10-Minute Marinated Mozzarella Balls

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Marinated Mozzarella Balls are an easy party appetizer that only take 10 minutes to prepare. Tossed in olive oil and Italian herbs, these cherry-size mozzarella balls are loaded with flavor and delicious served with your favorite Italian bread or crispy crackers.

Marinated Mozzarella Balls are the perfect one-bite appetizer served with crostini, alongside a charcuterie board or on their own in a bowl with toothpicks to the side.

These flavorful Italian-inspired cheese balls are marinated in garlic-infused olive oil, herbs and spices, and are also delicious on salad, pasta or as a quick snack.

Fresh mozzarella has a mild flavor and is soft and creamy. This makes these little balls of cheese ideal for marinating and biting into.

Of course, you can buy already-marinated mozzarella balls from the store, but what’s the fun in that? When you make them at home, you get to choose the herbs and spices you and your guests enjoy the most.

Glass bowl filled with marinated mozzarella balls in an olive oil and herb marinade with a small spoon lifting one of the pieces of cheese out.
In 10 minutes or less you can make this easy marinated mozzarella ball party appetizer.

Why You’ll Love Making Homemade Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Easy as 1-2-3. No special skills or kitchen gadgets are needed. If you can measure, mix and pour, then this recipe is for you.

A great addition to any party spread. If I’m making a variety of appetizers for a party, I always include marinated mozzarella balls. They are loaded with flavor, but take very little effort to prepare. You can also use them to make these easy caprese salad skewers.

Customize to your taste. Olive oil and fresh garlic are a must for the marinade, but beyond that, it can be customized with your favorite Italian herbs, like parsley, basil, oregano or rosemary. Red pepper or chili flakes are a nice touch for heat and color.

Ciliegine mozzarella balls in an olive oil and herb marinade. The cheese balls are in a small glass bowl next to some fresh basil leaves and a bowl of party picks for serving.
Customize the marinade with your favorite herbs, fresh and dried.

Best Fresh Mozzarella Balls for Appetizers

Go to the specialty cheese section of your grocery store and locate the mozzarella balls. You will likely see three sizes:

  1. BocconciniBocco means mouth in Italian and this size mozzarella ball is really like two-bites or a “little mouthful.”
  2. CiliegineCilie means cherry in Italian and these “cherry size” mozzarella balls are the ideal one-bite for appetizers.
  3. PerliniPerlini means pearl in Italian are the littlest mozzarella balls, shaped like pearls.

Ciliegine mozzarella are the best choice for this appetizer recipe.

Grocery store refrigerator shelf showing stacks of the three sizes of fresh mozzarella balls available.
Ciliegine fresh mozzarella is the perfect size for one-bite appetizers.

Ingredients

Mozzarella Balls – Get cherry-size ciliegene. Make sure they aren’t already marinated.

If bocconcini is all that is available, you will need to cut each piece of cheese in half.

Olive Oil – Flavor can really vary between brands and types of olive oil.

Since olive oil is a key ingredient in this recipe, opt for a good extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This signifies that it’s first cold-pressed and retains most of its aromatic and nutrient properties.

Red Wine Vinegar – I like to add in a touch of vinegar as a flavor enhancer, but it is totally optional. White wine vinegar, balsamic or even lemon juice may be substituted.

Fresh Garlic – Thinly sliced garlic cloves impart a ton of flavor into the marinade. Skip garlic powder; fresh is best.

Fresh Parsley and Basil – Fresh herbs add flavor and specks of color to the the mozzarella balls. For this recipe, I highly prefer using fresh herbs, but dried counterparts may be substituted.

Red Pepper Flakes – Add color and a spicy kick. Leave them out or reduce the amount depending on your preference.

Fine Sea Salt– No need to be heavy-handed with the salt, but a touch brings the marinade together.

Fresh herbs may be substituted with dried herbs using a 3 to 1 ratio. Dried herbs are more potent so not as much is needed. For example, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh basil with 1 teaspoon of dried basil.

Overhead picture showing all the ingredients needed to make the marinade for the mozzarella balls.

How to Make Marinated Mozzarella Balls

  1. Drain the mozzarella balls using a fine mesh strainer and place in a shallow glass bowl or jar.
  2. To a small bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Whisk to combine.
  3. Pour olive oil marinade over top of mozzarella balls. Gently stir.
  4. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.

Recipe Notes

Best to make the day-of. Fresh mozzarella should be eaten immediately. It does not last nearly as long as low-moisture mozzarella.

In fact, the brand of fresh mozzarella I use, says to eat within 1-2 days after opening.

For this reason, it’s best to combine the marinade and mozzarella balls not long before serving.

Marinate in a shallow bowl. Cover as much of the mozzarella in marinade as possible. Gently stir halfway through, to ensure all the cheese gets marinated.

Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes ahead of time. If you have leftovers to eat the next day, the olive oil may solidify during refrigeration. Just take out the jar a few minutes before use so it turns to liquid again.

Ways to Serve Mozzarella Balls

Bowl of marinated mozzarella balls being served as an appetizer on a wooden platter with some party picks to the side.
Marinated mozzarella balls are a flavorful addition to any holiday or party spread.

As an appetizer: Marinated mozzarella balls are one of the easiest appetizers I know, which makes them perfect for holiday entertaining. Just set them out in a bowl with some crusty bread to the side.

You can also use them to make these easy Caprese skewers.

On salad: Toss a few mozzarella balls in your salad. As a bonus, the marinade can be used as dressing.

With pasta: Mozzarella and pasta just go together, so you can’t go wrong here. Swirl them in spaghetti or a bowl of angel hair pasta or add them to a dish of this 15-minute pasta with cherry tomatoes recipe.

Want to save this recipe to make later?
PIN it to your Pinterest board!

Pinterest pin for marinated mozzarella balls recipe.

More Quick Appetizer Recipes

Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Balls

Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Balls

Yield: 24
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Marinated Mozzarella Balls are an easy party appetizer that only take 10 minutes to prepare. Tossed in olive oil and Italian herbs, these cherry-size mozzarella balls are loaded with flavor and delicious served with your favorite Italian bread or crispy crackers.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, ciliegine
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves, fresh
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, fresh
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, fine

Instructions

    1. Drain the mozzarella balls using a fine mesh strainer and place in a shallow glass bowl or jar.
    2. To a small bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Whisk to combine.
    3. Pour olive oil marinade over top of mozzarella balls.
    4. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Notes

Best to make the day-of. Fresh mozzarella should be eaten within 1-2 days after opening. For this reason, it's best to combine the marinade and mozzarella balls not long before serving.

Marinate in a shallow bowl to make sure all the mozzarella balls are covered in marinade. Gently rotate the cheese balls halfway through marinating to make sure they're all coated.

Remove marinated cheese balls from refrigerator 15 minutes ahead of time. If you have leftovers to eat the next day, the olive oil may solidify during refrigeration. Just take out the jar a few minutes before use so it turns to liquid again.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Skip to Recipe