If you’re looking for a quick and easy appetiser to enjoy during an aperitivo hour, then these Spanish marinated olives are an excellent option. Served along with some Basque-style Gildas and/or some blistered padrón peppers and a glass of Spanish red vermouth over ice, I honestly can think of nothing better.
There are few things that I love more about my travels in Spain than sitting down at an open-air cafe, ordering a drink and being brought a dish of flavourful, marinated olives. And being away from Spain, it’s rare that I find olives that have quite the same flavours as those you can find on the Iberian peninsula.
When browsing a Spanish market, the kind of olives I covet beyond all else are mojo picón style. These green olives are marinated in a spicy sauce that makes them absolutely irresistible. So if you’re looking to jazz up a jar of boring green olives, then this recipe is a great choice for you.
How to Make Spanish Marinated Olives
This olive marinade is incredibly easy and comes together in a matter of minutes. So it’s important you have everything prepped and ready to go when you need it.
First off, add some spices to a heatproof bowl. For these mojo picón olives, I call for chili flakes, smoked paprika and whole cumin seeds. Together, the flavours are excellent.
Also, add in a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary and a strip of lemon zest that you’ve removed from the lemon with a vegetable peeler.
Now, add a few cloves of crushed garlic to a small pan along with some extra virgin olive oil. Place the pot over medium heat.
Gently heat the olive oil and allow the garlic to infuse into it. As one side of the garlic cloves brown, flip over so you can brown the other side.
Once the garlic is golden brown all over, pour the hot oil and garlic over the spices, lemon zest and rosemary.
Now, to the bowl, add your olives. Use high-quality green olives here. In Spain, the typical variety would be manzanilla but those can be tough to find outside of Spain.
Castelvetrano olives are an acceptable substitute. Just make sure that they have the pits in and are just in a brine – no other flavours have been added to them.
Over your olives, pour in a bit of sherry vinegar. Then stir to combine and allow to sit until they’re completely cooled – at least one hour.
The olives keep getting better and better the longer they sit in the marinade, so you can even cover and refrigerate them for several days and serve them when needed – they’ll be great!
Spanish Marinated Olives (Mojo Picón)
Ingredients
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 strip lemon zest removed from a lemon with a vegetable peeler
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) whole green olives with pits such as manzanilla or castelvetrano
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) sherry vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium, heatproof bowl, add the chili flakes, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, rosemary and lemon zest.
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a small pot and set over low heat. Allow the oil to heat up gently and the garlic to infuse in the oil. Flip the garlic cloves over so they brown evenly – remove from heat immediately once browned and pour over the spices in the bowl.
- To the bowl, add the olives and vinegar. Stir to combine using a heatproof spatula. Allow to cool completely at room temperature and let stand in the marinade for at least 1 hour before serving (see notes)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
These mojo picón olives are the perfect addition to a tapas dinner or as an excellent appetiser with drinks. They’re easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Are you looking to make some marinated Spanish olives? Have any questions about this recipe? Let us know in the comments!
