23 Olive Recipes for Big-Flavor Dinners and Snacks
Whether you keep a jar of emergency Castelvetranos in the fridge, never skip a dirty martini at happy hour, or always have a bowl of marinated olives to snack on while making dinner, there’s an olive recipe below with your name on it.
Whatever your favorite olive variety, the salty, briny little fruits (yep, fruits!) are the backbone of everything from quick pantry pastas to Mediterranean-inspired braises. They’re the punchy, savory kick in your favorite salads and party snacks. And olive brine’s no slouch either. So pour yourself a Dirty Martini Spritz, slap together an olive-and-cream-cheese sandwich, and read on for our favorite olive recipes—some worth sharing, others worth keeping all to yourself.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/23Gilda Salsa
Turn olives, anchovies, pickled peppers, and parsley into a punchy Basque-inspired salsa that’s just as good on grilled fish as it is with chips or crusty bread.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro3/23Boquerones With Green Olives and Orange
Photographs by Emma Fishman4/23Crispy Olives With Calabrian Chile Sauce
Coat store-bought stuffed olives with panko to fry up golden and crisp, then dunk them in a spicy Calabrian chile sauce that’s made for cocktail-party snacking.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua6/23One-Pot Puttanesca
Photograph by Vanessa Granda, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua7/23Spaghetti With Eggplant Caponata
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Nicole Louie8/23Spicy Tomato and Black Olive Grandma Pie
Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li9/23Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Gerri Williams10/23One-Pot Pantry Orzo With Chickpeas
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley11/23No-Knead Fougasse
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley12/23One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Olive Gremolata
Photograph by Chelsea Kyle13/23Dirty Martini Chicken Thighs
Olive brine, vermouth, vodka, and buttery Castelvetrano olives turn crispy chicken thighs into a cheeky dinner inspired by the classic cocktail. Or go all out and marinate your chicken in olive brine →
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Dayna Seman14/23Crispy Chicken With Za’atar-Olive Rice
Blistered Castelvetrano olives, crispy ground chicken, za’atar, feta, and lemon make this one-pan dinner bright, savory, and weeknight-friendly.
Photo by Breanne Furlong, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht15/23Sheet-Pan Chicken With Grapes and Fennel
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh16/23Braised Chicken Thighs With Olives and Herbs
Smoky tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives, lemon, and fresh herbs turn tender braised chicken thighs into an easy one-skillet dinner. Serve with a Crunchy and Bright Greek Salad and some crusty bread.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini17/23Swordfish Steaks With Olive-Pistachio Sauce and Potatoes
Photograph by Maya Visnyei, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua18/23Mushroom Piccata
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Alex Massilion, Food Styling by Thu Buser.20/23Muffuletta Potato Salad
Inspired by the iconic New Orleans muffuletta sandwich, this potato salad is packed with olives, pickled peppers, capers, salami, and provolone.
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy21/23Tuna Niçoise Salad
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness22/23Chopped Salad With Sardines and Preserved Lemon
Briny olives, preserved lemon, crisp vegetables, and tinned sardines come together in a protein-packed chopped salad that’s ready in 20 minutes.
