Lemon Marinated Olives

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Today’s Lemon Marinated Olives are so easy to throw together and perfect for a holiday party or get together.

Surprisingly enough, I am not the only one who loves olives in my house.

Drew and Jack also have a deep love for olives. Drew is more of the kalamata olive lover and Jack the green olives. 

One of  our favorite things to snack on is a mixture of olives. I love marinated olives even more. They are inspired by our trip to Greece, where of course olives were in abundance.

Mike and I wandered through the streets in Greece and often found ourselves stumbling into small shops that sold barrels of olives. One of my favorite olive mixtures we ate was Lemon Marinated Olives.

I knew I had to share something similar with you guys for the holidays.  When I make these olives I buy a mixture of kalamata and green olives but you can use whatever olives you prefer. I like to add a variety of other things to my olive mixture, depending on what I have on hand. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions. 

• Olives: You can use whatever olives you like. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds of pitted olives. I love using a combination of kalamata olives and castelvetrano olives when possible.
• Herbs: The herbs are the part of the recipe that adds the flavor. I suggest trying to grind your spices and herbs yourself before adding them. This recipe uses bay leaves, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
• Garlic: If you can get ahold of fresh garlic that works best. Thinly slice it and let it marinade!
• Lemon: This recipe uses lemon slices and 1/2 of a lemon juiced. The lemon adds a nice citrus tangy flavor.
• Olive Oil: If you can use a really good quality extra virgin olive oil.

How to Make Marinated Olives

Step 1: Combine Ingredients: Combine all ingredients in large heavy-duty resealable ziplock plastic bag or a plastic container with a lid.

Step 2: Shake to Blend: Shake to blend ingredients.

Step 3: Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, shaking or turning the bag a couple times a day. Transfer olives and some marinade to a small bowl and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.

What to add to an olive mixture:

• I love adding artichoke hearts to my mixture. I chop mine up pretty small so they don’t stand out too much in the olive mixture. 
• The lemon juice adds a touch of sweetness to these olives. Sometimes I like to add something a bit spicy to my olives to go with the sweet flavor. Try adding giardiniera, sliced chile peppers or adding red pepper flakes. 
• Chopped roasted red peppers work great in an olive mixture. If you are feeling adventurous try fire roasted red peppers.
• Chunks of mozzarella or feta also goes great with these marinated olives. 
• For an extra citrusy tang flavor add lemon peel, lemon zest, orange peel, orange zest, or sliced oranges.