9 Ways to Have Fun With Olives and Capers

Olives and capers are different fruits, but they feel similar in flavor and application. Both are piquant and salty, perfect for snacking with an aperitif, sprinkling onto salads, or pulverizing into a tapenade and eating with good bread. These are our favorite ways to snack on and cook with olives and capers, from incredibly straightforward (roast them) to slightly out there (pulverize them for popcorn).

I hate to repeat myself, but I’ve already said all I wanted to say about these air-fried beauties, so I’m going to do just that:

Roasting olives in the air fryer renders them fragrant and luxurious, but air frying them has the added benefit of lending them a deeper, nuttier flavor, thanks to a bit of browning. The flesh turns soft, supple, and—due to the bit of evaporation that occurs during roasting—a little meatier, and intensely savory. It’s still an olive, but it’s a concentrated olive. I truly do not have a bad thing to say about them.

Get the method here.

Where air-fried olives are lightly browned, but still a little juicy, air fried capers are perfect little crispy guys. I like to eat them like very tiny popcorn, alongside an ice-cold martini.

A bowl of marinated olives is a welcome sight on any snack spread, but warming them in a fragrant, herby oil makes them feel intentional and indulgent, and intentional indulgence is something your guests deserve.

Did you know you can dry capers in the microwave, then pulverize them to make a deeply savory and lightly funky powder that’s perfect for popcorn? You can, and you should, and then you should add lemon zest, because lemon and caper are lovers waiting to be reunited.

A slurry of feta cheese and capers can be used as an effective, savory marinade, and does double duty by flavoring and tenderizing even the most boring chicken breast. Finish with fresh lemon zest to add a little brightness.

Waffled cheese-stuffed olives are not glamorous, but they are fun. To recap:

The waffle iron smushes and

warms the olives

, creating lovely little browned divots and ridges, while the cheese melts out, frying on the iron until it’s crispy on the edges.

Use a big, pitted olive (like Castelvetrano), and stuff it with a fairly firm—but not crumbly—cheese.

If you don’t have an air fryer, but still wish to experience the humble glory of a crispy caper, you can fry them in duck fat, then sprinkle them on salads, pastas, rice dishes, or place them directly into your mouth.

Olives aren’t just for martinis. Putting a briny olive in a sweetish beverage might seem odd, but it adds another element of flavor to the aperitif—instead of just sweet, bitter, and slightly acidic, your palate gets a hit of salty pungency, too.

Getting guests to start in on a beautifully curated collection of charcuterie, cheese, and all the little bites that go along with charcuterie and cheese can be slightly challenging. Give your spread an inviting “it’s OK to eat this” vibe by placing an olive pit (or two) in a ramekin, so no one feels bashful about diving in.

Claire is Lifehacker's Senior Food Editor. She has a B.S. in chemistry, a decade of food journalism experience, and a deep love for mayonnaise and MSG.