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Marinated Mozzarella Balls are bursting with bright Italian flavors! Creamy, fresh cheese, and an herb and garlic-studded olive oil combine forces in this simple recipe.
Why I Love This Marinated Mozzarella Balls Recipe
Made with just 8 ingredients, 5 minutes of active prep time, and ZERO cooking, this crowd-pleasing appetizer is a summertime favorite that I make all year round. Marinated Mozzarella Balls can be served on their own, as part of an epic Antipasto Platter, or as a delicious topping for crostini.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredients For Marinated Mozzarella Balls
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Look for cold-pressed olive oil for the best flavor.
- Garlic – Fresh is best, but if you’re in a pinch, you can swap in the preminced jarred garlic.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh basil, cut chiffonade style, fresh Italian parsley, Fresh oregano. Dried herbs can be used if necessary, but fresh is truly best for this type of recipe. If using dried, use about a teaspoon of each.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Feel free to add more or less depending on your heat preference.
- Bocconcini – Feel free to use slightly smaller Ciligine or fresh mozzarella pearls.
How To Marinate Mozzarella
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This simple recipe for mozzarella balls couldn’t be easier! Here’s how it’s done:
Make Marinade. In a medium jar, combine olive oil, herbs, spices, & salt.
Marinate. Add the mozzarella balls and gently stir to coat. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes – 1 hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I serve these warm or cold?
I’m calling Goldilocks on this one. You don’t want them warm or they’ll melt together, but they also shouldn’t be too cold or they’ll taste bland. Shoot for room temperature, around 70F.
What should I do if my marinade solidified in the fridge?
Not to worry! Most oils will solidify when exposed to cold temps. Just let the container sit at room temperature until the oil melts, give it a quick, gentle shake to redistribute the flavored goodness, then dig in.
Serving Suggestions
Once you’ve marinated your bocconcini for 30-60 minutes, you’re welcome to dive right in. Feel free to serve them:
- On pizzas, sandwiches, or flatbreads. Who doesn’t need more cheese in their life?
- In a bowl, with toothpicks. Simple and delicious.
- Kebab-style with cherry tomatoes & basil leaves. Threading them onto skewers with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves makes for a beautiful presentation.
- On crostini. Make some crunchy toasts to serve with your marinated mozzarella; the textural contrast is a winner.
- In salads. They’re great as an addition to Caprese salad in place of plain mozzarella, as an addition to simple green salads, or tossed in pasta salads.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Marinated mozzarella can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I suggest eating them within about 5 days, or they’ll start to clump together into a large mass.
Recipe Tips
- Use the marinade oil for making salad dressing, bread dip, or as a meat marinade (when combined with an acid).
- How to Cut Basil – Stack the leaves in a tidy pile, roll into a cigar shape, and cut chiffonade-style for the fastest, prettiest way to process fresh basil.
- Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes to let all the flavors seep in.
- Serve at room temperature for optimum flavor.
More Cheesy Appetizers
Marinated Mozzarella Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh oregano leaves chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 14-16 ounces Bocconcini drained (I used 2 8-ounce packages)
Instructions
- In a medium jar, combine olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Add the mozzarella balls and gently stir to coat. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes-1 hour to allow flavors to blend and infuse. Serve with crusty bread, crostini or toasted pita bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
