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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Spicy Rosemary and Orange Marinated Olives

    LAST UPDATED: January 7, 2020 PUBLISHED: January 5, 2020 By Pam Greer 21 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    These Italian Marinated Olives are the easiest appetizer ever!  Garlic, rosemary, orange and hot chili peppers turn olive oil into a spicy sweet marinade for olives!  These are perfect for snacking and they are always a hit at parties! 

    Glass bowl filled with marinated olives.

    Marinated Olives

    Raise your hand if you love olives?  My hand is most decidedly raised.  I have loved olives ever since I was a little girl.  Even back when you could only get about 3 different kinds of olives at the grocery store.  

    As a confirmed olive lover, the variety of olives now available at the store is a dream come true.  Standing in front of the olive bar at Whole Foods, I am like a kid in a candy store. 

    While I am fine with olives just as they are, with a few minutes and a few ingredients,  you can make them even more amazing, into a party worthy appetizer.  If you haven't tried marinated olives, you are in for a real treat! 

    Olive oil, hot peppers, rosemary, garlic, orange and olives for marinated olives.

    Ingredients to Make Italian Marinated Olives

    With just a handful of ingredients you can make the most amazing olives.  

    • Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil.  I use a medium priced brand, since I will be infusing it with other flavors, it doesn't have to be super premium.  I save the really good stuff for vinaigrettes. 
    • Hot Peppers - I used two dried chili peppers from my garden.  These were dried cayenne peppers.  If you don't have dried chili peppers, substitute about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
    • Rosemary - two sprigs of fresh or substitute 1 teaspoon of dried.
    • Garlic - two cloves or more if you like it garlicky. 
    • Orange - since you'll be using whole slices, try to find organic oranges.  If you can't find organic, scrub them really well.
    • Olives - for this recipe I like to use a mix that I get from the olive bar.  You can use a mix or all of one kind of you'd like.

    Plate with orange slices and garlic and olive oil being infused.

    Steps for Making this Easy Appetizer! 

    You can have this easy appetizer ready in about 15 minutes!   It gets even better as it sits, so make it early in the day and let the flavors blend.  

    Begin by peeling and slightly crushing two garlic cloves.  I do this by laying them on my cutting board and giving them a whack with the flat side of my knife.  This crushes them and helps the peel come right off.

    Cut two slices off of the orange, save the rest of the orange and make Honey Orange Roasted Carrots! 

    In a small saucepan, add the olive oil, garlic cloves, red peppers and orange slices.  Heat slowly to a simmer over medium low heat, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

    Photo collage showing a jar of olives being filled with herbed olive oil.

    You can marinate the olives in a glass jar or a bowl, I used a mason jar.  Place your olives into a bowl or jar and pour over the warm olive oil. 

    Let cool to room temperature.  

    You can start eating them as soon as they cool.  If you plan on eating them later, store them in the fridge. 

    Bowl of marinated olives on a board with cheese and crackers.

    These rosemary and orange olives are so good!  I took them to a party and didn't even get to eat any of them, they were gone that quickly.  Luckily for me, they are so easy to make, I whipped up another batch the next day! 

    These go really fast at my house, but I have stored them for up to a couple of weeks in the fridge.  You'll have some leftover oil, which I'm sure I don't have to tell you is amazing.  

    Use the extra olive oil in salad dressings or as dipping sauce for bread.   So good! 

    I originally made this recipe back in 2008 for Tyler Florence Fridays!   The recipe that he has posted on the web is similar, but it includes smoked paprika.   That sounds interesting, but I think I prefer the clean flavors from this simpler version.

    Looking for more appetizer or olive recipes?!

    More delicious appetizer recipes:  Sweet and Tangy Roasted Mini Peppers, Spicy Pita Chips and Easy Caponata. 

    More recipes using olives: Braised Chicken with Olives, Roasted Chicken with Olives and Tangerines, and Harissa Chicken with Olives. 

    If you make this I would love it if you would follow me and tag me on Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

    Bowl of marinated olives.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    4.99 from 53 votes

    Rosemary and Orange Marinated Olives

    These Italian Marinated Olives are so easy to make and are a party favorite!
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes minutes
    Servings 16
    Calories 67kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound olives mixed
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
    • 2 sprigs rosemary
    • 2 slices orange
    • 2 red chili peppers
    • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, over medium low heat, combine the olive oil, garlic, orange slices, hot peppers, and rosemary sprigs.
    • Heat to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.
    • Place olives in a jar or bowl and pour over the warm olive oil.
    • Let cool to room temperature.

    Notes

    Note - these ready to eat almost immediately, however they get better after sitting for awhile. 
    I store any leftovers in the fridge and use them up within a couple of weeks.  If you have any olive oil left over, it's great in vinaigrettes or for dipping bread. 
    Can substitute dried red pepper flakes for the dried chiles (use about ¼ to ½ teaspoon.) 
    Can substitute dried rosemary for the fresh - use about ½ teaspoon. 

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 441mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

    This post was originally published in 2008 and has been updated for 2020.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cindy says

      January 11, 2020 at 6:30 pm

      I LOVE LOVE LOVE olives! I have got to try this!

      Reply
    2. Sloboda Andjelkovich says

      January 06, 2020 at 6:18 pm

      5 stars
      I did not understand part of the recipe : "pour over the warm vinegar". Did not see any reference to the amount of vinegar in the list of ingredients. Would you please clarify?

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        January 07, 2020 at 8:37 am

        Oh my gosh, it's supposed to say warm olive oil! Thank you so much for catching that!

        Reply
    3. Tawnie Kroll says

      January 05, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for my husband and he is already requesting me to make them again - so so good! Thank you!!

      Reply
    4. Krissy Allori says

      January 05, 2020 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      I love how this adds such great flavors to the olives. We really enjoyed it.

      Reply
    5. Jeannette says

      January 05, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! What a great way to spice up any party! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

      Reply
    6. Maike says

      January 05, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      Olives are one of my favorite foods to snack on. And this flavor combination sounds heavenly. I'll definitely have to give this recipe a try.

      Reply
    7. Anita says

      January 05, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      This is a nice way to add flavors to olives. And it looks great as gift too. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Kevin says

      December 30, 2008 at 3:24 am

      This sounds like a nice way to enjoy olives.

      Reply
    9. Pam says

      December 28, 2008 at 9:02 pm

      Cali - I don't think so. I just used some small red ones, because that is what I had.

      Reply
    10. cali says

      December 28, 2008 at 6:19 pm

      Is there a particular type of "hot chilies" to use?

      This sounds wonderful.

      Reply
    11. Lori Lynn says

      December 27, 2008 at 5:44 pm

      Great idea for a gift. I wouldn't have thought to heat it up, sounds excellent.

      I'm with you on New Year's Eve, this one is my holiday to stay home with bubbly too.

      Happy New Year to you and your family Pam!

      Oh, and your daughter's idea of Christmas Adam is adorable...

      LL

      Reply
    12. Peter M says

      December 27, 2008 at 3:03 pm

      Made a similar olive combo last year...love orange w/ rosemary.

      Reply
    13. Terri and Bob says

      December 27, 2008 at 3:24 am

      Definitely going to try this one!

      Are you enjoying a winter break now?

      Reply
    14. J and Z says

      December 27, 2008 at 1:56 am

      sounds absolutely fabulous! thank you!

      Reply
    15. SweetPeaSurry says

      December 27, 2008 at 1:08 am

      hehehe I love the way you make food for certain days. I believe a few blog posts ago, you had a recipe that you were wondering when you could make it again. Me, I'd probably make these over and over and leave them in the fridge for a snack, probably better than grabbing that humongous bag-o-chips!!!

      Bright blessings!!

      Reply
    16. Debinhawaii says

      December 26, 2008 at 11:36 pm

      Hi Pam,

      The olives look and sound delicious--I love orange and rosemary!

      The TFF post is now up. Thanks for participating this week!

      Aloha,

      Deb

      Reply
    17. Staci says

      December 27, 2008 at 4:07 am

      those look gorgeous!! I love olives and that recipe sounds delicious...thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    18. Megan says

      December 27, 2008 at 12:29 am

      You are absolutely right - we stay home on New Years as well. I don't feel the need to go out amongst the crazies!

      Those olives look smashing, my husband would love love love them! Great idea!

      Reply
    19. noble pig says

      December 27, 2008 at 12:27 am

      This sounds awesome and easy!

      Reply
    20. Tatersmama says

      December 26, 2008 at 11:14 pm

      Aha... For a change,I have all the ingredients on hand !
      And who cares if I'm just staying home on New Years Eve and watching The Waltons by my lonesome?
      I deserve these!!

      Bless you, bless you, bless you!

      Reply
    4.99 from 53 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

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