Mozzarella pearls found in the cheese section of your market are marinated in a simple herb oil recipe and can then be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
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This recipe takes just a few minutes to make but looks so impressive! You'll find yourself serving them as appetizers often, but they're really easy enough to just keep in the fridge for a family snack.
Mini mozzarella cheese balls will keep in your fridge 5-6 days with no compromise in quality or taste. Just remembered that chilling will cause your olive oil to be solidified. Sit out on the counter a little while before serving and you'll be good to go!
The Herbs for the Mozzarella Balls
When first making these baby mozzarella pearls I had lots of fresh herbs growing and I just used what I had available. But, if you don't have an herb garden, or you have different ones than I did, feel free to substitute whatever you like.
Dried herbs would be great too - just remember that they have a stronger flavor, so use about one third the amount.
What other add-ins are great?
Another amazing addition is lemon zest, and mozzarella pearls are always fun mixed with olives like you see here.
Be sure that you use a good quality olive oil. We always keep on hand cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.
If you're a fan of cheesy, Italian type flavors you'll want to check out our Crustless Tomato Pie. It's one of our top recipe posts along with the Crustless Squash Pie. And San Marzano Sauce and Easy Marinated Tomatoes are simply packed with Italian goodness.
More ways to use baby mozzarella balls:
- tossed on top of salads
- mixed with tomatoes (grape or cherry tomatoes are awesome)
- mixed with small, whole mushrooms
- on short skewers alternated with anything you like for an appetizer
- tossed on a pizza before it's baked
- place a bowl of them on a charcuterie board.
These are also great appetizers for so many meals, like chicken and Yogurt Sauce. Let your imagination go wild and tag us on social media with the ways you come up to use them.
For a fun look at this recipe, check out the web story!
Items great for making and serving mozzarella pearls:
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- Herb Shears. We never tire of recommending these. Everyone in our family has and loves them.
- Olive Oil Dispenser. We use EVOO so much that a dispenser sits right by the cooktop at all times.
- short skewers for making appetizers
- bamboo toothpicks with a looped end like you see in our photos
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Mozzarella cheese is gluten-free.
📖 Recipe
Marinated Mozzarella Pearls Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients and chill 2 hours to overnight.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Any herbs that you like and have on hand can be used. Keep in mind that you will use about 3 times the amount of fresh as dried.
- The zest of abour ½ lemon is an excellent addition.
- Leave out of refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
- Red pepper flakes are optional and can be adjusted for your desired level of heat.
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you'll want to try:
If you make any of our recipes we'd love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you're into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
Quinn Caudill says
Sounds yummy. Would go great with some fresh tomatoes and cukes.
Pam says
That sounds good too! Thanks, Quinn!
Carrie Robinson says
This is such a great appetizer idea! Looks delicious. 🙂
Pam says
Thank you, Carrie.
Krissy Allori says
Oh man! This is so good. Such an explosion of flavor in my mouth.
Pam says
Happy to hear you like them!
Roxana says
This looks scrumptious. Definitely going to try that.
Pam says
Thanks, Roxana. Hope you enjoy!
Cyndy says
I love this perfect simple appetizer. This is a great idea for entertaining and love the little toothpicks!
Pam says
Thank you, Cyndy!
Jenn says
This is a classic recipe that I come back to again and again. It's perfect anytime I'm entertaining, and now that I'm doing keto, it makes the perfect snack! I change up the herbs from time to time, too. Delish!
Pam says
Thanks for letting us know Jenn!
Kate says
I haven't made this yet, but curious how long you think these marinated pearls will last? Thanks
Pam says
For a couple of days they're excellent. After that, they'll still be good 2-3 more days, but the cheese could start to absorb some of the olive oil.