Black Olive Tapenade
on Dec 29, 2023, Updated Jul 22, 2025
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Salty, briny, and packed with bold Mediterranean flavor, this black olive tapenade is a quick and wildly versatile spread that’s just as happy on crostini as it is stirred into pasta. It’s a five-minute blender wonder, and once you try it, you’ll start finding excuses to put it on everything.
Let’s just say this: if you like olives, you’re about to make one of your new favorite things. (My boys love olives so much that I have to hide them in the fridge if I’m planning to serve them to company.) This black olive tapenade recipe is bold, rich, salty, and ridiculously easy to make. Just toss a few pantry staples into a food processor or blender, and boom: instant appetizer.
It’s the kind of thing that feels a little fancy, but takes all of five minutes, with zero stress. You can’t mess this up! Slather it on bruchetta, crostini, or crusty bread, spoon it over grilled cod, or tuck a little bowl into a graze board and watch it disappear.
Green olive tapenade is another way to go, and the two can pretty much be used interchangeably. It just depends on which kind of olive you are in the mood for.
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What's In This Post?
Black Olive Tapenade: Bright, fresh and briny, this salty condiment can be used in so many ways, and makes a terrific topping for crostini.
Black Olive Tapenade Ingredients
- Pitted black olives – Any oil-cured black olive will work.
- Anchovies – Rinsed and chopped; leave these out for a vegetarian tapenade and add another teaspoon of drained capers.
- Minced garlic – Fresh garlic is an important flavor in tapenade.
- Oregano or thyme leaves – Fresh is best here.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Capers – Drained and rinsed.
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest – Add brightness and freshness to the tapenade.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper – You may not need to add any additional salt if your olives are salty, so make sure to taste before adding.
How to Make Black Olive Tapenade
- Blend the ingredients: Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until coarsely blended.
- Season and puree: Add salt and pepper to taste, then puree until the mixture is as coarse or fine as you like.
Serving Ideas and Variations
- Use tapenade as the base of a vinaigrette dressing recipe. Drizzle this vinaigrette over roasted vegetables or simply baked fish (try cod or salmon).
- Drizzle it over roasted carrots for the most beautiful spring side dish.
- Add 1/2 cup of drained oil-packed sundried tomatoes.
- Skip the anchovies and add another teaspoon of rinsed and dried capers for a vegetarian/vegan tapenade.
- Try a mix of black and green olives in this easy olive dip.
Pro Cooking Tips
You can buy pitted olives or pit them yourself. If you have an olive pitter, you are good to go. To pit olives without a pitter, just place them on a cutting board and use the side of a big, heavy knife to press down on them, carefully giving the knife a firm smack with the side of your fist. The olive will crack, and then the pit can be popped out.
Olives vary in their level of saltiness, so make sure to taste the finished tapenade before adding any additional salt.
If you use the tapenade in a dish, go lightly on any other added salt.
Traditionally, tapenade is made with a mortar and pestle, but I use the food processor, which allows the whole thing to come together in about 5 minutes.
How to Use Black Olive Tapenade
- Use it to top crostini or bruschetta.
- Smear it under the skin of chicken thighs or breasts before baking.
- Use it as a sandwich spread. It’s especially good with sandwiches made with sliced turkey or chicken, as well as sandwiches that include cheese or tomatoes.
- Serve it in a small bowl as part of a cheese platter, grazing board, or charcuterie board.
- Serve with baguette or crackers.
- Put tiny dollops on pizza.
- Add a bit to eggs, whether fried, scrambled, or made into an omelet.
- Add some to Caprese salad (great in a sandwich) or a platter of sliced tomatoes.
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Black Olive Tapenade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted black olives
- 2 anchovies (rinsed and chopped)
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place the olives, anchovies, garlic, parsley, olive oil, capers, and lemon juice and zest in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely blended.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Continue to pulse or puree until the mixture is as coarse or fine as you like.
Notes
- Tapenade will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed container.
- You can buy pitted olives or pit them yourself. If you have an olive pitter, you are good to go. To pit olives without a pitter, just place them on a cutting board and use the side of a big heavy knife to press down on them, carefully giving the knife a firm smack with the side of your fist. The olive will crack, and then the pit can be popped out.
- Olives vary in their level of saltiness, so make sure to taste the finished tapenade before adding any additional salt. If you use the tapenade in a dish, adjust any added salt with that in mind.
Nutrition
Everything You Need to Know About Black Olive Tapenade
Kalamata (Greek), Nicoise (French), and Gaeta (Italian) are all good choices, but any oil-cured black olives will work. It’s a nice way to try out different olives from the olive bar at your market! Salt-cured olives are a bit more intense in saltiness, as you would imagine.
Black olive tapenade is usually made of black olives, olive oil, herbs (like oregano or thyme), and capers, with some lemon juice and zest for brightness. Anchovies are another common addition, though you can leave them out if you want a vegetarian version. Sometimes, sun-dried tomatoes are added as well.
Tapenade should be tossed if you see signs of mold or smell an unpleasant odor. Also, throw it out if it tastes sour.
