Easy Marinated Olives with Citrus and Rosemary
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A quick warm infusion of olive oil, lemon peel, garlic, and herbs gives these olives bold flavor in just 20 minutes—no overnight marinating required.
Unlike most marinated olive recipes that require hours—or even days—of soaking, these olives get their flavor fast. The result is deeply seasoned, aromatic olives that are perfect for effortless entertaining.
As a former personal chef, this is exactly the kind of recipe I relied on when guests were arriving and I needed something that felt intentional without requiring advance planning. Instead of cold-marinating and waiting, warming the olive oil briefly coaxes out flavor immediately, allowing the olives to absorb citrus and herbs in minutes, not overnight. It’s a simple technique that delivers a big payoff. You won’t believe the flavor boost over plain olives!
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🥗 Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Go for good quality extra virgin olive oil, but no need to splurge for super high-end.
- Lemon Peel: This gets a little crunchy in the sauté pan and adds big flavor. Substitute lime or orange peel if you like.
- Fresh Herbs: I like fresh rosemary and thyme here, but you could also try rosemary or any other fairly sturdy herb. Adding dried bay leaves is another possibility.
- Crushed Red Pepper: Leave this out if you don’t want any heat (or add more if you like more!)
- Olives: A mix of green and black olives gives you good contrast in flavor and texture. I like a mix of green olives, Kalamata olives, and Nicoise olives.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice two garlic cloves and cut six strips of lemon peel off a lemon.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
Add lemon peel strips, 1 rosemary sprig, 1 thyme sprig, the sliced garlic, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes, until the garlic is lightly toasted but not burned.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add ½ pound mixed green and black olives, stirring to coat them evenly.
Let the olives rest in the warm oil for 15–20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Remove the herb sprigs, then transfer the olives (with some of the oil) to a serving dish.
Storage Tips
Store marinated olives in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently in a skillet on the stove if you want to recrisp the lemon peel strips. Otherwise, just bring back to room temperature before serving. You can also pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds at 70% power.
🧐 FAQs for Marinated Olives Recipe
Yes. You can make them a few hours ahead and let them sit at room temperature. Gently rewarm if you like before serving. You can also make them several days in advance and keep in the refrigerator, just note that the crisp lemon peel strips will soften.
I prefer to use pitted olives so it’s easier for people to eat, but you can use unpitted olives. Just make sure to let your guests know, and put out a small bowl next to them for the pits.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Keep the heat low. Burned garlic will lend a unpleasant flavor to the whole dish.
Avoid the white pith, when cutting your lemon strips. Too much pith will add some bitterness to the dish.
Make sure to bring olives to room temperature, or even better, warm before serving. They will dry out in the refrigerator, but come back to life as they warm up.
Making these olives is one of my favorite ways to upgrade charcuterie boards, an antipasto platter, or even just a cheese board. And of course, delicious marinated olives are perfect with a glass of wine or cocktail.
Other Cocktail Hour Recipes
These olives are the perfect snack for an apéro hour at home. Want to add some other delicious nibbles? Try one of these:
If you try this Marinated Olives recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Marinated Olives with Lemon and Rosemary
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 lemon peel strips
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ pound mixed olives kalamata, nicoise, green
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium low heat.
- Add lemon peel, herbs, sliced garlic, and crushed red pepper.
- Heat, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly toasted but not burned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat. Add olives and stir.
- Let rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs, then transfer to a serving dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe for marinated olives, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Made these for a party and they are SO delicious and addictive. The marinating really makes a huge difference and makes them so complex and yummy (and pretty). I will definitely do this again.
So glad to hear that, Anne! I may never go back to serving plain olives!