Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Marinated mozzarella balls are a great last minute appetizer that looks and tastes fancy with minimal effort and a short ingredient list. This dish will wow your guests each time you make it.

Do you ever want to feel fancy when you have guests over but don’t want to work hard for it?

Well, friends, this is for you.

These marinated mozzarella balls feels elegant but are actually almost effortless to make.

I imagine this is what the Barefoot Contessa would whip up if she were throwing a last minute dinner party.

And I’m sure everyone would love them.

After all what’s not to love about creamy cheese swimming in rich, seasoned olive oil and dotted with fresh herbs?

Absolutely nothing!

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

• Mozzarella balls– The brand doesn’t matter as long as they are fresh. You can use the extra tiny pearls or the slightly larger ciliegine size. Whichever kind you get, drain the mozzarella first.
• Olive oil– Extra virgin is best. Don’t substitute another oil for this since the flavor relies so heavily on the oil.
• Balsamic vinegar– To add a little tang to the olive oil marinade. Don’t substitute another kind of vinegar.
• Garlic– Thinly sliced fresh garlic or pressed fresh garlic.
• Spices– Chopped fresh parsley, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and salt.
• Bread– Good bread like a fresh baguette to serve this with.

How to Make

This is quite possibly the easiest appetizer you could make!

To do it, just whisk together all the ingredients except for the cheese in a small mixing bowl until evenly combined.

Then, add the drained mozzarella balls to a glass jar, and then pour the marinade over the cheese into the jar.

Close the jar and refrigerate for an hour, or up to 8 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the marinated mozzarella to a serving platter.

Pour a tiny bit of the marinade out overtop of the cheese.

Serve with thin slices of fresh baguette.

Enjoy!

Can I make this ahead of time?

I recommend making this no more than 8 hours prior to serving it.

However, you could make the marinade up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge without adding the mozzarella to it.

Then, add the mozzarella no more than 8 hours before you serve it.

How long should I marinate the mozzarella?

Let the mozzarella marinate for at least an hour in a sealed jar in the fridge, but don’t marinate it more than 8 hours.

If you marinate it for too long, the acid from the vinegar will break down the cheese and ruin the texture.

Storing leftovers

I don’t recommend saving the leftovers. If left in the marinade for too long, the cheese will get too soft.

Tips and Tricks

• If you’re worried about heat and, you can omit the pepper flakes. Cutting down on the garlic will also reduce the bite.
• Love garlic but don’t want a strong garlic flavor? Substitute roasted garlic instead.
• Don’t have regular parsley? Curly or Italian varieties will also work.
• If marinating for more than an hour refrigerate. An hour before ready to serve, remove the jar from the fridge and let it rest and come to room temperature.
• Have extra mozzarella you aren’t sure what to do with? I highly recommend adding it to pasta salad, like this one for example.

Other Easy Cheesy Appetizers

These marinated mozzarella balls is one of those no fail, easy recipes that I love to make when I have guests. Make it for your next gathering and enjoy.

Looking for other cheesy appetizers? Try these:

• Homemade Boursin Cheese
• Pepperoni Cream Cheese Spread
• Southern Style Pimento Cheese
• Layered Pesto Cream Cheese Spread with Sun Dried Tomatoes
• The Best Basic Cheeseball Recipe
• Cheesy Parmesan Rye Cocktail Party Bites

If you’ve tried these MARINATED MOZZARELLA BALLS, 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!

recipe adapted from Midwest Foodie