Crispy anything gets my vote. But have you ever fried olives? These juicy olives stuffed with feta cheese and oregano and fried in crispy breadcrumbs make a tasty and simple Greek appetizer that are easier to make than you think!
Olives are one of those foods that can divide a room. But after over a decade in Greece, where if you declared that you disliked olives you would be met with disbelieving, uncomprehending stares, I am firmly in the ‘love them’ camp.
And so will you be if you try stuffing juicy olives with a delicious feta cheese mixture, crumbing them and frying them!
What ingredients do you need?
There are 3 simple parts to this deep fried olive recipe:
- olives (of course)
- easy cheese stuffing
- breadcrumbs for frying
Olives: My advice is to find some big juicy black olives. Good quality Kalamata olives are perfect. If you can’t find these, any good and big black olives will work. Just make sure you buy pitted olives. The empty space in the middle is where your filling is going to go, of course.
I usually buy pitted kalamata olives for this recipe, but there’s nothing wrong with fried green olives!
Filling: For the easy filling, you only need a few ingredients. Just throw feta cheese, ricotta cheese, oregano, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil into a food processor and pulse until you have a creamy, dreamy filling.
Breadcrumbs: For breading the olives, you need just a smallish amount of breadcrumbs, and flour and egg. I like to use panko breadcrumbs, because they’re ready made and crispy, but any breadcrumbs work.
How to make fried olives
You can make these delicious party bites in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Get the filling ready.
Step 2: Dry the olives if they’ve been stored in brine or oil. Cut the very end off one end of the olives.
Step 3: Spoon the filling into a piping bag. If you don’t have one, you can use a small clear plastic food bag. Just pile the filling into one corner and snip off the very end (just the very end).
Step 4: Pipe small amounts of the mixture into each olive.
Step 5: Roll the stuffed olives in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
Step 6: Heat just enough oil in a saucepan to cover the olives. Fry for around 30 seconds until golden and crispy.
How to serve them
If you like you can serve these with a dipping sauce such as:
- sour cream
- tzatziki sauce
- sweet chili sauce
- good quality chunky pesto
- garlic aoli
- ranch dressing, or any other favourite quality dressing
- marinara sauce
But you don’t HAVE to.
I usually just serve them on a plate with cocktail sticks for stabbing and shoving into appreciative mouths!
You can easily assemble these just before your guests arrive if you want to serve them at a party or as a pre-dinner appetizer. Then just fry them fresh when you’re ready to serve them.
It’s not an exaggeration when I say they only take about 30 seconds to fry!
Why not include these on a beautiful appetizer plate? As well as the fried olives, you can include cold meats and cheeses, jarred artichokes, sundried tomatoes – anything you like!
Ways to vary them
These delicious crispy stuffed olives are great as they are! Feel free, however, to
- add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes or jarred roasted red peppers into the whipped feta filling.
- substitute the feta cheese for goat’s cheese or even plain old cream cheese.
- add a few chili flakes for a little spicy kick.
Now here’s the thing. You DON’T HAVE TO make the filling and stuff the olives yourself. You know those already-stuffed olives you can buy? Why not use those?
Can you cook them in an air fryer?
Yes, you can ‘fry’ fried olives in your air fryer!
Simply spray lightly with olive oil and cook for around 4 minutes at 355F/180C. Then turn the olives over or shake them. Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Depending on which air fryer you have, you may have to cook the olives in batches. As always with an air fryer, you don’t want to overcrowd the basket.
Air fried olives won’t taste exactly how they do when deep fried, but they’re still pretty delicious!
Liking the Greek style appetizer vibe in this post? Check out these 15 easy Greek appetizers for more delicious Mediterranean morsels!
More quick and easy party food
- supermarket copycat pesto and cheese twists
- 10-minute fresh tomato salsa
- The very best zucchini slice (cut into squares… mmm, delicious!)
- Very easy (but delicious) mini quiche lorraine
Or see all my easy party food here
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Greek fried olives
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- a squeeze or two of lemon juice
- a drizzle of olive oil if necessary
- 20 Kalamata olives large, pitted
- 2 tablespoons plain flour (you may need a little more or less)
- 1 egg whisked
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs or just use regular breadcrumbs (you may need a little more or less than 1/4 cup)
- oil for frying I used canola oil – enough to just cover the olives in the bottom of a small saucepan
Instructions
- Crumble the feta cheese into a food processor, then pulse it a few times until it resembles fine crumbs. Then add the ricotta, oregano and lemon juice and process until it’s smooth and creamy. Add a drizzle of olive oil to help it loosen up if you think it needs it.
- Blot your olives on kitchen paper if they’ve been stored in brine, then spoon the filling into a piping bag. Cut off the very end (to about the size of the hole in the olive), then pipe little bits of the feta mixture into each olive.
- When all the olives are filled, begin heating your oil on a medium heat. While it heats up, put your flour, egg and breadcrumbs on three separate dishes. Roll the olives first in the flour, then dip them in the egg using a slotted spoon, then roll them in the breadcrumbs.
- When the oil is hot enough (test with a cube of bread – it should brown within a minute or so if the oil is hot enough), fry the olives in batches for about 30 seconds or so or until they are a lovely golden brown. Fish them out with the slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper for a couple of minutes before serving with cocktail sticks for popping them into your mouth!
Morgan Hamilton says
Been going to Greece for 30 odd years and I have never seen fried olives, asked my Greek niece and she had never heard of them, when to USA to visit my son and on the menu ‘Fried Olives’.
Helen says
Haha. Must be a Greenglish thing then! Very tasty though. Did you try them?
Morgan Hamilton says
only two bowls!!! i think they were coated in coarse semolina?
Helen says
Yes, that would work! 🙂
Samina | The Cupcake Confession says
Whoaaaa Helen!!!!! This sounds and looks incredibly AMAZING!!!!!!! I’m loving the filling inside the olives!!!!!! Need to make this stat!!!!!! HAPPPPPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! :*
Helen says
Hello, Samina … Happy New Year to you, too! I really hope you have a go at these olives soon. I love them and think you would, too. Can you find feta cheese easily in India? 😉
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
I adore olives but I don’t think I’ve ever had fried ones before – these are just too adorable and sound like they would be delicious!
Helen says
Hi, Shashi! And Happy New Year! These really are delicious and take no effort at all to make. Let me know if you ever give them a go!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
These sound and look delicious, Helen! Lovely appetiser idea, I really like the idea of filling the olives with feta and ricotta, so good. Happy New Year, looking forward to your recipes this next year!
Helen says
Hi, Jessica, and Happy New Year to you, too! Can’t wait to see what you come up with in 2015 as well! 🙂
Joanne says
I could eat ALL THE OLIVES on my own, but the.boy is really not into them. Well, more for me! I love the sound of these!
Helen says
I agree that sometimes it’s great to eat ALL of something yourself, but generally I prefer to share the pleasure of something good. Hope you give these crispy beauties a go some time!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
My gosh I like everything about these. Fab idea. Happy New Year Helen.
Helen says
Thanks, Bintu … and happy new year to you, too!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I have never thought to stuff olives with feta and fry them, but that is SUCH a good idea.
Happy New Year 🙂
Helen says
Glad you think so, Dannii … Happy New Year to you, too!
Liz says
I’m going to save this idea for when I host book club. Your olives sound scrumptious! Happy New Year from New Zealand!
Helen says
Wow, now that is a compliment … to make something worthy of Liz’s book club 😉 Let me know what you think when you do try these, Liz! Oh … and you’re in New Zealand?? I never knew that!
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
My boyfriend and I both love olive so this would be an awesome appetizer for us for New Years Eve. Can’t wait to try!
Helen says
I really hope you do try this, Kelley! Let me know what you think if you do! 🙂
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
These olives look perfect, Helen! I absolutely love that you fried them, so creative! I am addicted to any type of olive, so these are right up my alley. Pinned to try out soon! Hope you have a wonderful New Years!
Helen says
Thanks for pinning, Gayle and hope you enjoy these some time as much as I did! 🙂
marcie says
These olives look beyond amazing, Helen, and I would completely gobble them up! Love this idea, and pinning to try. Hope you have a wonderful New Year’s! 🙂
Helen says
Thanks so much for pinning, Marcie … so happy these make you want to gobble them up and I really hope you do get around to trying them some time. Happy New Year to you, too!
Lori @ TheHealthMinded.com says
These look fun! And olives are so good for your health so you can’t feel too guilty in consuming a few. I like there is a surprise of other Mediterranean flavors hidden in there, too. Yummy eats, Helen. Happy New Year to you!
Helen says
They are fun, aren’t they? So easy, too, which is the best part! Happy New Year to you, too!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
These sound absolutely addictive Helen! I love that they’re stuffed with feta. Perfectly snack-able! 😀
Helen says
Hi, Allie, and Happy New Year! So glad you like the olives … you’re right that they’re addictive. I couldn’t stop eating them!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
Yup…we’re divided in my house. I love olives and my husband finds them repulsive. These fried olives look so so delicious!! I’ll come over so that the 2 of us can gobble these down. 🙂
I hope you and the Mr. have a happy and healthy 2015!
Helen says
Oh, please do … would love to share a bowl of these with you, Tina! Happy New Year!
Eva says
J’aime beaucoup ton apéritif Helen, je n’avais jamais vu avant et j’aimerais les essayer, c’est sûre!
J’ai passé le Noël un peu comme toi: manger, ouvrir cadeaux, rien faire et chocolats ! Je les aime aussi comme ça ! xo
Je te souhaite une très belle année, plein d’amour et santé !!
Helen says
Merci beaucoup, Eva! Je te souhaite toi aussi une tres belle annee! J’espere que t’auras l’occasion un jour d’essayer ce petit aperifif … Bonne annee! xx
Laura says
Helen, your going to think its awful that I had my first olive just a few months ago ~ but I liked it! These look like the best solution to appetizers for that sudden New Year’s Eve party I’m having issue. They look fab!!! What great ideas you have =)
Helen says
Ooh, yes indeed, that’s terrible, Laura! But better late than never … so glad you liked them, too. The bitter taste of olives are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Hope your party goes well. A last minute get-together certainly sounds like fun to me!
[email protected] Eats says
oh my gosh, I pay a FORTUNE for stuffed olives!! You ROCK Helen! Thank you for going to all the pain of stuffing yourself with “test” olives to get this right for us….you legend!!
Helen says
Hahaha … you’re welcome, Nagi! It was tough but someone had to do it … 😉
Maggie says
This is such a great idea! We don’t usually eat olives here, but I do enjoy them with some wine and cheese. I always think olives are too salty when eating alone, and the stuffed ones sound really delicious. I started to feel hungry by thinking of the great flavor! It’s a great party recipe for sure 🙂
Helen says
Thank you, Maggie! I’m very happy that I could tempt you with these! As much as I like olives, I know what you mean about them being a bit salty eaten alone … so thank goodness for the crispyness and cheesiness of these!
Annie @Maebells says
I adore this!! I love olives and feta so this is perfect! I can’t wait to try them!
Helen says
Glad you like them, Annie … and Happy New Year!!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I love olives, but have never had them fried! I love the cheese mixture that you’ve stuffed them with too – they look so delicious!
Helen says
Hello, Marissa … and Happy New Year! I love that you love these! 😉
cheri says
Hi Helen, these would be a big hit at our house, we even go to olive bars to try out different kinds, love that you stuffed them. Happy New Years!
Helen says
Happy to hear that, Cheri … glad you are in the ‘love them’ camp! Happy New Year to you, too! 🙂
Mariana says
Oh yeah i am already thinking of NYE food. Never thought about stuffing olives and then deep-frying them. that’s genius, Helen x
Helen says
Thanks, Mariana … I can’t take credit for the frying idea, but I thought I’d take it one step further and stuff them a la Greek!
Karishma says
This sounds so perfect for new year’s eve! We actually just came home with a TON of olives, so I think I’ll try this out 🙂
happy new year’s!
Helen says
Hello! Thanks so much for passing by … and very happy to help you out with your stash of olives!! Really hope you enjoy them if you do try them out!
Kathleen | hapanom says
In my family, I am notorious for eating all the olives as soon as they are purchased! But I’ve never had them fried! This is a great way to add a new twist to old favorite!
Helen says
Well, believe me, you’ll be eating these even faster … hubs and I were almost fighting over them! Happy New Year, Kathleen!
Miss Food Fairy says
These look yumm! Think I must pin for later as I’ve never tried fried olives thank you for sharing.
Happy New Year to you!
You have been nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – for inspiring & motivating me throughout the year. I love participating and being a part of the foodie community with you. Acceptance is purely optional, but if you’re keen please check out this post:
http://missfoodfairy.com/2014/12/29/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Helen says
Thank you so much for the nomination, Miss Food Fairy! I’m so happy to have inspired you! Glad you like the sound of the olives and … Happy New Year!
P says
Fried olives, huh? How can that be anything BUT delicious?! 😀
Helen says
Glad you think so, P! Thanks so much for passing by and Happy New Year!
Isadora says
I so agree, Helen! I love olives and could eat them everyday (I am actually just about to open a can of black olives to snack on!) but my husband thinks they are disgusting and won’t go near them! I would be all over these stuffed olives and I think I might just eat the entire plate! I hope you guys had a great Christmas!!
Helen says
Well then all the more for you!! I must say I much prefer to enjoy food with others, though, so I prefer it when Mr. Scrummy gets excited about the same food that I do. Oh well …
Happy New Year!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
What a great idea for NYE nibblies!! I absolutely love the sound of these and good to know that they are straightforward to do too 😀
Helen says
Thanks, Lorraine … so glad you like the sound of these. They were so easy to make that I ate far too many of them yesterday!