Crunchy Blue Cheese Olives
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Small green olives, stuffed with blue cheese, breaded in flour mix with smoked paprika, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Frozen before frying to keep shape and crunch. Fried in hot vegetable oil just till golden, not rubbery. Served with sour cream mixed with smoked paprika. A play on textures and smoky tangs. Quick to prep but demands attention on oil heat and breading accuracy. Sub blue cheese with feta or goat cheese for milder tangs. Use panko crumbs for extra crunch. Keep the olives separated in freezer to avoid clumping. Listen for sizzle changes, watch breading, and trust smell for doneness cues.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
9 min
Total:
21 min
Servings:
6 servings
#snacks
#appetizers
#fried foods
#blue cheese
#olives
Olives stuffed with blue cheese. That melty bite with a crispy crust—tricky to get right but so worth it. Tried it many ways. Bread gluten can be dry or mushy. Egg too much or too little and breading falls apart mid-fry. Temperatures scream for attention. Freeze step is non-negotiable or olives explode in hot oil. Smoked paprika in coating and sauce brings borderline addictive warmth. Sour cream adds quiet cool contrast. Use panko for crunchier edges or swap blue with creamy feta if blue cheese is too aggressive. Little tweaks can pull this from party snack to impressive starter. It’s a game of textures and smoke. Sizzling oil, golden crust, creamy center—hits spot every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled and stuffed inside green olives
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (split ½ tsp in flour mix and ½ tsp in sour cream sauce)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (preferably fine or panko for crunch)
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about 3 cups or enough to fill pan 1-2 inches high)
- ½ cup sour cream
About the ingredients
Olives must be well-drained and patted dry—wet olives = soggy disaster. Blue cheese variants vary a lot; Hermann’s or Roquefort are punchy but switch to feta or goat cheese for softer tang and less salt. Flour mix gets a hint of paprika and salt to season breadcrumbs from inside out—don’t skip. Egg creates glue for crumbs; overbeat it and breading slides off. Breadcrumb choice crucial—I prefer fine but crushed panko for extra crunch works too. Vegetable oil is neutral and tolerates high heat well; can swap with peanut or sunflower oil if needed. Sour cream tone down the sharp smoky paprika in sauce, balances whole flavor profile. Freeze step not just for convenience—it solidifies crumbs to hold shape under hot oil stress.
Method
Preparing Olives
- Drain green olives well. No soggy bits. Dab dry with paper towels—if wet, breading won’t stick and oil will spit like crazy.
Setting Up Coatings
- In a small bowl, toss together flour, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and fine sea salt. Keeps that smoky note subtle but present.
- In a second bowl, lightly beat the egg till yolk and whites blend a bit—no whisking frenzy needed.
- In a third bowl, have the plain breadcrumbs ready. Fine crumbs stick better but crush some panko if you want a chunkier crunch.
Breading Sequence
- Roll olives first in the flour mixture. Dust off excess, but don’t skip this step. Flour helps egg adhere better.
- Next, dip olives fully in beaten egg. Let excess drip off—too much egg pools and ruins crust.
- Then coat olives evenly in breadcrumbs. Press gently but no need to squish stuffing out (unless you see cheese bulging).
Freezing Preparation
- Lay breaded olives in a freezer-friendly container. No touching—olive clumps trap moisture and mess up crispness.
- Place parchment or wax paper between layers. Seal tightly and freeze for at least 70 minutes; I usually go 90 min to be sure.
Frying
- Fill a medium saucepan with oil about 1-2 inches deep. Heat on medium-high to around 350F (but I rely on smell and tiny bubbles forming around wooden spoon tip).
- Work in small batches—crowding kills crunch and drops oil temp. Lower olives in gently with a slotted spoon or sturdy spatula.
- Hear that sizzle? That’s the moment. If it sputters too aggressively, oil is too hot—dial down. Too quiet means cold oil—olive gets greasy, no thanks.
- Turn olives carefully after about 2 minutes. Brown all sides. Total frying around 3-4 minutes; cheese inside should melt quietly, but crust firm and golden.
- Drain fried olives on paper towels to soak excess oil. For serving later, keep warm in oven at 200F on a rack so oil doesn’t sog.
Serving Sauce
- Mix sour cream with remaining ½ tsp smoked paprika. Stir well. Sharp smokiness cuts cheese richness.
- Serve olives hot with the smoky sauce on the side—dunk or drizzle, your pick.
Cooking tips
Start by drying olives thoroughly—this step saves from oil spatter and sogginess. Set up bowls for flour mix, egg wash, crumbs—assembly line saves time and prevents wetter breading mistakes. Flour first, then egg, finally crumbs in that order for adhesion. Freeze breaded olives separated with parchment layers; prevents them sticking. Heat oil medium-high, test with a wooden spoon—small bubbles indicate right temp. Fry in small batches to keep oil temp stable. Flip gently but confidently after a couple minutes. Golden, crackly crust signals done—not too dark or burnt. Drain well to avoid oil pooling. Warm olives in a low oven if serving delayed. Sauce of sour cream with smoked paprika: add at end for brightness and color. Watch timing loosely, trust sensory cues more.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Olives must be bone-dry before breading; any moisture ruins adhesion and causes oil spatter. Dab with paper towels heavily. Flour sticks better if olives aren’t wet. One small miss and breading peels off mid-fry. Use fine or crushed panko crumbs; bigger panko chunks add crunch but harder to keep intact inside oil. Freeze breaded olives thoroughly separated, or all clump, steam forms, crust soggy fails hard. Freeze 70+ mins minimum is non-negotiable here.
- 💡 Egg beaten just enough to blend yolk and whites. Overbeating creates foam; makes breading less sticky, slips off. Dipping olives too long? Excess egg pools and drips off during frying, burns faster. Press breadcrumbs gently; squeeze stuffing if cheese bulges, crust cracks. Oil heat is king here; test with wooden spoon bubbles, subtle sizzle only. Sizzle too loud? Turn heat down fast. Too quiet? Oil cold, olives absorb grease, not crisp. Keep batches small to hold temp.
- 💡 Flour mix mixes smoked paprika for subtle smoky heat inside, not just on surface. Salt balances flavors but don’t overdo or overwhelms olives. Bread crumbs pick up flavor better with paprika in flour mix. For sauce, mix sour cream with last bit of smoked paprika late; too early turns sharp, raw paprika taste. Panko crumbs better for crisp edges but crumb size tricky. If using soft cheese swaps, expect less melt but milder bite. Goat cheese or feta bring gentler tang, less salt. Hold breaded olives apart on parchment in freezer. No touching, or mushy mess inside fryer.
- 💡 Oil depth 1-2 inches suits medium saucepan; enough to cover olives but not drown. Too shallow fries unevenly; too deep wastes oil and heats slow. Use neutral oil with high smoke point; vegetable, peanut, sunflower all good. Smell and bubbles guide heat more than thermometer alone. Flip olives gently after 2 minutes; crust forms but cheese takes time to melt inside without rupture. Overcrowd pan, oil temp drops, crust soggy, heavy. Remove olives on paper towels fast; soak excess oil before serving. To keep warm without sog, place on rack in oven 200F, no cover.
- 💡 Freeze step critical. Breaded olives will crumble off or burst cheese if fried fresh; cold crust holds shape longer. If no parchment, space olives on tray with gaps to avoid sticking. Variations: add pinch cayenne for kick in flour mix or swap sour cream sauce for Greek yogurt with lemon dash for tang. Monitor oil smells; burnt paprika or overheated oil ruins taste. If breading falls off, likely egg or flour too wet, or oil temp wrong. Use wooden spoon bubble test repeatedly during fry, adjust heat fast, never leave unattended.
Common questions
How to stop olives from soggy crust?
Dry olives obsessively. Any moisture kills breading grip. Dab, pat, repeat. Also freeze breaded olives well; cold outer layer fights oil steam softening. Oil temp super crucial. Fry in small batches avoids temp drops. No shortcuts on drying or freezing steps.
Can I use other cheese instead of blue?
Sure, feta or goat cheese swap well. Milder, less salty, melts softer. Cheese texture changes frying time. Expect less sharpness; cheese can ooze differently. Stuff olives carefully, crumbs hold better with firm cheese but softer works. Sour cream sauce still pairs.
What if breading falls off during frying?
Usually egg layer too thin or washed off by wet olives. Dry olives better. Press crumbs well but not too hard. Flour coating key for egg adhesion. Oil temp must be right—too cold oil leads to soggy crust that peels. Freeze breaded olives solid before frying. Small batches keep heat stable.
How to store leftovers?
Best eaten fresh but keep warm in 200F oven on rack covered loosely if a while. For longer, freeze fried olives after cooling on paper towels. Reheat in oven to regain crunch; microwave ruins crust. Breaded olives freeze well uncooked too, separated layers. Don’t store at room temp; cheese inside risks spoilage fast.
