Marinated Goat Cheese

A recipe for Marinated Goat Cheese! Pieces of goat cheese are marinated in a savory mixture of olive oil, garlic, spices, and herbs.

Secret Recipe Club

I took a break from Secret Recipe Club last month, but I am back again with a recipe for Marinated Goat Cheese! For those who haven’t seen my previous Secret Recipe Club posts, this club includes a group of bloggers who are assigned a different blog each month and secretly make a recipe to post on their specified reveal day.

I look forward to my assignment email every month and discovering new blogs. It is also fun to see what someone chooses from your blog.

This month, I was assigned 84th & 3rd. The writer behind the blog, JJ, grew up the United States and currently live in Australia (Sydney). You will find a great variety of recipes on her site.

She calls herself a “veg-aquarian” (minus cooking meat for others) and there are plenty of vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free recipes (though not all recipes as she doesn’t practice these diets exclusively).

I absolutely love her photos. They really pulled me in and left me wanting to make everything. It was difficult to choose just one, but I settled on the Marinated Goat Cheese as inspiration.

Marinated Goat Cheese

This Marinated Goat Cheese is an easy, make-ahead appetizer that only takes around 10 minutes of prep.

Simply alternated pieces of goat cheese (chèvre) in a jar with a blend of olive oil, spices, and herbs. For best results, refrigerate the Marinated Goat Cheese in an airtight jar for at least 1-2 days. This will allow the flavors to blend and intensify.

Before serving, bring the jar to room temperature for about 30-45 minutes. The olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator and this will bring it back to liquid.

Serve the marinated cheese over crackers, in a sandwich, or as a part of a larger cheese board. JJ adds an excellent point of using the leftover seasoned olive oil as a salad dressing. It would also be wonderful as a dip for a crusty bread.

A Few Marinated Goat Cheese Tips

This recipe is mostly just a guideline. You can adjust or swap the seasonings based on availability and personal preference.

I sometimes like to add a strip or two of lemon peel (remove as much pith as possible) or a few sun-dried tomatoes.

For more or less heat, adjust the amount of red pepper flakes as desired. You can even add a dried red chili or two.

I included thyme and rosemary leaves since I usually have those in my garden. Basil and/or parsley would also be great options.

Use a log of goat cheese and cut into small pieces or slices. Do not use pre-crumbled goat cheese. The texture will be too fine and oily.

Alternate the ingredients to make sure all the flavors blend as evenly as possible.

Add just enough olive oil (a good quality one is best) to cover the cheese. The exact amount will vary based on the size of your jar. I usually pour in between 3/4-1 cup.

This Marinated Goat Cheese will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Do not freeze.

Check out what other blogger made:

• Whole Wheat Peasant Boule with Flax and Fennel Seeds from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lamb Meatballs with Toasted Orzo from Bewitching Kitchen
• Gluten-Free & Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes from 84th&3rd
• Glazed Lemon Pound Cake from Making Miracles
• Savory Cheddar and Onion Cracker Pie from Shockingly Delicious
• Black Bean and Beer Queso from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• American Diner Style Homemade Breakfast Sausage from Lavender & Lovage
• Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Shells from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Tahini from Chocolate and Chillies
• Strawberry Agua de Fresca from I am a Honey Bee
• Zucchini Lasagna from The Spiffy Cookie

This recipe was originally posted in May 2015 and updated in January 2025.

Marinated Goat Cheese Recipe

Adapted from 84th & 3rd

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Marinated Goat Cheese

A recipe for Marinated Goat Cheese! Pieces of goat cheese are marinated in a savory mixture of olive oil, garlic, spices, and herbs.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine N/A

Keyword appetizer, cheese, garlic, goat cheese, olive oil

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 day day

Total Time 1 day day 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Large Jar

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (227 grams) goat cheese in a log
• 3/4-1 cup (180-240 milliliters) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
• 1 small sprig rosemary leaves only
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Roughly cut the goat cheese into 1 1/2 inch (4 centimeter) pieces or small slices.
• In a large jar, add some of the olive oil and some of the crushed garlic, one bay leaf, thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, salt, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.
• Layer with a few pieces of the cut goat cheese.
• Top with more olive oil, herbs, and spices, layering the goat cheese and other ingredients so they are evenly distributed in the jar.
• Add enough olive oil to just cover the goat cheese, between 3/4-1 cup in total.
• Cover the jar and refrigerate for at least a day to allow the flavors to blend.
• Remove the jar from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about 30-45 minutes before serving to allow the olive oil to become liquid again.