This marinated cheese recipe is my favorite summer appetizer. I especially obsess over marinated goat cheese with herbs and spices, because fresh chèvre is so good this time of year. You can also revive dried out aged cheeses like Manchego with this easy marinated cheese recipe.
Purple Haze, a fresh goat cheese infused with lavender and fennel pollen, marinated in olive oil with rosemary, olives, and black pepper.
A Marinated Cheese Recipe, Dripping with Olive Oil
Here’s how to make yourself some olive oil-marinated cheese in 3 steps.
Step 1: Choose the Cheese
Choose 8 ounces of something mild and porous enough to absorb the oils.
The best cheeses to marinate are…
- Soft, spreadable cheeses like chèvre, ricotta, and quark, which you can roll into nickel-sized balls.
- Semi-firm, spongy cheese like feta, mozzarella, and halloumi, which absorb the marinade like a dream.
- Hard, dry cheeses like Manchego, Piave, and Pecorino, which become soft and buttery when marinated.
- Gooey, funky soft-ripened and washed cheeses like brie and Taleggio, which are too delicate and get slimy.
- Punchy blues cheeses like Roquefort, which overpower the oil, unless they’re stuffed inside olives.
Marinated Manchego with orange peel, black pepper, and rosemary
Step 2: Get Some Flavors Going! These herbs go well with goat cheese and other marinated cheeses
What herbs go well with goat cheese and other marinated cheeses?
Look for fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, something with a little heat like black pepper or red chilis, and something with a little zip such as citrus peels or sweet peppers. Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Feta with garlic, thyme, olives, and lemon peel
- Ricotta with fresh chili, peppercorns, orange peel, and a cinnamon stick
- Manchego with sundried tomatoes, basil, and oregano
Step 3: Marinate
Layer the cheese and spices in a 12-oz mason jar and then fill with olive oil. Let marinate for at least one week. Or, to save time, gently cook your flavorings in a saucepan over very low heat, let cool, and then marinate your cheese for just 20 minutes.
Marinated Cheese Recipe
- 6 – 8 oz cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil, to cover
- Selected flavorings, such as:
Equipment //
- 8 oz mason jar
- Chef’s knife
Method //
- Cut hard cheese into ½ inch cubes, or roll soft cheese into nickel-sized balls.
- Add cheese to the jar, layering with the flavorings so they intermix well.
- Pour the olive oil into the jar until everything is covered.
- Store in the fridge and marinate for at least 1 week. Enjoy with warm bread and chilled wine.
- Quick method: gently cook the herbs in a saucepan over very low heat, let cool, and then marinate the cheese for 20 minutes.
- This keeps a really long time: I’ve had marinated cheese in my fridge for months.
- Once the cheese is gone, save the olive oil to use in salad dressing.
Shout out to Philosophy Foods for hooking me up with this dank olive oil!
Get hot and horngry for this easy marinated cheese appetizer? Check out these saucy cheese recipes!
Rose Honey-Baked Brie with Roasted Pistachios
Goat Cheese-Stuffed Sweet Peppers
- 8 oz cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil, to cover
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2-4 sprigs of fresh herbs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- Other fun things, like citrus peels, whole spices, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes
- Cut hard cheese into ½ inch cubes, or roll soft cheese into nickel-sized balls.
- Add cheese to the jar, layering with the flavorings so they intermix well.
- Pour the olive oil into the jar until everything is covered.
- Store in the fridge and marinate for at least 1 week. Enjoy with warm bread and chilled wine.
- Quick method: gently cook the herbs in a saucepan over very low heat, let cool, and then marinate the cheese for 20 minutes.
- This keeps a really long time: I've had marinated cheese in my fridge for months.
- Once the cheese is gone, save the olive oil to use in salad dressing.
- Use a 12 oz mason jar so it doesn't overflow.
Thanks for the recipes!! I’ve never tried marinating cheese before, now it’s a summer goal 🙂
So glad you like it MJ! I hope it comes to good use. Seriously goes so well with all the summer veg!
When I refrigerate it the oil becomes harder. How do I avoid this?
Hi Kim! Great question. Just mix in a few tablespoons of grape seed oil into the EVOO. This will help with the solidifying.