlic, hot pepper flakes, and orange zest to a medium pot. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add olives and orange segments (with some of their extra juices) to a separate bowl. Pour hot olive oil mixture over the olives and oranges. Stir gently until combined.
- Use a vegetable peeler to create wisps of orange zest to sprinkle on top, for an extra pretty touch!
Video
Notes
- Serve olives warm or room temperature!
- Marinated olives are best served right away but they keep quite well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
