Olives are a great part of an appetizer tray or a small plates spread! This Spanish inspired warm olive tapas with spiced bread crumbs kicks them up a notch with crispy, spicy, salty flavors.
Hello, all!
Today I have for you a simple and delicious appetizer recipe! I love putting out mixed olives or marinated olives as a party nibble. However, sometimes I want to change it up a little and these olives, sauteed until they are hot and tossed with spicy, crispy bread crumbs take the olives from average to SPECIAL.
Spanish Olive Tapas
This recipe is very loosely based on breaded deep fried olives. Which are amazing, but also deep fried. š Here we have a lot of the great flavors of deep fried olives without the mess or the big pot of hot oil.
Instead we take a slice of a crusty dinner loaf or a Ciabatta roll and grind it up and then toss it with olive oil and spices until it’s all crispy. Simple! Then heat up the olives and peppers and mix them with those fresh bread crumbs. All that’s left is to open the wine!
This is 100% a recipe for people who love olives, love Spanish flavors, and love easy appetizers!
What do you need?
- Bread Crumbs – This is the secret of the recipe. What do you need to make these?
- Dinner Bread – Last night’s dinner bread or a left over crusty roll (just not TOO dry and old) will make the perfect crumbs
- Garlic – I like to shred the garlic on my microplane
- Olive Oil – To make it crispy!
- Seasoning – Salt, paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne, and fresh parsley
- Olives – I used a mix of Castelvetrano green olives and Kalamata olives. Any flavorful pitted olives will work.
- Peppers – Roasted red peppers are what I used in the recipe. For a spicier recipe switch to thinly sliced fresh hot peppers in the mix.
How do you make it?
To make this Spanish olive tapas recipe, first make fresh bread crumbs by sauteing bread with olive oil, garlic, and spices. Once they are crisp, saute the olives and red peppers until hot then toss the olives with the bread crumbs and serve.
Make the Bread Crumbs
Take your bread and pulse it in the food processor until you have fairly small crumbs. No need to remove the crust unless it’s gotten hard (if the bread is older). Chewy crust is fine though.
Saute them in olive oil to brown and crisp them up. Add salt and garlic and cook the garlic a bit, about 30 seconds. Then add in the spices and get them distributed and a little toasted, another 30 seconds.
Take the toasted bread crumbs off the heat and toss with the parsley.
You can do this up to one day ahead!
Make the Olives and Peppers
Wipe out your skillet (if you’re doing this all at once) and add in some more olive oil. Get it hot, then add the olives, red pepper, and vinegar. Saute until the olives are hot and smell really good.
Then into a serving bowl they go. Toss the hot olives with the bread crumbs and serve.
Tip: Warm up the serving bowl before mixing the olives and bread crumbs in it. You can do this by heating the bowl in a microwave for a few seconds (if microwave safe) or putting it in a warm oven for a few minutes (about 200F).
Recipes for a Tapas Party
Here are a few ideas for a small plates party. For more recipes check out my Spanish Tapas category.
If you try my recipe for Olive Tapas with Spiced Bread Crumbs, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
– Happy Eating, Annemarie
Spanish Olive Tapas with Spiced Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
Spiced Bread Crumbs
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs, from crusty dinner bread
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced or shredded
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Olive Tapas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 1 cup pitted black olives
- 1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Bread Crumbs
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmery.
- Add the bread crumbs to the skillet. Saute, stirring frequently, until the bread is browned and crispy. Adjust the heat as needed so it browns without burning.
- Stir in the salt and garlic and saute for 30 seconds, making sure to distribute the garlic throughout.
- Add the paprika, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl and toss with the chopped parsley. Set aside until you are ready to make the olives.
- Can be made up to one day ahead. Keep in a sealed container if holding more than ~1 hour.
Make the Olive Tapas
- Wipe down the skillet you used and add olive oil. Heat again until the oil is shimmery.
- Add vinegar then add olives and roasted peppers. Saute to warm the olives through.
- Transfer the warm olives to a serving bowl and toss with the bread crumbs. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Bread Crumbs: I used one small Ciabatta roll with crust to make the crumbs. Break the bread into pieces and put in a food processor. Pulse until the the bread is processed into fine crumbs.
- Hot Peppers: You can up the spicy factor in the recipe by using thinly sliced hot peppers in place of (or with) the roasted red pepper.
- Make Ahead: You can make the bread crumbs up to one day ahead. But don't mix the bread with the olives until you are ready to serve since the bread crumbs will get soggy.
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