Skip to Content

Green Olive Tapenade

A flavorful Green Olive Tapenade takes just a few minutes to make, and it is a great topping for snacks, chicken recipes, and more.

green olive spread in a bowl

Green Olive Tapenade

Tapenade, not quite chunky and not quite smooth, but right in the middle.

When you put olives and spices and oil into a food processor and pulse it until it is almost a paste, a tapenade is born, and it is able to be used for just about anything you want a nice savory and fresh flavor for.

You can add a beautiful green olive tapenade to a cream base and make a dip, spread it on bread or crackers, add to salads, top grilled chicken or even add to chicken before baking it for tons of flavor and adding a bit of oil to seal in moisture.

Great served on crostini, toast, crackers, crusty bread, or eaten by the spoonful!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy here.
olive tapenade ingredients

Ingredients Needed

Green olives – I like to use a mixture of green olives. My favorites are green cocktail, manzanilla, and Castelvetrano olives.

Be sure they are unstuffed (pimento removed) to have the purest flavors. If you feel like using stuffed olives (ie garlic stuffed) then you can leave out the garlic in the recipe.

Capers – Drained and chopped.

Pepperoncini pepper – These are similar to banana peppers. Substitute a jalapeno or serrano pepper.

Spices – Oregano, parsley.

Kitchen staples – Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice.

For more insider tips & tricks, and a candid behind the scenes look follow me on social media! Check use out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (yes, people still use Twitter, LOL!)

How to Make Olive Tapenade

First: Add olives, capers, garlic, oregano, parsley, pepperoncini pepper, and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor.

Second: Pulse a few times to chop. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Third: Pulse a few more times until desired texture is reached. Remove from processor.

Fourth: Stir in lemon juice and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

spoon dripping olive oil

What is tapenade used for?

  • bruschetta
  • cracker topping
  • add to cream cheese for an easy dip
  • toss with cooked pasta
  • top your broiled fish
  • add olive oil and vinegar and turn it into a dressing for vegetable side dishes
  • top a burger
  • add to chicken for baking and grilling

What does olive tapenade taste like?

Olives and spices, fresh and full of flavor. This recipe is so straightforward and basic it really just tastes like freshly minced olives and spices.

This is a fairly salty and tangy flavor due the flavors olives have naturally.

Is tapenade the same as pesto?

Tapenade is not as much liquid as pesto and the olive base of the tapenade changes the flavor profiles quite a bit from that of a pesto.

How long does it last?

It will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. You can also freeze it for up to a month!

slice of bread with tapenade

Tapas Tips & Tricks

  • If you don’t have a food processor, you can coarsely chop all the ingredients and enjoy!
  • Make sure the olives are pitted. You don’t want to bite into a pit.
  • It’s best served at room temperature. The olive oil will change texture if too cold.
  • The addition of toasted pine nuts can add a little extra texture if you like.
  • Toss this in some freshly cooked pasta for a quick and easy meal!
  • Switch out a few of the green olives for Kalamata olives for a color contrast.
  • Sun dried tomatoes are a great addition to this recipes. Color and flavor!

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

spoon and bread with text "green olive tapenade"

Get a good amount of your favorite green olives and the rest of the ingredients and give this a try. Maybe even have some made to add to a couple of your favorite fish or chicken dishes and see how you like the versatility of the uses for green olive tapenade.

Easy Appetizers

bowl of tapenade

Green Olive Tapenade

Yield: 4 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

A flavorful Green Olive Tapenade takes just a few minutes to make, and it is a great topping for snacks, chicken recipes, and more.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups mixed green olives (pitted, I used green cocktail, Castelvetrano, and manzanilla)
  • 2 tablespoons capers (drained)
  • 2 large garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley (stems removed)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Drain the olives. Do not rinse.
  2. In a food processor bowl, add the olives, capers, garlic, oregano, parsley, and olive oil.
  3. Pulse to roughly chop the ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Pulse again until desired texture is reached.
  5. Remove from the food processor and transfer to a serving bowl or container.
  6. Stir in lemon juice.
  7. Store in refrigerator until ready to enjoy.

Notes

*If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave me a comment and rate it 5 stars. Thank you!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 697mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

This nutrition information was generated via a third party. I can not be held liable for any discrepancies in the information provided.

TakeTwoTapas.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Skip to Recipe