Mozzarella-Stuffed Fried Olives with Whipped Ricotta & Hot Honey

If you’ve never had fried olives before, this is your sign you need to make them ASAP. They’re the perfect nibble to pair with a simple, salty or briny cocktail for happy hour at home with friends and loved ones. They’ll also be the hit appetizer for dinner parties, just don’t let the guests fill up on them… because they totally will. I first stuff them with mozzarella OR you can stuff them with my famous Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, then batter and fry them, and serve them with a luxurious whipped ricotta. Drizzle with hot honey, sprinkle with fresh herbs, and enjoy with your favorite cocktail!

Watch Me Make Fried Olives

How to Make Fried Olives

1. Stuff the olives. Tuck a small cube of mozzarella into each olive. If needed, make a small slit to fit the cheese. or, fill each olive with your dirty martini blue cheese!
2. Freeze. Arrange on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 20–30 minutes.
3. Prepare the breading. In one bowl add the flour. In a second bowl whisk the eggs. In a third bowl combine the panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning or herbs de provence, and garlic powder.
4. Bread the olives. Coat each olive in flour, dip into the egg, then coat well in the panko mixture.
5. Fry. Heat 2–3 inches of neutral oil to 350°F. Fry the olives in batches for 1–2 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with flaky sea salt.
6. Make the whipped ricotta. Add the ricotta, olive oil, hot honey, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth and fluffy.
7. Assemble. Spread the whipped ricotta onto a serving plate or shallow bowl. Top with the fried olives, drizzle generously with hot honey, then finish with grated Parmesan, fresh herbs, and a little extra lemon zest.

How to Make Hot Honey

Making your own hot honey is super easy! Just add 2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes and 1 cup honey to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir it frequently until it just begins to bubble, then remove it from the heat. Add 1 tbsp (optional of apple cider vinegar and let it all steep together for 15 minutes while it cools. Strain with a fine mesh sieve and store in a glass jar. You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes depending on how hot you want it.

Tips for Making the Best Fried Olives

• Use good olives! Castelvetrano are by far my favorite olives. They’re mild and buttery but still have that briny olive tang without being astringent.
• Save yourself a lot of hassle by buying pitted olives.
• Cut the mozzarella small enough to easily fit inside the olive.
• Freezing the olives before dipping makes them much firmer and easier to work with.
• You can use a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon to fish the olives out of the egg mixture before shaking off the excess egg and dropping them in the panko mixture. Your hands will get messy either way, though.
• Make sure to preheat the oil fully before adding the breaded olives. If you add them too soon, they’ll get soggy and might fall apart.

What to Pair with Fried Olives

This fried olive appetizer is a little bit involved (but totally worth it!) so let’s keep the cocktails simple.

• My favorite pairing is from my Pretty Simple Cocktails book: The Bianco Spritz on page 69… it’s somewhere between a dirty martini and a sbagliato… and it pairs perfectly with these fried olives!

• Lean into the brine flavors with the best dirty martini (gin or vodka, but I’m a gin martini girl always). Or if you want to continue wowing your guests with something unique, try this super popular Dirty Margatini!
• Any simple classic spritz will do. Try an Aperol Spritz or a White Wine Spritz for this fried olive pairing.
• For effortless elegance and low-ABV sipping, try a Vermouth and Soda.
• Double up on the hot honey with a Hot Honey Citrus Spritz Mocktail. There are so many other mocktails to try, too!