Marinated mozzarella is ready to shine as an appetizer for parties and holidays, or as an addition to an antipasto platter. This simple recipe is extra flavorful made with real olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, bright herbs, and garlic.
Marinated mozzarella is one of those dishes that will have people hovering over the appetizer table at a party, and I feel like the pictures make it clear why. With fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and Italian herbs, it would be hard to make it not taste good.
You might notice a prepared version of this dish sold at the supermarket, but from experience I'll tell you that it's lackluster in comparison to this homemade recipe (same deal as pesto rosso). The store-bought kind often cuts the olive oil with flavorless canola, and IMO skimps on the flavorings. Making marinated mozzarella at home takes barely any time and delivers an outsized payoff for the effort.
I love that this recipe is total entertaining food, but it's quick and easy enough to earn a spot on the everyday menu, too. Speaking of entertaining: the marinate time means this is a great make-ahead option for get-togethers. And if we really want to take it a step further, the red, green, and white coloring is festively on-theme for Christmas Eve or Christmas dinners. Buon Natale, and dig in.
Recipe Ingredients
- Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella in various forms is my pick over low-moisture mozzarella for its creamier, softer texture. Pearls are what I often use for a nice cheese-oil-seasoning ratio per bite, but a larger ball, slices, or bocconcini are fine to slice down to size, too.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is specified for its bright and bold flavor. Do not substitute with another type.
- Basil: Fresh basil can't be beat! I like to cut a chiffonade of basil (a fancy term for thin strips), then make several additional cuts to slice the strips into several pieces.
- Rosemary: For a complementary Italian herb flavor. Dried crushed rosemary sprigs can work for convenience - just a pinch will do.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: For a big step up in flavor choose olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, not dry-packed. Finely-diced roasted red peppers can be substituted.
- Garlic: This comes in two forms for extra depth: fresh and powdered. You want the fresh garlic to be in as small of pieces as possible as it's raw, so this marinated mozzarella is a good recipe for using a garlic press.
- Spices: These include salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried thyme, and dried oregano.
Easy Instructions
- Combine oil and seasonings. Whisk together oil, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and all seasonings in a bowl (everything but the mozzarella).
- Add cheese and marinate. Stir in the mozzarella until all pieces are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, stirring everything up several times throughout.
Ways to Serve Marinated Mozzarella
- Antipasto Platter - What a way to serve fresh mozzarella! Load it up with other cured meats, cheeses, and crackers for an appetizer fit for serious appetites. These photos show grissini (breadsticks), salami, Marcona almonds, and taralli.
- Pasta Salad - Replace plain fresh mozzarella pearls in an Italian-leaning pasta salad with these ultra seasoned ones.
- Caprese Skewers - Combine marinated mozzarella balls with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic for a fun appetizer skewer. They'd also fit right in to a kale caprese salad.
Additional Notes
- Oil may solidify. It's normal for the oil to solidify once chilled in the refrigerator. Take the bowl out of the fridge and let it come up to temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving so the oil can liquefy again. Stir well.
- Want it spicy? Increase the crushed red pepper, or consider adding a *tiny* amount of Calabrian chili peppers to the mix. I love their fruity flavor in spicy rigatoni vodka, but be careful not to overdo it because they really pack in the heat.
- Food safety considerations. Infusing fresh garlic in olive oil and leaving it at room temperature risks botulism. While this recipe isn't quite the same thing (and will be refrigerated because it's cheese), the USDA article linked states to discard of garlic-in-oil mixtures after 7 days, even when refrigerated. Do not add additional mozzarella to "top off" the mixture.
Related Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Marinated Mozzarella
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons finely-chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 ½ Tablespoons packed chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic pressed or very finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon heaping finely-chopped fresh rosemary (or a pinch of dried crushed rosemary)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Big pinch of garlic powder
- Pinch of crushed red pepper more to taste
- Pinch of dried thyme leaves
- Pinch of dried oregano
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, fresh garlic, rosemary, kosher salt, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, thyme, oregano, and black pepper in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
- Pat the mozzarella pearls dry with a paper towel, then add them to the bowl of seasoned olive oil. Stir very well to thoroughly coat them.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour before serving, up to 1-2 days ahead of time. Stir the mozzarella pearls up several times while they marinate to ensure they're all well-coated.
- If the oil congeals in the refrigerator once chilled, set the bowl out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to allow it time to come back up to temperature. Stir well before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition DisclaimerWould you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Plus receive periodic recipe newsletter emails.
Comments
No Comments