Olive Tapenade Recipe

4.86 from 7 votes

This 10-minute Olive Tapenade is bold, savory, and delightfully briny. Made with tangy capers, black olives, umami-rich anchovy fillets, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs, it’s the perfect quick and easy appetizer dip, spread, or topping.

Prep Time10

Rest Time (optional)1

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Condiment, Snack

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: Black Olive Tapenade, Olive Tapenade, Olive Tapenade Recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Jessica Randhawa

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) can pitted black olives drained, see notes
2-4 anchovy fillets
8 fresh basil leaves plus more to taste
2 tablespoon fresh parsley packed, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon capers
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Gather and measure all the ingredients and pit the olives (if they haven’t been pitted already). You may want to rinse the olives and capers to remove excess saltiness.
Add the pitted olives, basil, anchovies, parsley, garlic cloves, and capers in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse the ingredients several times until everything is roughly chopped. Avoid overprocessing at this point; you want some texture left in your tapenade.
With the food processor off, add the fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Process again in short pulses until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
Season with black pepper, additional lemon juice, or olive oil, to taste.
Let the tapenade sit for at least an hour before serving (if possible). This allows the flavors to meld together.

Notes

This recipe makes approximately 1¼ cups or five ¼ cup servings.

Pro Tips:

Olives: For a richer, deeper flavor, choose black olives. For a brighter flavor, use green olives. Read more about the different types of olives above.
Consider the texture of your tapenade depending on how you plan to serve it. For example, a smoother paste may be preferred for spreading over crostini or crackers, while a coarser chop may be more enjoyable with proteins, like chicken, or tossed in pasta.
Vary the texture and flavor: Optional additions include chopped almonds or walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, or a splash of balsamic vinegar.
To make this recipe vegan, omit the anchovy fillets. Don’t worry. It will still have amazing flavor!

Nutrition