A crispy treat with a briny, sweet surprise hidden inside- these fried olives are the perfect finger food for your next gathering. Pair them with a quick and easy garlic aioli for dipping to make an amazing flavor combination.

fried olives with a bowl of garlic aioli on a white plate

Growing up I hated cucumbers. Turns out 30 years later, still totally loathe them.

That probably explains there almost total absence on this blog. I mean I’ve got a handful of cucumber recipes because two of the sons like them, and they’re cheap seasonally.

By a few, I mean 6. 6 recipes total that involve cucumbers. I counted.

Actually that seems a little bit sad now that I think about it. Not the counting, my discriminatory policy toward a specific vegetable. I’ll try to do better in the future. The sons’ will thank me, at least half of them anyway. Hopefully a few of you will too.

However I adore pickles. Crazy, right?

All things pickle too. I add them to my tuna salad. I put them on every burger and sandwich, basically only drawing the line at pb&j’s. I even accept them from my kids when they disgustedly strip them from their fast food burgers.

Maybe adore wasn’t a strong enough choice of word.

I love them. So much so that whenever we go out I have to have the fried pickles if they’re on the menu. I will judge you accordingly based on their crispness, type of pickle used, and over all quality.

I never thought I’d crave a fried appetizer more than the classic mozzarella stick. Boy was I wrong.

If we’re having guests for card night or game day. You can bet my spread includes freshly fried pickles still warm from the frying pan.

However, I’ve manage to find a new fried finger food that I love almost as much. One that I enjoy even more than fried pickles in fact.

Fried Olives, specifically Fried Olives with Garlic Aioli.

There’s nothing quite like the briny taste of olives stuffed with plump pimentos, breaded and fried to a crisp finish. It’s the perfect flavor and texture pairing.

These Fried Olives with Garlic Aioli are the most snack-able thing I’ve ever enjoyed.

Ingredients Needed

Like all the best fried party foods, these fried olives have a simple ingredient list. Same with the garlic aioli for dipping.

For the olives you’ll need:

Olives – Specifically a 5 1/2 ounce jar of small pimento stuffed olives, also known as manzanilla olives
Bread Crumbs – Panko bread crumbs, not regular, because they yield the crispiest crunch.
Flour – All purpose
Egg – A single egg, beaten, for an egg wash.
Oil – Canola oil, for frying

For the aioli you’ll need:

Mayonnaise – Regular mayonnaise, NOT miracle whip
Lemon Juice – Fresh or store bought both work
Garlic – Minced garlic
Salt & Pepper – To taste

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients you’re ready to begin!

How To Make

While there is a process to making fried olives, it’s not remotely difficult.

Start by prepping the aioli so it can chill while you make the olives.

homemade garlic aioli in a glass mixing bowl

Add all of the aioli ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Whisk them together until evenly combined, then cover and refrigerate to chill.

a flour coated olive in egg wash in a small glass bowl

Pour the olives into a strainer and let them drain completely.

Add a couple of inches of oil to a heavy bottomed skillet or pot, fitted with a food grade thermometer for frying. Heat just until the oil reaches 325-350F.

egg wash coated olive in a bowl of panko bread crumbs

Add both the bread crumbs and flour to separate plates, then crack the egg into a small bowl and give it a good whisk.

Dredge the olives in flour, followed by the egg wash, then transfer them to the panko bread crumbs rolling them around until completely coated.

panko bread crumb coated olives frying in hot oil in a metal pot

Working in batches, fry the olives in the hot oil, just until they’re golden brown and crispy. At the correct temperature this will only take a minute.

Carefully remove them using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a waiting paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess oil.

fried olives on a paper towel lined plate

Continue, working in batches, until all the olives have been fried.

Let the olives cool some before digging in as the insides will be hot.

Serve them warm with the chilled aioli for dipping!

Storing

Any completely cooled, leftover fried olives can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

When ready to enjoy again, add them to a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 350F. You could also air fry them, although they will cook quicker.

Dipping Sauces For Fried Olives

While I highly recommend pairing these with the garlic aioli, other yummy options include:

Blue Cheese Dressing
Yum Yum Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Marinara Sauce

a fried olive on a wooden toothpick being dipped into a small bowl of garlic aioli

TIPS & TRICKS

Always use pitted olives when frying.
While I recommend using canola oil for frying, peanut oil makes a perfect substitute.
You don’t have to use a skillet and thermometer to measure your oil. You can use a deep fryer instead if that’s more to your liking.
Give these a cheesy surprise by using cheese stuffed olives.

a halved fried olive on the end of a wooden toothpick

Other Easy Fried Appetizer Recipes

Good all by themselves, but dipped into the creamy garlic aioli? There’s no politely stopping at a handful of these irresistible fried olives.

They’re like a savory candy that you just can’t stop eating. Make a batch and discover it for yourself!

Looking for other easy fried appetizer recipes to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried these FRIED OLIVES WITH GARLIC AIOLI, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!