2 servings

This appetizer is so fast and easy, you can have it on the table within 10 minutes of walking in the door. Save any leftover oil, which has been flavored with the red pepper flakes and garlic, for another use like salad dressing.


Basically Olives green unpitted
Basically Garlic
Basically Lemon
Basically Olive Oil
basically ingredients red pepper flakes
Basically Cheese Feta Crumbled
Basically Bread Crusty


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basically equipment cutting board
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Basically Vegetable Peeler
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  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Drain 4 oz. olives and place on a cutting board. Lightly smash with the heel of your hand just to break apart skin and flatten slightly.

  2. Smash 3 garlic cloves and peel.

  3. Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from 1 lemon in long wide strips.

  4. Cook lemon peel, olives, garlic, ½ cup oil, and ½ tsp. red pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until garlic is sizzling and golden around the edges, 5–7 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, crumble 3 oz. feta into a shallow serving bowl.

  6. Pour oil mixture over feta. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.


Recipe by Claire Saffitz

Related Video

Marinated Olives & Feta

Reviews Section
5 out of 5
How often can I say "Yummy!!!" in one post? I love this stuff! My husband isn't a big fan of feta, so I often make it with buffalo mozzarella. It's great, too!
5 out of 5
I love this recipe - fast, easy, and delicious. You missed the boat on your 32 Hanukkah Recipes by not including this. It's perfect for Hanukkah - lots and lots of olive oil. It's a shoo-in.
5 out of 5
This takes so little time to prepare and wins rave reviews every time I serve it! I've learned to double it because the recipe as written never goes far enough. I use Castelvetrano olives. I cook them with the pits intact but remove them after the olives cool to avoid jeopardizing my guests' teeth. After three repetitions making this recipe, I decided to count the olives so I know how many pits I should have! I do let the mixture cool before pouring it ver the feta. I've had no issue with the appearance (i.e. the user who reference 'oily curdled milk'). I will make this over and over!
1 out of 5
Pouring hot oil all over the cheese makes for a presentation that looks like oily curdled milk. If they had written better directions and relied less on cutesy gifs it could have been better
5 out of 5
The flavour combination was really great! Especially with the extra bit of spiciness. I would try two things next time: chop the olives a bit (was hard to eat just by picking up with the bread when the olives were whole); mix it all together and bake it in an oven-proof dish (instead of stove-top). That way the feta gets a bit more melted, and the whole dish stays warm as you eat it.
5 out of 5
Wowsers! This app is incredible. The recipe is so simple but absolutely delish. I’ve made this 3 times in the last 3 months and it’s just mind blowing. I’ll be pulling this out for 2 or 3 other couples as I invite them over. I know they’ll love it and we get to eat more of it. I found that if you make extra and pull it out the next day, the lemon zest gets even softer and we totally scarfed it. I used organic feta from our amazing Italian deli in St. Pete, Mazzaro’s and their house made Italian bread. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could.
5 out of 5
Wow! We gobbled this up in no time. The flavors are amazing together. This has been entered into my rotation of go-to appetizers.


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