Oven roasted tomatoes are a slow cooked tomato that intensifies the natural flavors in the tomatoes.
These easy to make tomatoes can be made with any type of tomato you have on hand - roma, cherry, or your favorite tomato and a few simple ingredients.
Why make this recipe?
Our garden tomatoes are ripening and they are so delicious. If you've never had a fresh picked, garden fresh tomato, you don't know what you're missing. We only have one small problem with our homegrown tomatoes - they all seem to ripen all at the same time.
We certainly eat as many fresh tomatoes as we can. We make Pesto Grilled Cheese sandwiches with fresh slices of tomatoes, add them to lettuce salads and make tomato salads. We also can tomatoes and tomato sauce to store in our pantry.
In addition to all these ways, I also love to make these oven roasted tomatoes and add them to sauces, pastas and top on grilled bread with goat cheese. These tomatoes are also perfect for making an oven roasted tomato sauce.
I just have to warn you, if you make these oven roasted tomatoes - your house is going to smell unbelievable! I'm not kidding. The roasting tomatoes along with roasting garlic and herbs just makes your whole house smell crazy good!
If you don't have access to homegrown tomatoes, store bought tomatoes work too.
Why oven roasting?
Tomatoes are made up of approximately 95% water! Roasting the tomatoes slowly removes water from the tomatoes. Once a lot of the water is removed, all you have left is pure tomato flavor.
These tomatoes are not fully dried like a sun dried tomato, these are still soft and pliable. You can easily add to any dish or I've even been known to eat them right off the baking sheet.
Steps by step directions
- Pour olive oil and fresh herbs into a bowl
- Slice tomatoes and place into olive oil mixture
- Place on a baking sheet along with a head of garlic
- Roast in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours
Variations
- Use sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or oregano
- Add a whole shallot or a head of garlic
- Drizzle with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar before roasting
- Use roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Tips for roasting tomatoes
- Choose tomatoes similar in size so they roast evenly
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up
- With cherry tomatoes, you can leave attached to stem for a fun presentation or remove stem before roasting
- Rotate pan part way through cooking for even roasting
Oven roasted cherry tomatoes
We often have an abundance of cherry tomatoes in our garden and these work perfectly for oven roasting too. Cherry tomatoes have the same amazing flavor and take less time to cook than the roma tomatoes.
How to use oven roasted cherry tomatoes
My favorite way to use roasted cherry tomatoes is using on toasted bread with an herb cream cheese or goat cheese.
To make an herb cream cheese, simply take softened cream cheese and add freshly chopped parsley or thyme. For an extra flavor boost, squeeze in a clove or two of the roasted garlic.
Recipe Faqs
Oven roasted tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week and in the freezer for up to one year.
To freeze, store in a single layer in a freezer safe bag and freeze on a flat surface until fully frozen.
Nope! No need to peel the tomatoes.
More delicious recipes
- Grilled Cherry Tomatoes
- Grilled Baby Potatoes
- Slow Cooked Tomato Soup
- Baked Chicken Penne Pasta - this recipe uses oven roasted tomatoes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious recipes for preserving food!
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes (about 10 roma tomatoes)
- 1 head garlic (sliced in half)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2-3 sprigs fresh herbs (oregano, thyme or rosemary)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Place olive oil and herbs in a bowl
- Cut tomatoes in half
- Place tomatoes in olive oil and toss to coat
- Place tomatoes on a baking sheet along with a head of garlic
- Drizzle remaining olive oil over tomatoes and head of garlic
- Roast in a 325° oven for 2 hours
Notes
- Choose tomatoes similar in size so they roast evenly
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up
- Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes
- With cherry tomatoes, you can leave attached to stem for a fun presentation or remove stem before roasting
- Cherry tomatoes will take less time in the oven
- Rotate pan part way through cooking for even roasting
- Use any amount of tomatoes you have available
- Store in refrigerator or freeze in a single layer in a freezer bag
Kat says
I would really like to water bath can my roasted tomatoes. I cut them into chunks and use in soups, pastas, and chili.
From what I’ve read I might want to skip the olive oil and use only dried herbs. Any insights?
Kathy says
Hi Kat,
When canning tomatoes you always need to add something acidic, like lemon juice. You definitely want to omit the oil but you'll need to be cautious with the garlic. I have been looking at recipes from the National Center for Home Preservation and I don't see a clear answer for you.
Anything additional added to the tomatoes, like the garlic changes the acidity level which may make it unsafe for water bath canning. Here is a quote from NCHFP - "Please do not experiment with canning your own recipe that mixes low-acid vegetables together, even with “some” acid like vinegar or lemon/lime juice. If done improperly, you put yourself at risk for botulism, a potentially fatal food poisoning. This page has more on botulism and canned foods, as well as a section on the importance of food acidity and canning methods:
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/ensuring_safe_canned_foods.html"
To be safe, you may want to consider freezing your oven roasted tomatoes.
Kathy 🙂
YtheWait says
This is a perfect roasted tomatoes, so delicious!
Alex says
I love the delicious flavour tomatoes take on when roasted - absolutely gorgeous!
Kathy says
The roasting really intensifies the tomato flavor.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Lucky you growing tomatoes...that's awesome! And what a delicious way to use them. Bet they're so good in recipes, but I'm pretty sure I could eat a whole bunch as they are 🙂
Kathy says
I do love snacking on them when they cool down from the oven. Delicious!
David @ Spiced says
Tomatoes are 95% water!? That's crazy! So the timing on this one is perfect as we are overloaded with cherry tomatoes right now - we've gotten tired of eating so many and we still have a bunch on the vines. Roasting 'em sounds like a fun way to mix things up!
Kathy says
Lucky you to have a great tomato crop! Time to make some oven roasted cherry tomatoes!