Infused Olive Oil Is the Versatile Pantry Ingredient You Didn't Know You Needed — Here Are 3 of Our Favorites

Here's how to make infused olive oil and three pre-made versions our editors recommend.

There’s a reason olive oil is one of the most beloved cooking fats. It can fry up eggs without causing too much stickage; it can add a glossy, tender bite to baked goods like pound cake and brownies; and it’s even delicious on its own — coating a piece of ciabatta or drizzled over a leafy salad. Olive oil is not only versatile in function, but its flavor, which can range from fruity to grassy, is the perfect base for other, more bold ingredients.

Infused olive oil is a game-changing ingredient; it’s made by steeping various ingredients in olive oil, imparting their flavor and sometimes color. This can be done with herbs, spices, chiles, citrus, or even cannabis. The world of infused olive oils is almost as vast as the number of things you can do with them. Maybe you want to top your french fries with truffle oil. Or maybe you could drizzle chili oil over popcorn. Or maybe you could even elevate an olive oil cake with one infused with lemon. No matter what you’re using it for, infused olive oils can add that extra oomph of flavor to whatever you’re eating.

How to infuse olive oil

Most infused olive oils are made by adding the selected aromatics to a batch of oil, then heating them together. This releases the flavors of the aromatics, which alters the taste (and often, color) of the oil. After infusing, the whole ingredients are filtered out, and the olive oil is cooled to room temperature. Alternatively, you could buy your infused olive oil pre-made, and lucky for you, we know which bottles are best.

Infused olive oils

With tiny spoons and crusty baguettes in hand, our editors dipped, swirled, and sampled the best flavored olive oils on the market. Each and every bottle we tasted starts with an excellent base — an olive oil we’d happily use for cooking, baking, and drizzling on its own — that’s infused with fresh aromatics to quickly punch up the flavor of dressings, marinades, or baked goods. Our three favorites take as much care in sourcing the best ingredients for the infusion as they do with their olives, resulting in oils with fresh flavor and a delicious balance of buttery, vegetal, and piquant olive notes.

The Dipper: Kosterina Greek Herb & Lemon Olive Oil

This infused oil is the perfect dunking medium for a good, crusty loaf of bread. Made with oils of oregano, lemon, and onion (which adds a savory depth to the infusion), it tastes like a delicate homemade blend of tender herbs brightened with fresh lemon zest. As delicious as it is on its own, this flavor-packed oil would make a great base for a marinade, too. $25 at kosterina.com

The Finisher: California Olive Ranch Garlic Infused Oil

Infused with roasted garlic, this California Olive Ranch olive oil is balanced enough to top a bowl of salty popcorn and robust enough to cook with. Our editors loved its gentle spice and smooth finish, as well as its rounded, sweet-but-still-pungent garlic flavor. Drizzle this one boldly on everything from salads and pastas to grilled meat. $14 at californiaoliveranch.com

The Baker: Enzo Organic Clementine Crush Olive Oil and organic eureka Lemon Crush Olive Oil

Enzo mills its olives with local aromatics to create unfiltered Crush blends. The clementine and Eureka lemon flavors taste particularly vibrant and fresh. Try using the lemon oil in poppy seed muffins, or bake up a batch of brownies laced with clementine oil for a decadent chocolate-orange twist. $20 at enzostable.com

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