Crispy Fried Olives with Garlic Aioli
↓ Jump to RecipeGolden, crispy on the outside, briny and tender inside — these fried olives are the snack nobody sees coming. Paired with a garlicky vegan aioli, they disappear fast.
If you’ve never had a fried olive, you’re missing something special. The pimento-stuffed olives add a subtle sweet heat inside every crispy bite. The three-stage breading — dry flour, batter, panko — gives you a coating that actually stays on and crisps up beautifully at 325–350°F.
The garlic aioli comes together in under a minute and is honestly good enough to eat with a spoon. Make a double batch — you’ll thank yourself later. These are best served immediately, straight from the oil, while the crunch is at its peak.
Crispy Fried Olives with Garlic Aioli
- Dutch oven or deep pan
- Thermometer
- Three shallow plates or bowls
- Paper towels
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer
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1Make the aioli. Combine the vegan mayo, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and pop it in the fridge to chill while you work on the olives.
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2Make the batter. Whisk half the flour together with the cold water, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth and thick — it should cling to the olives without sliding off.
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3Set up your breading station. Put the remaining dry flour on one plate, the panko on another, and keep the batter bowl in the middle.
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4Coat the olives. Take each olive through three stages: toss in dry flour first, then dip into the batter, then roll through the panko until fully covered. Set aside on a clean plate.
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5Get the oil hot. Fill a Dutch oven or deep pan with a few inches of oil and bring it to 325–350°F (170–180°C). Use a thermometer to keep the temperature steady.
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6Fry in batches. Drop the olives in a few at a time, giving them space to float and crisp up evenly. They only need 1–2 minutes until golden all over.
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7Drain and serve. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate for a minute, then serve hot alongside the chilled garlic aioli.
- 🫒 Drain and pat olives completely dry before breading — moisture is the enemy of a good coating.
- 🥣 Batter thickness matters — it should coat the back of a spoon. Too thin? Add a little more flour.
- 🌡️ Fry in small batches to keep the oil temperature steady and get even crunch.
- ⏰ Best served immediately — but you can bread them ahead of time and fry right before serving.
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