Vegetarian Recipes

Marinated Olives

These homemade Marinated Olives will bring your next gathering to a whole new level! They’re the perfect appetizer for just about anyone, despite most dietary restrictions, and the flavors are so unique thanks to the herbaceous sweet and spicy marinade. I add everything to a jar, give it a good shake, and let it sit for a few hours before serving. So simple, but so delicious! Plus, they’ll last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator (possibly longer!), meaning nothing goes to waste.

What Are Marinated Olives?

This easy recipe takes those ordinary jarred olives you find at the store and transforms them into a flavor-packed, addictively delicious party snack! I use fresh herbs, orange peel and juice, red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and olive oil to make a simple marinade that infuses the olives with bold, zesty flavors.

Making marinated olives at home is cheaper than buying them pre-made when you’re using up what you may already have on hand, and you can customize the flavors to your liking. They’re a fun addition to any charcuterie spread or cheese board and make a great DIY gift for friends and family!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this marinated olives recipe:

Olives: You can use any type you like, but I’d recommend going for a Mediterranean mix for a nice variety of flavors and colors. Olives are super expensive, but these ones I found at Walmart were the best deal ($0.20 per ounce.)
Fresh Rosemary & Fresh Thyme: These hardy herbs hold up very well in the olive oil and add an earthy, savory flavor. I like fresh herbs as they aren’t as overpowering as dried herbs and look super pretty in the jar.
Orange: I use the juice and peel from one orange to add a sweet and citrusy flavor. You can use any medium-sized orange you have on hand—I usually just grab whatever is cheapest at the store.
Cracked Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a subtle heat to the olives. You can adjust the amount based on your spice preference.
Garlic: The flavor fresh garlic adds to this marinade is unbeatable. I smash each clove with the side of a knife or the bottom of a glass before adding them in. This releases the oils and intensifies the flavor without being overwhelming.
Black Peppercorns: I love the extra kick of flavor that whole black peppercorns add to the mix.
Olive Oil: The base of the marinade! I suggest using a good quality olive oil if that fits into your budget, but any type will work.

Should I Use Pitted or Unpitted Olives?

I like olives with the pits intact, so their texture remains firm, but any olives will work in this recipe because of the flavorful marinade! So you can use pitted, unpitted, or a mixture of both—whichever you prefer or have on hand. This is a great way to consolidate multiple jars of olives you may have in the fridge and bring new life to them!

Recipe Variations

I love how easy this recipe for marinated olives is to customize. Here are some ideas to switch up the flavors:

Instead of orange peel, try using lemon or lime for a different citrus flavor
Want a bit more heat? Try dried chili peppers instead of red pepper flakes
Add some feta or cheddar cheese cubes for an antipasto-style snack
Capers work great in the mix, too!
Instead of olives, use this marinade for onions, cucumbers, and other veggies—yum!

Don’t waste this tasty marinade/brine! Once you’ve enjoyed your olives, the leftover marinade makes the best salad dressing. Whisk it with a little vinegar of your choice, and then pour over a simple salad for a super fresh and easy dressing. I love a budget-friendly, no-waste recipe!

Serving Suggestions

I like serving these marinated olives gently warmed in the oven with some sliced bread and cheese, but they’re just as delicious on their own as an easy appetizer. Add them to your charcuterie boards with crackers, white bean hummus, cured meats, bruschetta, and other nibbles for the perfect party spread. Or, use them as a topping for avocado toast or mixed into a pasta salad.

However you choose to serve them, I recommend warming them up slightly or bringing them to room temperature for maximum flavor!

Side view of marinated olives with fresh herbs.

Marinated Olives Recipe

This simple Marinated Olives recipe is sweet, slightly spicy, and comes together in minutes! The perfect budget-friendly snack or appetizer.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($5.18 recipe / $0.74 serving)

Prep Time 10

Marinate Time 2

Servings servings (¼ cup olives per person) Total Yeild: 1 ¾ cups (including brine)

Calories 192kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Equipment

16oz. Mason Jars
Vegetable Peeler

Ingredients

1 orange, reserving all of the peel + juice $0.77
1 ½ cups Mediterranean olive mix*, drained $2.40
4 cloves garlic, smashed but kept whole $0.09
2 sprigs fresh rosemary $0.19
2 sprigs fresh thyme $0.05
¼ tsp cracked red pepper flakes $0.05
1 tsp black peppercorns, whole $0.08
½ cup olive oil $1.55

Instructions

Peel orange with a vegetable peeler and juice the rest of it. Gather all ingredients.
Layer olives, garlic, the orange peel, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and black peppercorns in a 16Oz mason jar. Pour orange juice and olive oil over the top.
Screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously to blend the flavors.
Let olives marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can put the jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, allowing olives and marinade to come back to room temperature before serving.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Any variety of olives will do! I love finding a ”Mediterranean olive mix” at the store, so I only have to buy one jar of olives if I’m not using up what I already have on hand.

Nutrition

Close up of marinated olives and fresh herbs.

how to make Marinated Olives – step by step photos

Overhead view of a bowl of olives, orange peel, fresh herbs, garlic cloves, and spices on a wooden chopping board.

Peel 1 orange with a vegetable peeler and juice the rest of it. Gather all ingredients.

Side view of marinated olives in a mason jar.

Layer 1 ½ cups olives, 4 smashed cloves of garlic, the orange peel, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, ¼ tsp cracked red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp whole black peppercorns in a 16Oz mason jar. Pour orange juice and ½ cup olive oil over the top.

Overhead view of marinated olives with fresh herbs and orange peel in a mason jar.

Screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously to blend the flavors.

Side view of marinated olives in a mason jar with orange peel and herbs.

Let olives marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can put the jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, allowing olives and marinade to come back to room temperature before serving.

These citrus marinated olives are one of the easiest snacks you can make, and they’re perfect for any occasion!

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The post Marinated Olives appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Crispy Hash Browns

Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉

Overhead view of hashbrowns in a skillet.

“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”

Erin

Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns

Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.

This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁

Side view close up of crispy hashbrowns cooking in a skillet.

Crispy Hash Browns Recipe

In just a few simple steps, you can learn How to Make Crispy Hash Browns at home. Follow my tricks to make them perfectly crisp and delicious!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Total Cost $1.97 recipe / $0.49 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 303kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
Seasoning salt to taste $0.05

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I use Russet potatoes because they crisp up great in the skillet due to their texture and composition. You can certainly try another type of potato, but just keep in mind waxier varieties might not crisp up the same.

**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.

***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.

Nutrition

How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos

Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.

Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.

Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.

Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.

A hand holding a pot of tony chachere creole seasoning.

Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.

While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.

Hashbrowns cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.

Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.

Overhead view of homemade hash browns on a plate, topped with a fried egg, sour cream, avocado, diced tomato, and sliced jalapeño,

These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.

Serving Suggestions

On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.

Storage & Reheating

Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!