These Marinated Mozzarella Balls are immersed in a simple, yet incredibly flavorful olive oil and balsamic vinegar marinade filled with fresh sliced garlic and herbs. This easy appetizer takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is made with a handful of staple ingredients that you'll likely have on hand already!
You'll Love This
- It's a crowd-pleaser! This marinated mozzarella is a very simple appetizer, but the classic flavor combo is fantastic - garlic-infused olive oil, paired with fresh parsley and cool, creamy mozzarella - is your mouth watering, yet?! Serve with crispy, crunchy crostini (toasted French bread drizzled with olive oil) and you've got a drool-worthy appetizer that's ready in no time!
- It requires minimal prep time and no fancy kitchen gadgets. Just slice the garlic, chop the parsley, mix it all up, and let it marinate! It takes about 30 minutes to marinate the mozzarella, but you can use that time to read a chapter in that book on your nightstand, enjoy a glass of wine, or just relax.
- It's SO easy to throw together. A handful of ingredients (most of which you've probably already got in your kitchen) and about 30 minutes is all it takes to share this marinated mozzarella deliciousness with those you love! It's a delish appetizer, but I also like to eat it with a green salad and just call it dinner sometimes!
Instructions
Add olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh parsley, balsamic vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt to a measuring cup.
Mix until well combined.
Add mozzarella balls to a small bowl or mason jar. Pour olive oil mixture over them.
Let mozzarella marinate for 30-60 minutes (no need to refrigerate).
While the cheese is marinating, throw together some crostini. This post shows you just how easy it is to do!
Pour mozzarella and oil mixture into a shallow serving dish. Serve with crostini and enjoy!
Olive Oil
- For a super simple appetizer with few ingredients, it's important to make sure you use good olive oil.
- You don’t have to spend $50 on a bottle. Just look for an olive oil that is cold-pressed and organic. This will narrow down your choices and give you the most flavorful (and pure) olive oils.
- Not all olive oils are created equal, so you might have to sample a few before you find your favorite flavor.
- There is quite a wide range of flavors that olive oil can have depending on where the olives were grown, including peppery, floral, nutty, or even spicy! This is my personal fave!
Tips
- Let the mozzarella marinate for at least 30-60 minutes. If you want to let it go for longer, that's totally fine too. I would not recommend marinating for longer than 24 hours, however as the balsamic vinegar in the mixture will begin to break down the cheese and it may compromise the texture.
- If you choose to marinate the mozzarella for longer than an hour, I would recommend placing it in the fridge as it contains fresh garlic and parsley. Keep in mind that the olive oil will solidify as it sits in the fridge, so you'll have to let it sit out at room temp for at least an hour before serving while the olive oil changes back to liquid form.
Serve With
You can serve this fresh mozzarella appetizer with crusty French baguette, OR you can add it to any recipe that calls for mozzarella! Try adding it to:
- A Simple Charcuterie Board
- Easy Greek Pasta Bake
- Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Salad
- Simple Caprese Flatbread Recipe
- Spring Pasta with Asparagus & Peas
Marinated Mozzarella Appetizer
These Marinated Mozzarella Balls are immersed in a simple, yet incredibly flavorful olive oil and balsamic vinegar marinade filled with fresh sliced garlic and herbs. This easy appetizer takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is made with a handful of staple ingredients that you'll likely have on hand already!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Italian/American
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella balls, drained
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- serve with crostini
Instructions
- Add olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh parsley, balsamic vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt to a measuring cup.
- Mix until well combined.
- Add mozzarella balls to a small bowl or mason jar. Pour olive oil mixture over them.
- Let mozzarella marinate for 30-60 minutes (no need to refrigerate).
- While the cheese is marinating, throw together some crostini quick. This post shows you just how easy it is to do!
- Pour mozzarella and oil mixture into a shallow serving dish.
- Serve with crostini and enjoy!
Notes
Let the mozzarella marinate for at least 30-60 minutes. If you want to let it go for longer, that's totally fine too. I would not recommend marinating for longer than 24 hours, however as the balsamic vinegar in the mixture will begin to break down the cheese and it may compromise the texture.
If you choose to marinate the mozzarella for longer than an hour, I would recommend placing it in the fridge as it contains fresh garlic and parsley. Keep in mind that the olive oil will solidify as it sits in the fridge, so you'll have to let it sit out at room temp for at least an hour before serving while the olive oil changes back to liquid form.
Keywords: marinated mozzarella recipe, mozzarella balls in olive oil, mozzarella appetizer
Smitty
That looks like Italian parsley instead of regular. Is it?
Kylie Lato
I do prefer to use curly parsley most of the time as it stays fresh in the fridge for longer. Either kind of parsley will work well in this recipe though!
Brooke
Could I let this marinate for a day or two?
Kylie Lato
Yes! This question is addressed in the post under the "tips" section 🙂 One day should be just fine, more than that and the texture of the mozzarella may be a bit compromised (the balsamic vinegar will start to break it down a bit). Great question, Brooke!