Olive Tapenade Recipe
This olive tapenade is a salty, briny spread made with olives, capers, garlic, and fresh lemon juice that gets pulsed together in a food processor with a little olive oil. I don’t use anchovies in this recipe, so all the briny flavor comes from the olives and capers.
I first had olive tapenade at a little restaurant on South Beach when we were living in Miami. The restaurant used kalamata olives, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice along with a couple other ingredients. Y’all, it was so good and has since become one of my favorite appetizer recipes. I loved this spread so much that I decided to start making it at home. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a food processor, and 10 minutes.
It makes a great snack or appetizer. Spread olive tapenade over toasted baguette slices, serve it on crackers, or use it like an olive dip with your favorite veggies. One batch makes about 1 ½ cups, which is enough for a party platter. Set it out next to a bowl of my roasted garlic hummus and a basket of pita chips, and you’ll have the ultimate snack tray.
Quick Recipe Overview
✓ Ready in 10 minutes
✓ Make-ahead friendly
✓ Freezer friendly
✓ Made without anchovies
My Best Tapenade Tips
Drain the olives really well. Olives packed in brine hold onto a lot of liquid. The first time I made tapenade, I didn’t dry them good enough before adding them to the food processor, and the texture turned loose and watery before I’d even added the oil. Now I drain them in a strainer and pat them dry with a paper towel.
Check for stray pits. Even olives labeled pitted can have a pit every now and then. I lightly press each one before it goes into the food processor. Trust me when I say you don’t want a pit slipping through. It gets broken down and mixed with the tapenade. If you don’t the hassle, buy sliced olives.
Go easy on the raw garlic and onion. Some garlic cloves are a lot stronger than others, and both garlic and onion get stronger as the tapenade sits in the fridge. Use a small cloves and a small sliver of onion. You can even roast the garlic if you’d like. That will soften the flavor.
Taste before you add salt. Olives and capers vary a lot from brand to brand. Most of the time I add don’t need to add any salt at all. To control more of the saltiness, rinse and dry the capers ahead of time.
Tapenade is made for good bread. Serve it with thick slices of my rosemary focaccia bread or a pile of crunchy sourdough parmesan crackers.
How to Make Olive Tapenade
- Add the olives, capers, onion, garlic, and lemon juice to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and a coarse paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. You can use only kalamatas or a combination of kalamatas and Castelvetranos.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add less for a chunky spread, or add a little more for a smoother dip. Taste, add salt if needed, then serve at room temperature. For a more traditional tapenade, add a half teaspoon of anchovy paste with the olives.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover tapenade stays good in the fridge for up to 1 week. Make sure you keep it in an airtight container. The oil is going to firm up a bit, so let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Keep it in a freezer-safe container or freeze individual servings in an ice cube tray. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Ways to Use Leftover Tapenade
A little tapenade goes a long way, so there’s usually some left. I spread it on my caprese sandwich in place of pesto, and it’s delicious stirred into warm pasta with a drizzle of olive oil and some Parmesan. It also makes a quick topping for crostini.
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups pitted olives packed in brine, drained (Kalamata and Castelvetrano varieties work well)
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ⅛ cup white onion, roughly chopped (or 1 small shallot)
- 2 small garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt, to taste (optional)
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Instructions
- Drain the olives and capers well, then pat the olives dry with a paper towel. Give each olive a light squeeze to check for any missed pits.1 ½ cups pitted olives packed in brine2 tablespoons capers
- Place the olives, capers, onion, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and a coarse paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed.⅛ cup white onion2 small garlic cloves1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Stop when the tapenade is as chunky or smooth as you like.¼ cup olive oil
- Taste, and season with salt if needed.
- Serve at room temperature with pita chips, vegetables, or toasted baguette slices.Salt
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 ounce of tapenade. Actual calories will vary.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.