Warm Marinated Olives and Capers, a super easy appetizer with a mix of olives and capers with garlic, herbs, and spices. An easy and tasty pickable appetizer!
Love pickable olives and capers as a snack or appetizer? Forget store bought marinated olives, this recipe for warm and seasoned capers and olives is the perfect pickable appetizer that comes together in only 10 minutes.
👉 Ready to learn how to make warm, marinated capers and olives? Let’s do it!
🫒 Ingredients
- Olives with oil: any mixed olives will do, but our favorites are cerignola, nyon, niçoise, liguria, manzanilla, beldi, and kalamata
- Capers: any type of capers or caperberries are delicious with olives
- “Extras” (optional): sun dried tomatoes, pearl onions, or other desired additions
- Garlic: two whole garlic cloves are used to season the oil the olives are served in
- Fresh herbs: fresh dill and parsley are what we chose, but any fresh herbs will be tasty
- Seasonings: fresh lemon juice, flaky sea salt, ground black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper
- Recommended tools: small pot or pan, knife, small bowl, forks and spoons, small side plate
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Heat and season oil
The first step to making warm capers and olives is to heat and season the olive oil.
Simple pour two tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan or pot over medium-low heat.
Then add two whole garlic cloves and let them cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they begin to release their aromatic oils.
2️⃣ Step Two: Add ingredients to pot or pan
Once the oil is seasoned with garlic, add the olives and capers, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, chopped herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If you’d like a spicy kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Heat until the capers and olives are warm and the herbs are wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Don’t overheat! Just bring the ingredients to a warm temperature, don’t burn them or they will have an off taste.
3️⃣ Step Three: Serve warm capers and olives
When the ingredients are warm, remove the pot or pan from the heat and pour the warm mixture onto a serving plate or bowl.
Then serve with small forks or spoons and a small side dish for olive pits.
🍜 How to serve
- As an easy appetizer for wine night. Olives and capers are a quick and easy appetizer that pairs well with wine.
- Add to a platter. Put marinated olives and capers on a pickable platter for parties.
- Put them in pasta. Have leftovers? Toss capers and olives in a pasta with olive oil for a simple supper.
- Great as a healthy snack. Take these healthy fat-rich capers and olives as a snack when on-the-go.
🧊 How to store
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Don’t reheat after warming once, or the olives may become tough.
- Freezer storage: Olives can be frozen and thawed, but they may have a softer texture. To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and put into the refrigerator 24 hours before serving.
👉 More olive recipes
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Warm Marinated Olives and Capers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cups assorted olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from about 1 whole lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat and season olive oil: Heat olive oil in a small pan or pot over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook for 1-2 minutes until they release their aromatic oils.
- Warm ingredients in pot: Once the garlic oil is fragrant, add olive, capers, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and red pepper to the pan or pot. Heat until the capers and olives are warm and herbs are wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve: To serve, remove ingredients from the pan to a bowl and serve with small spoons and a side plate for olive pits.
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers and storage: Olives will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. However, after heating once I would not recommend reheating again or they may have a harder texture and will not be as soft with repeated warming. Do not freeze.
- Nutrition notes: Olives are high in healthy monounsaturated fats and are an important part of the Mediterranean Diet, named one of the most sustainable eating patterns.
Nutrition Information
UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in August 2018 and updated for clarity in November 2022.
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