Discover this easy marinated olives recipe! Bursting with citrus, garlic, rosemary & bay leaves, these Mediterranean olives are perfect for parties, tapas nights, or a healthy snack. Make ahead & impress your guests!
🌿 Citrus Marinated Olives – Easy Mediterranean Appetizer Recipe 🫒🍊🍋
Bright, fragrant, and layered with fresh citrus and herbs, these citrus marinated olives are the perfect make-ahead appetizer for parties, snacks, or a Mediterranean-inspired spread. A warm infusion of olive oil with rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, and citrus peels transforms simple olives into a sophisticated treat. Finished with a splash of fresh orange and grapefruit juice, these olives are vibrant, aromatic, and irresistibly flavorful.
🍊🍋 Why You’ll Love These Citrus Marinated Olives
• Bright & aromatic: Orange and grapefruit peels perfume the oil, while fresh juice adds brightness without overpowering the olives.
• Deep, layered flavor: Gently warming the olive oil with herbs and garlic builds a rich, infused base.
• Easy & versatile: Simple ingredients and short prep time make this a go-to appetizer.
• Make-ahead friendly: The flavor improves as it sits - perfect for entertaining.
• Gorgeous presentation: Citrus peels and fresh herbs make it look as good as it tastes.
🫒 Homemade Marinated Olives vs Store-Bought: Why Making Your Own Is Easy & Better ✨
- Fresh, vibrant flavor: Store-bought olives are often packed in brine for long shelf life, which can mute their natural taste. By marinating your own, you control the balance of citrus, herbs, and spices for a brighter, fresher flavor.
- Customize to your taste: Want more orange sweetness? Homemade olives let you adjust flavors exactly how you like them.
- Impress with presentation: Fresh herbs and citrus peel make your olives look gourmet.
- Easy and quick: With just a few ingredients and minimal prep, you can transform basic olives into a flavorful Mediterranean appetizer in under 15 minutes.
🫒 Ingredients for Citrus Marinated Olives (with notes)
- Extra-virgin olive oil - Use a good-quality oil—it becomes part of the final flavor.
- Fresh rosemary - Thyme is also a great substitute.
- Bay leaves - Adds earthy depth.
- Garlic cloves – Slicing thinly helps release even more flavor into the oil.
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional) - Add more or less heat to taste.
- Fennel seed (optional) – Crush lightly to release the flavor.
- Orange Juice + Peel - Use a vegetable peeler for large, clean strips.
- Grapefruit Juice + Peel - Adds a lovely, subtle bitterness.
- Mixed olives (green and black) - Use a variety for color and texture.
- Sea salt - to taste
🍴 How to Make Citrus Marinated Olives – Step by Step
- Warm the aromatics: In a small pan over low heat, gently heat the olive oil with rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, orange peel, and grapefruit peel until fragrant (about 1–2 minutes). Do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the olives: Add olives to the warm infused oil and toss to coat, warming them slightly.
- Remove from heat: Take the pan off the heat.
- Stir in the juices: Add the orange juice and grapefruit juice, stirring to combine.
- Season: Add sea salt to taste.
- Marinate: Let sit at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
- Serve: Enjoy warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or on a cheese board.
Pro Tip: Flavors continue to meld over time, so these olives are even better the next day! Let come to room temperature or re-warm gently in a pan before serving.
✨ Tips & Variations for the Perfect Marinated Olives
- Add more citrus: Try lemon peel instead of or in addition to the grapefruit peel and juice.
- Change the herbs: Thyme or oregano also work well.
- Make it spicy: Increase the red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat.
- Mix olive varieties: Green, black, and Kalamata give a great balance of flavors and textures.
🥂 Serving & Storage for Citrus Marinated Olives
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Ideal for cheese boards, tapas nights, or healthy snacking.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long will citrus marinated olives last?
Up to 7 days in the fridge; flavors deepen over time.
Can I reuse the infused oil?
Absolutely! Drizzle it over roasted vegetables or use it in salad dressings
💛 Final Thoughts on Citrus Marinated Olives
These citrus marinated olives are bright and stunning on any table. With rosemary, garlic, citrus peels, and a splash of fresh juice, they offer a balanced and memorable Mediterranean flavor. Simple to prepare and perfect for entertaining; make them once, and they’ll become a staple.
More Olive Recipes:
Citrus Marinated Olives
These warm citrus marinated olives are infused with rosemary, garlic, orange peel, and grapefruit peel, then finished with fresh citrus juices for a bright Mediterranean flavor. Perfect for cheese boards, dinner parties, and make-ahead entertaining.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup/60ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and sliced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed (optional)
- A few peels of orange
- A few peels grapefruit
- 2 cups mixed olives (green and black)
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon/5ml fresh grapefruit juice
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the aromatics: In a small pan over low heat, gently heat the olive oil with the rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, red pepper, fennel seeds, orange peel and grapefruit peel until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the olives: Add the olives to the warm infused oil and toss to coat, warming them slightly.
- Remove from heat: Take the pan off the heat.
- Stir in the juices: Add the orange juice and grapefruit juice, stirring to combine.
- Season: Add sea salt to taste.
- Marinate: Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
- Serve: Enjoy warm or at room temperature as an appetizer or on a cheese board.
Notes
Tips:
• Flavors deepen beautifully if made ahead. Let come to room temperature or gently re-heat before serving.
• Swap or add herbs like thyme or oregano.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
¼ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Kirsten @ Green Global Travel says
I love love love olives! This looks amazing.
Susie MacIntosh says
My favorite olives are pitted Kalamata's, marinated or plain, they are delicious! I love olives, after looking at your beautiful pictures, i'd love to have a combo with those delicious fresh herbs and some feta to go with them, and some herb bread too for dipping! Thanks for sharing!
Susie
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
I wish we could grow olives in Wyoming, but it seems we can only grow cows. As always, gorgeous, gorgeous photos that have me drooling!