Spicy Marinated Olives
These Marinated Olives feature bold flavors from ingredients like honey, white wine vinegar, orange juice, dried chili peppers and more! They’re spicy, citrusy, and flavorful as can be. Perfect for placing on a charcuterie board or snacking on all by themselves.
Marinated Olives
If I’m given a bowl of olives, chances are… I’m going to eat way too many (possibly the whole thing). I’ve always been an olive lover. I like my martinis extra dirty, please! With that being said, these spicy marinated olives have basically changed my life. They’re loaded with sweet, citrusy and spicy flavors that make them so unbelievably flavor packed.
What’s so wonderful about the ingredients in this marinated olives recipe is that they all balance each other perfectly. There’s just enough sweetness from the honey to tame the spicy chili peppers and the tangy orange juice makes it all really pop. Just make sure that the olives you grab from the store aren’t stuffed or already marinated with other flavors that’ll compromise these ingredients.
Another amazing thing about this recipe is how quick it it! Typically, when you see the word marinated, you know you’re in for the long haul. But these olives need just 1 hour to marinate in the fridge and soak up all of those powerful flavors! It’s an easy recipe to toss together before your party starts. Serve these spicy citrus marinated olives on a charcuterie board or just with some toothpicks for snacking.
How to Make Marinated Olives
Making marinated olives is easier than you may think! For more details about exact ingredient measurements and step by step instructions, keep on scrolling down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Make the marinade. Whisk together the honey, vinegar, orange zest, juice, olive oil, salt pepper, chili peppers and spices.
- Refrigerate. Add the olives to a bowl and pour the marinade all over the olives. Make sure they’re all fully submerged. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Enjoy! I like to let the olives adjust to room temperature prior to serving for the best bite.
PRO TIP: It’s very important to fully submerge all of the olives in the marinade! That way they all end up nice and flavorful.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make the very best citrus marinated olives:
- Olives: Make sure they’re pitted, not stuffed and not already marinated!
- Honey: Add more or less to control the sweetness.
- White Wine Vinegar: Don’t swap this with any other vinegar! It’s neutral enough to really let all of the other flavors stand out.
- Orange: You’ll need both the zest and juice.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil also works well if preferred.
- Salt: Try to use kosher (coarse) salt for the very best flavor, nor iodized.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: You can always add more or less of these to better control how spicy the marinade is.
- Dried Chili Peppers: Use any dried peppers you like! Note that how spicy the peppers are will determine how spicy the marinade is.
- Additional Spices: A little bit of turmeric, garlic powder and cayenne add even more flavor to this marinade. Add more or less of each spice as desired.
Storage
You can keep marinated olives stored in an airtight container (like a glass jar with a tightly fitted lid) in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just make sure that every time you reach for an olive you do so with a clean utensil, that way no new bacteria is introduced to the olives.
I don’t recommend freezing olives.
Check out more of my favorite recipes with olives!
- Olive Tapenade
- Cucumber Bruschetta with Tomato and Kalamata Olives
- Pan Seared Scallops with Olive Artichoke Relish
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
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Get the Recipe: Spicy Marinated Olives Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted olives
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 3-4 dried chili peppers
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
Equipment
- 1 bowl
Instructions
- Add the olives to a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, orange zest, juice, olive oil, salt pepper, chili peppers and spices.
- Pour the marinade over the olives. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Serve at room temperature.