Olive Tapenade

This five-minute olive tapenade recipe blends two types of olives with capers, garlic, lemon, and anchovies for a bold Provençal spread that makes an effortless appetizer or condiment.

Olive Tapenade: Big Mediterranean Flavor in Five Minutes

Olive tapenade is a briny, savory spread from Provence, in the South of France. It traditionally combines olives, capers, anchovies, and olive oil, though you’ll find plenty of variations.

I like to combine Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives in my tapenade recipe. Kalamata olives bring a rich, fruity intensity, while the mild, buttery Castelvetranos balance their sharper flavor. Together, they give the spread beautiful color and just the right amount of bite.

There is no cooking involved; just add everything to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. My go-to is to serve tapenade as an easy appetizer with toasted baguette, homemade focaccia, or a colorful crudités platter. It tastes even better after the flavors have had a little time to mingle.

In many ways, tapenade reminds me of pasta puttanesca. Stir it into hot pasta with a good glug of olive oil for an easy dinner, perhaps adding canned tuna, broken sardines, or a little Parmesan.

What You Need for This Olive Tapenade Recipe

This recipe brings together a handful of loud and lively pantry staples. Because olives vary in intensity, combining two varieties gives the tapenade a more balanced flavor, texture, and color.

• Kalamata olives: These dark purple Greek olives have a rich, fruity flavor and firm texture. Use pitted olives for easy preparation.
• Castelvetrano olives: These bright green Sicilian olives are mild, buttery, and slightly sweet. They soften the sharper edge of the Kalamata olives without muting their flavor.
• Oil-packed anchovy fillets: Not at all fishy, I promise! The anchovies blend into the background, adding deep savory flavor and bringing the other ingredients together. Leave them out to make the spread vegan.
• Garlic: One large raw garlic clove adds a pleasantly spicy, savory bite.
• Capers: Capers intensify the signature briny flavor. I use water-packed capers and drain and rinse them before adding. If you have salt-packed capers, soak them in water for about 15 minutes first.
• Fresh thyme and black pepper: Thyme brings freshness, while black pepper adds gentle warmth.
• Lemon: A teaspoon of lemon juice lifts the rich, salty ingredients. Lemon zest sprinkled over the finished tapenade adds an extra burst of citrus.
• Extra virgin olive oil: A good-quality extra virgin olive oil brings the ingredients together and loosens the finely chopped olives into a spreadable consistency.
• For serving: Lightly toasted French baguette is classic, but sliced vegetables also work well.

How to Make Olive Tapenade 

This olive tapenade recipe comes together in five minutes using a small food processor. The key is to stop while the olives are finely chopped but still have some texture; you want a rustic spread, not a smooth puree.

• Combine the ingredients. Add 1 cup each pitted Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives to the bowl of a small food processor fitted with the blade. Add 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, 1 peeled garlic clove, 1 tablespoon drained and rinsed water-packed capers, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Close the lid and pulse a few times, just until the olives are finely chopped but not pureed. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, then pulse a few more times, just until the mixture loosens into a coarse, spoonable spread.
• Finish and serve. Transfer the tapenade to a small serving bowl and sprinkle with the zest of 1 lemon. Serve with lightly toasted slices of French baguette or crisp vegetables.

My Tips for Bold, Balanced Olive Tapenade 

A good tapenade should taste rich and briny without losing the individual character of the olives. These simple details make all the difference:

• Make it vegan. Leave out the anchovy fillets. The olives, capers, garlic, thyme, and lemon still give the spread plenty of bold Mediterranean flavor.
• Use two types of olives. Fruity Kalamata olives and buttery Castelvetrano olives balance each other and give the finished spread more dimension.
• Drain and rinse the capers. The olives and anchovies already bring plenty of briny flavor, so rinsing water-packed capers helps keep everything in balance. If you use salt-packed capers, soak them in water for about 15 minutes first.
• Pulse; don’t puree. Stop when the olives are finely chopped but still textured. Overprocessing will turn the tapenade into a smooth paste rather than the rustic, spoonable spread you’re after.
• Add the olive oil gradually. Drizzling it in slowly gives you more control over the texture and helps loosen the chopped ingredients without making the tapenade runny.
• Skip the extra salt. Olives, anchovies, and capers are all salty on their own, so this recipe does not call for additional salt. 
• No food processor? Pound the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. You can also chop them finely with a knife, then drag the side of the blade across the mixture on a sturdy cutting board to form a coarse paste.

More Than an Appetizer: Ways to Use Olive Tapenade

My favorite way to serve olive tapenade is the simplest: spoon it into a small bowl, set out toasted baguette or crisp vegetables, and let everyone help themselves. For a party, you can also spread it over crostini and arrange the pieces on a platter with something creamy, like classic hummus, to balance its briny bite.

But don’t stop there. Once you have a batch in your refrigerator, there are all kinds of ways to put it to work:

• With chicken, fish, or meat: Spread a thin layer over flaky white fish just before roasting. You can also rub it over whole roasted chicken, including under the skin, or spoon it over grilled skirt steak.
• On sandwiches: Use tapenade as a bold condiment for an antipasto chicken sandwich. You can spread it on its own, pair it with garlic aioli, or whisk a little directly into the aioli to make an easy olive mayo.
• With eggs: Spoon it over olive oil fried eggs, fold it into an omelet, or add a small spoonful to egg muffins. The salty olives are especially good with rich eggs and creamy feta.
• As an everyday flavor-maker: Add a little tapenade to pizza, fries, or roasted artichokes. You can also stir it into warm pasta with extra virgin olive oil for a quick pantry dinner.

Make It Ahead: How to Store Olive Tapenade

Olive tapenade tastes even better after the flavors have had a little time to mingle, making it a convenient appetizer to prepare ahead. Transfer it to an airtight container and keep it refrigerated, then give it a quick stir before serving. 

The olive oil may firm up in the refrigerator. If that happens, let the tapenade sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then stir the oil back into the spread.

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