Marinated Goat Cheese Recipe

By
Emily and Matt Clifton
Emily and Matt Clifton: Contributing Writers at Serious Eats
Emily and Matt Clifton
Emily and Matt Clifton are recipe developers, photographers, and cookbook authors. Their two cookbooks are Cork and Knife (2019) and The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook (2021).
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Mar. 21, 2019
Marinated-Goat-Cheese-20170104_3.jpg
Photograph: Emily and Matt Clifton

Why It Works

  • The olive oil infuses the cheese with whatever flavors you throw at it, so feel free to be creative.
  • Submerging the cheese entirely in good olive oil helps preserve it in the fridge for up to one week.
  • These make great tasty gifts for a party host

For an almost effortless way to a more interesting cheese platter, marinate fresh goat cheese in olive oil with herbs and spices. Here we add fennel seed, lemon zest, bay leaves, and more for a well-rounded infusion of flavor. Use it as a topping for crackers, a spread for sandwiches, or crumbled into salads.

Recipe Facts

4

(4)

Active: 10 mins
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Serves: 8 servings

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 1 large log fresh goat cheese (10 ounces; 270g)

  • 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil (475ml), or as needed

  • 1 teaspoon red chile flakes

  • 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

  • 2 teaspoons pink peppercorns (optional)

  • 4 (2-inch) strips lemon zest (peeled with a vegetable peeler with as little white pith as possible)

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 6 tsp fresh thyme

  • 4 medium garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise

Directions

  1. Cut goat cheese log into 8 equal pieces; roll into balls, if desired.

  2. Pour olive oil into clean wide-necked jars until halfway full. Distribute chili flakes, fennel seed, and peppercorns equally into both jars.

  3. Add the goat cheese pieces one at a time, adding a little olive oil between each one so they are fully immersed. Add lemon zest, bay leaves, thyme and garlic to jars. Pour in enough olive oil to fully cover cheese. Seal jars and refrigerate for at least a few hours (we found it tasted best after 2 days). The marinated goat cheese can be kept refrigerated for up to 1 week, but not any longer than that (infused olive oil can run the risk of botulism if kept for longer than 1 week, even if refrigerated).

Special equipment

2 half-pint mason jars

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
337 Calories
35g Fat
1g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 337
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 44%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 164mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 27mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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