Sweet and Spicy Orange Olives Recipe

Name: Sweet and Spicy Orange Olives Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 19 ounces jarred castelvetrano olives (drained well (pitted or unpitted will work here)); 4 large cloves garlic (peeled and thinly sliced); 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt ((or 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt)); 1/2 tablespoon fresh orange zest ((see Notes)); 1/4 cup fresh orange segments ((see Notes)); 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice ((see Notes)); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

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Orange olives feature mild, buttery green Castelvetrano olives marinated with simple ingredients for a sweet and spicy appetizer.

Add these to your next cheese platter, charcuterie board, or snack plate!

What are Castelvetrano Olives?

Native to Southwestern Sicily, Castelvetrano olives are a pretty shade of green with a buttery, almost sweet flavor and a firm, meaty texture. If you think you don’t like olives because you’ve only had olives that are salty, briny, bitter, or mushy, Castelvetrano olives may just change your mind!

What Makes This Recipe a Winner

Simple ingredients. We use just a handful of ingredients to create a well-balanced sweet and spicy flavor profile. You probably already have almost all the ingredients on hand right now!
No waste. Did you ever wonder how to get maximum use out of an orange? This is it! We use the zest, segments, and juice in this citrusy olive recipe.
Fancy olives, budget price. If you buy an olive mix like this at a gourmet or specialty food shop (or at an olive bar at the regular grocery store), you’d pay a premium. Not so when you make it yourself! If you want an economical appetizer idea that is still impressive enough for guests, this is it.
Special diet-friendly. This recipe is naturally gluten free, paleo, low carb, and with just 4 grams net carbs per 1/4-cup serving, keto-friendly as well.

Ingredients

Breaking It Down

Ingredients Explained

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

Castelvetrano olives – Pitted or unpitted will work for this recipe because we’re just marinating the olives. However, if you want to stuff and marinade them, make sure to get pitted olives.
Garlic – We use quite a bit of garlic here to add a ton of flavor to the olive marinade, but we thinly slice each clove (instead of crushing it), so the flavor isn’t overwhelming. Garlic adds beautiful savory sharpness and complexity.
Crushed red pepper flakes – Crushed red pepper flakes add the spicy component to this sweet and spicy recipe. If you prefer, you can add minced fresh hot pepper instead.
Fine salt – Or use 3/4 teaspoon if you’re using coarse salt instead of fine.
Fresh orange zest, segments, and juice – For this recipe, you’ll need 1 large naval orange. Start by zesting it, then remove the peel and cut out the segments. Lastly, squeeze the membrane to get the juice. We use the whole thing!
Extra-virgin olive oil – Use the good stuff here! Peppery extra-virgin olive oil rounds out the flavors in this marinade beautifully.
Honey – For floral sweetness.
White balsamic vinegar – White balsamic vinegar has a golden hue and a clean, bright, tangy flavor.

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, and toss well to coat.
Cover and chill 2 hours before serving so the olives can absorb the flavors.

budget friendly gourmet olives for a fancy appetizer

Storage

Store covered in a glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Variations

Lemony olives – Instead of orange, lemon works well here with a couple modifications. Use the same amount of zest but omit the segments. Use 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and omit the white balsamic vinegar.
Cerignola olives – If you can’t find Castelvetrano olives, Cerignola olives from Puglia, Italy are a good substitute. Cerignola olives have a similar mild, buttery sweet flavor and firm texture, but are a bit bigger than Castelvetrano olives, which makes them a great choice if you want to make stuffed olives.
Feta olives – Cut a 1/2-pound block of feta cheese into bite-sized cubes, pat them dry, and add them to the marinated olives right before serving. (TIP: Add about 1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley if you add feta!)
Vegan version – Use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.

Tips For the Best Orange Olives

Elevate with herbs. If you have fresh herbs on hand, this is a great place for them. Rosemary, thyme, parsley, or oregano are a few of my favorites in this recipe.
Fresh orange makes all the difference. We use the zest, segments, and juice, and each component lends to the bright, citrusy sweetness of these olives.

homemade gourmet zesty olive mix on stoneware plate

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make warm olives with this recipe?

Absolutely! To serve orange olives warm, you can use the stovetop or oven. For the stovetop, add everything to a saucepan and heat over medium until simmering, about 5 minutes. And for the oven method, stir together the ingredients in a baking dish and heat in a 375F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

Can I make orange stuffed olives?

Yes! This is such a fun idea, and if you’re used to buying gourmet olives, not only will this save you money, but you can customize it to suit your tastes.

To stuff olives with orange peel, you’ll need pitted olives (it’s much easier to buy them pitted than to try to pit them yourself!). Cut the peel off the orange in strips (use a vegetable peeler so you don’t get any of the white pith with the peel). After that, cut the strips of orange peel into small pieces, and stuff a piece of peel into each olive. Keep the marinade recipe the same, except omit the zest because we used the peel to stuff the olives.

More Easy, Budget-Friendly Appetizer Recipes

Garlic Hummus Without Tahini – This flavor-packed dip is ready in 5 minutes!
Grilled Red Peppers – The perfect addition to a cheese platter, charcuterie board, your favorite sandwich, or just about any pasta dish.
Garlic Bread – With just 4 ingredients, this buttery garlic bread is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.

marinated castelvetrano olives with oranges and garlic

Let’s Connect

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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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