Italian Olive Oil and Fresh Herb Marinated Mozzarella Balls
This Italian olive oil and herb marinated mozzarella balls recipe makes the best appetizer for any occasion, whether you are celebrating the holidays with friends and family or just looking for an afternoon snack. These small mozzarella bites are herby, zesty, and perfectly seasoned in high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Wanna save this recipe for later? 📬
Equipment
- 1 airtight storage container preferably glass, such as a mason jar.
- 1 kitchen scale or measuring cups and glasses
- 1 citrus juicer or reamer
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 whisk or spatula
Ingredients
- 226 g fresh mozzarella balls ciliegine size, or cherry size
- 210 g olive oil extra virgin, 1 cup
- 2 g oregano chopped, 1 tbsp
- 4 g basil chopped, 8-9 leaves or 1 tbsp
- 4 g parsley chopped 2 tbsp
- 8 g whole grain mustard 1 tsp
- 2 g lemon zest 1 tsp
- 1.5 oz lemon juice 44 g, 1-2 ounces
- 10 g garlic cloves 2 tsp, 2 cloves
- salt kosher
- pepper pinch, freshly ground
- red pepper flakes small pinch, up to 1/4 tsp
Instructions
- Drain cheese. Open the mozzarella and allow the cheese to drain while it comes to room temperature. Once drained, pat them dry to remove any excess moisture from the brine.226 g fresh mozzarella balls
- Prep herbs. Wash and chop your herbs, and peel and chop your garlic.2 g oregano, 4 g basil, 4 g parsley, 10 g garlic cloves
- Prep lemon. Zest & juice your lemon.2 g lemon zest, 1.5 oz lemon juice
- Mix seasonings. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, herbs, garlic, salt & pepper.2 g oregano, 4 g basil, 4 g parsley, 8 g whole grain mustard, 2 g lemon zest, 1.5 oz lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, 10 g garlic cloves
- Add olive oil. Pour olive oil into the small dish, whisking to combine everything.210 g olive oil
- Marinate + serve. Put your mozzarella in a glass container that it will be marinating in. Pour the oil mixture overtop of the mozzarella, and allow it to marinate for at least 1 hour before serving.226 g fresh mozzarella balls
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
-
- bitter - if your mozzarella mix is bitter, check the flavor of your olive oil first. If it’s not your oil, you might have gotten some of the bitter white pith from the lemon zest in your oil. You can add a few teaspoons of honey to help balance the flavor out.
-
- serving temperature - allow your mozzarella to come to room temperature before serving so the flavors meld together properly. When cold, the olive oil mix can harden up and even solidify, so allowing it to sit at room temperature allows it to liquify again.
♻️ customize your marinated mozzarella balls
- dried herb mix - if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use a blend of dried Italian herbs. Stick to 1 teaspoon to start, and if after an hour of marinating you want more flavor, you can add another teaspoon.
- mini mozzarella balls or chopped fresh mozzarella - you can play around with the size and shape of the mozzarella you use in this recipe! I’ve used a log of mozzarella that’s been chopped into small squares and the teenie tiny mozzarella pearls, too.
- modern mezze - spice up your mozzarella by using a more modern blend of seasonings, like everything bagel blend, smokey bbq spices, or even...gasp ranch!!!
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 6gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 189mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 265IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 0.5mg
Did you make this?! 👀Let everyone know how it was! 💕
Keyword: antipasto, mozzarella, no cook