Marinated Baby Mozzarella Recipe

Marinated mozzarella cheese balls
Maximilian Stock Ltd. / Getty Images
  • 5 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins,
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings
Ratings (19)

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Updated 04/02/18

Marinated baby mozzarella balls are all the rage these days. You can pick up these little gems at supermarket delis at a premium price. Save money by making your own marinated baby mozzarella balls at home with this recipe.

In this recipe, purchased bocconcini or ciliegine mozzarella balls are marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and salt. The mozzarella balls need to marinate for 4 hours at room temperature, so plan accordingly if you're serving them for a party.

What You'll Need

  • 1 tablespoon parsley (fresh, coarsely minced)
  • 1 tablespoon basil (fresh, coarsely minced)
  • 1 tablespoon oregano (fresh, coarsely minced)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil (good-quality)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound fresh baby mozzarella cheese balls (bocconcini or ciliegine, drained)

How to Make It

  1. Place parsley, basil, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a zip-top bag large enough to hold the mozzarella. Massage to combine.
  2. Add the drained baby mozzarella cheese balls, seal, and toss bag to coat the cheese. Open the bag, squeeze out all the air, and re-seal.
  3. Let mozzarella balls sit in the marinade at room temperature for 4 hours before serving.

Mozzarella Varieties

Mozzarella cheese comes in many different varieties—fresh, smoked, cow's milk, buffalo milk (latte di bufala) and more.

 

Creamy, milky fresh mozzarella is mild-flavored and sold in different shapes. Regular mozzarella balls are about the size of a small orange. Bocconcini are slightly smaller balls (about the size of an egg) and ciliegine are smaller still, about the size of a cherry. 

They can be marinated or left plain and stored in whey, the drained liquid from the cheese-making process.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 399
Total Fat 36 g
Saturated Fat 13 g
Unsaturated Fat 18 g
Cholesterol 64 mg
Sodium 507 mg
Carbohydrates 3 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 17 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)