You might know olives best as the garnish in your martini, but they’re good for so much more. These salty, tangy bites add a burst of flavor to countless dishes—and their brine works wonders in dressings or as a punch of seasoning. They elevate charcuterie boards, one-pot meals, crisp salads, and side dishes alike. Olives are a staple of the Mediterranean diet—and for good reason. They’re packed with antioxidants and healthy fats.
Whether you’re a longtime olive lover or just starting to experiment with them, we have something just for you. Ahead, we share 23 of our best recipes with olives to inspire your next dish.
Mixed-Olive Tapenade
William Abranowicz
A mixed olive tapenade is the perfect starting point for experimenting with different olive flavors. The variety of olive flavors may surprise you. It’s an excellent dish to accompany a charcuterie board, paired with cheese, meats, and crispy bread.
Tomato and Olive Penne
This simple pasta dish features fresh Mediterranean ingredients like cherry tomatoes, oregano, Kalamata olives, and parsley. The olive oil and olives bring out the flavor, creating a light and tasty dish.
Orecchiette, Celery, and Olive Salad With Ricotta Salata
Ren Fuller
You truly can’t go wrong with a pasta salad, especially one that can be made ahead. Our orecchiette salad is covered in olive juice, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice for a briny dressing. It’s packed with vegetables like celery and fennel, and chickpeas for added protein. For a perfect finish, top it off with a ricotta salata and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Baked Cod with Olives
Kirsten Strecker
An incredible fish dish that comes together in just 35 minutes, inspired by tapenade and covered in olives. To enhance the flavor even further, we add anchovies, capers, olive oil, and lemon juice to the fish before baking.
Spaghetti With Shrimp and Olives
You might not have thought to pair olives with shrimp in this pasta dish, but the olives provide a surprising burst of flavor. It comes together in just 20 minutes and boasts a variety of complementary flavors: tomato, bacon, rosemary, olives, shrimp, and fresh Pecorino Romano grated on top.
Braised Chicken With Potatoes, Olives, and Lemon
Johnny Miller
Olives play a unique role in this dish. The olives, garlic, lemon, and thyme flavor the chicken stock used to braise the chicken thighs and potatoes. It’s a delicious one-pot meal, perfect with polenta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up all the sauce.
Roasted Chicken With Dates, Citrus, and Olives
Marcus Nilsson
This recipe requires roasting an entire chicken, making it the ideal dinner party meal to feed a crowd. The chicken is flavored with citrus, dates, and olives, creating a juicy dish with a sweet and tart balance.
Date, Olive, and Goat-Cheese Tart
Louise Hagger
We love a savory and sweet puff pastry appetizer, and this one has it all. It’s like a cheese plate rolled into one flaky tart. The filling combines goat cheese and cream cheese, topped with Kalamata olives, pickled chiles, and Medjool dates. To serve, sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Citrus and Green Olives With Goat Cheese
Lennart Weibull
Transport your guests to Italy with this platter of briny green olives, citrus slices, and crusty rustic bread, paired with tangy goat cheese. It’s a colorful appetizer that tastes as good as it looks.
Mediterranean Pasta With Artichokes, Olives, and Tomatoes
A light Mediterranean pasta dish, perfect for an easy, nutritious weeknight dinner or make-ahead lunch.
One-Pan Orecchiette With Chickpeas and Olives
Alpha Smoot
This pasta salad will become a regular meal in your weekly rotation. It’s simple, comes together in just 30 minutes, and is packed with some of our favorite Mediterranean flavors like black olives, rosemary, and tomato.
Chorizo, Parsnip, and Olive Bites
Bryan Gardner
An easy appetizer that serves itself, these chorizo sausage, parsnip, and olive bites are full of flavor and color, making them even more appealing on display for guests to add to their plate.
No-Knead Olive and Cheese Loaf
This is one of our favorite olive dishes to make, and it’s perfect for a crowd. Fresh, warm olive bread is a great addition to any meal. Whether for a charcuterie board or enjoyed before a meal, the bold flavors of the olives and cheese are irresistible—you might want to make two loaves.
Pasta Peperonata With Tuna and Olives
Lennart Weibull
This pasta peperonata with tuna and olives is a powerhouse of protein and flavor. The olives and capers work together to add a briny, salty flavor to the canned tuna.
Radish Canapes With Black-Olive Butter
Our decadent black-olive butter is the perfect addition to your appetizer spread. It’s a simple combination of finely chopped olives, scallions, mint, and butter. Spread it on toasted baguette slices and top with radishes for added crunch.
Rosemary Chicken With Tomatoes and Olives
Marcus Nilsson
Here’s an Italian-inspired dish that relies on basic pantry staples and cooks slowly. A combination of juicy chicken legs, canned tomatoes, briny olives, and capers brings this dish together. The low-and-slow cooking method allows the poultry to become perfectly tender. Paired with mashed potatoes or polenta, this dish is delicious.
Arroz Con Pollo
Bryan Gardner
Martha’s take on a traditional Arroz Con Pollo one-pot dish features pimento-stuffed green olives. It’s truly an olive lover’s delight, combining the comforting chicken and rice combo with a burst of unique flavors from the olives.
Baked Chicken Legs With Chickpeas, Olives, and Greens
Courtesy of Johnny Miller
Oven-baked, flavorful chicken legs get even better with this one-pot recipe. Rubbed with Aleppo pepper, thyme, coriander, and orange zest, the chicken legs roast with orange slices, chickpeas, olives, and leafy greens. This dish embodies some of the best Mediterranean flavors in a cozy meal.
Blistered Eggplant With Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta
Bryan Gardner
This meatless main dish makes the most of tender, smoky eggplant, tomatoes, and olives. Top it with crumbled feta cheese and serve alongside crusty bread.
Braised Chicken With Artichokes, Olives, and Lemon
GEORGE BARBERIS
Though this isn’t a one-pot meal, it comes together in an hour and is sure to delight. Chicken braises in a skillet with artichokes, olives, and lemon, creating fragrant Mediterranean flavors. Serve it over a bed of orzo, polenta, or rice to complete the meal.
Salmon With Fennel, Bell Pepper, and Olives
Johnny Miller
This salmon dish creatively pairs salty and sweet flavors. As it bakes, citrus slices and black olives accompany the salmon fillets in this sheet pan meal.
Picadillo-Style Chili
Yuki Sugiura
Our Spanish-style beef chili uses fewer tomatoes and features bold flavors like cumin, cinnamon, and poblano peppers. We top the chili with chopped olives, currants, and almonds for added flavor.
Grilled Halibut Steaks With Potatoes, Olives, and Onions
Christopher Testani
This halibut steak dish boasts summery flavors, featuring an assortment of olives, baby potatoes, arugula, and dandelions. The Dijon mustard and white-wine vinegar dressing ties this impressive dish together.