Infused Olive Oil: Choose the Right Flavor for Every Dish

Infused olive oil is extra virgin olive oil that has had a flavor added after it was made, such as basil, rosemary or smoked chile. Fused oil takes a different route: the olives and the flavoring are crushed together in the mill. Flavored is the umbrella word over both. Once you know which is which, the bottle you want is decided by the dish on your plate. Vocabulary first, then a table that matches flavors to food.

Infused, Fused and Flavored: What the Words Mean

These terms get used loosely on shelves and websites, so here is how we use them at Lot22.

Infused

An infused oil starts as finished extra virgin olive oil, and the flavor is added to it. Our basil olive oil, for example, is extra virgin olive oil with fresh basil oil extract, and the rosemary oil pairs a fresh, fruity base with a dash of rosemary oil. Chipotle gets natural chipotle pepper oil extracts, and Herbs de Provence is infused with thyme, savory, marjoram, rosemary and lavender. The result tends to taste layered: you get the olive first, then the herb or spice riding on top.

Fused

A fused oil is made at the mill. Our peperoncino garlic oil is an agrumato-style oil, produced by crushing the olives, peppers and garlic at the same time in one press, with no added essences. Our Tunisian green chili oil is described the same way. Because the flavor is pressed in from the start, the oil tastes more like a single ingredient than a base with a flavor on top.

Flavored

This is the catch-all. Any olive oil with an added taste is a flavored oil, whether the flavor arrived through pressing or infusing. When you browse our fused and infused flavored olive oils, you are looking at both styles side by side. Neither one is better. They just behave a little differently in the kitchen.

How to Choose an Infused Olive Oil for Your Dish

Start with the main ingredient and pick the flavor that complements it. The table below uses the way each oil is described on its own product page.

Delicate herbs: finish them

Basil is the clearest case. Heat dulls its freshness fast, so we use it as a finishing oil: swirled into tomato soup, tossed with hot pasta off the burner, or drizzled over sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. If you cook with a pan oil you like, keep the basil for the last minute. Our basil olive oil is made for exactly this job, and nine more ways to use it are in our basil guide.

Woody herbs: cook gently, then finish

Rosemary and Herbs de Provence are sturdier. Rub either one on a chicken before roasting, toss it with potatoes, or brush it over bread dough, and then add a little more at the table when the dish is hot. That second drizzle is where the aroma comes back.

Garlic and onion: build a base

Garlic oil can replace mincing a clove in a sauté or a marinade, which is why it earns its keep midweek. Cilantro and red onion goes the other direction, bright and sharp rather than mellow, and it belongs near tacos, rice bowls, grilled fish and skirt steak.

Heat: pick by the plate

Chipotle, harissa and our Tunisian green chili oil each add warmth with their own character. Smoky chipotle likes grilled meat and black beans. Harissa suits lamb, roasted carrots and eggs. All three are best used lightly, so start small and add as you taste.

How Much to Use and When to Add It

A teaspoon per serving is a safe starting point for most flavored oils, with more for pasta or a marinade. For a milder effect, blend a flavored oil half and half with plain extra virgin olive oil in a dressing or sauté.

The rule of thumb is the same across the shelf: cook with plain oil, finish with the flavored one. The aromas that make a flavored oil special are the first to fade on a hot pan. Sturdier flavors such as garlic, rosemary and chipotle can go into a gentle sauté or a marinade, while basil and other delicate herbs should come in at the end. Our flavored olive oil ideas for real meals walks through dinners built around this habit.

Pair Your Oil with a Vinegar

A flavored oil and a flavored vinegar make a dressing without a recipe. We like garlic oil with Traditional Balsamic over a salad, and with peach white balsamic for chicken or tofu marinades. We like basil with a white balsamic, whisked 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar with a pinch of salt and spooned over sliced tomatoes. Rosemary, harissa and the green chili oil each name their own vinegar partners on their product pages, so check there before you mix a batch of dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still call it extra virgin if it is flavored?

The base can be extra virgin, but once something is added the finished bottle is a flavored oil. Check the label for the wording, and look for the flavor in the ingredient list.

Which flavor should a first-time buyer try?

Pick the one that matches the dish you cook most. If it is pasta and bread, garlic or basil. If it is tacos or grilled chicken, cilantro and red onion or chipotle.

Can I mix two flavored oils?

Yes, and we do it often. Garlic with rosemary suits potatoes, and basil with garlic is a classic over sliced tomatoes and pasta.

How long does an opened bottle last?

Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove and plan to use it up within a few months. Smaller bottles you finish quickly taste best. If you make your own with fresh garlic, herbs or chiles, keep that batch in the refrigerator and use it within about four days.

Start with the Flavor You Cook with Most

You do not need a full shelf. Two bottles, one for finishing and one for cooking gently, cover most weeks. If the weeknight dinners at your house lean fresh and Italian, begin with basil or garlic. If tacos, rice bowls and grilled fish rule the rotation, try our cilantro and red onion olive oil, which we recommend for Latin, Asian and Middle Eastern cooking.