How to roast cherry tomatoes with just 4 ingredients (salt and pepper included) – for lightly caramelized, sweet, flavor-packed morsels that burst with flavor! The roasted cherry tomatoes are perfect for topping toast, adding to pasta dishes, pizza, salads, or even freezing for several months!

I’ve already shared several methods for preserving tomatoes: including “sun-dried” tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato juice, and even slow-roasted tomato confit. However, this simple roasted cherry tomatoes method is perfect for making the most of fresh, ripe, in-season summery cherry tomatoes to add to and garnish dishes all through summer.

Also, this roasted cherry tomatoes recipe works great for bringing life to those not-so-fresh tomatoes that are starting to wrinkle. They soften and caramelize in the oven, becoming sweeter and richer. Try blending them into your next roasted tomato soup for a delicious boost.

Best of all, this method requires just minutes of prep and (unlike the confit version) way less oil! And what little oil you do use helps improve the nutrition of this recipe – as cooking tomatoes with olive oil helps to increase the absorption of healthful lycopene and other nutrients!

Oh, and did I mention that you can then store the oven-roasted cherry tomatoes in the freezer for up to 6 months?! That way, you’ll be enjoying these little flavor bombs whenever the desire hits, no matter the season!

The Ingredients

• Tomatoes: I used in-season vine-ripened cherry tomatoes for the best flavor. Use the ripest, tastiest cherry tomatoes (red or mixed color) you can find. This method still also works well with plum tomatoes and other similar small tomatoes all year-round, though.
• Olive oil: I recommend using high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt & Pepper.

Optional Add-Ins and Recipe Variations

Cherry tomatoes roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper are already delicious enough; however, here are some additional ways to add flavor.

• Herbs/Spices: feel free to combine the oven roasted cherry tomatoes with herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, or red pepper flakes. You could alternatively use dried herbs or a mix like Italian seasoning or even za’atar.
• Sugar: just a tiny pinch of sugar can further caramelize within the oven and balance against the acidity in the tomatoes.
• Garlic: garlic and cherry tomatoes are a match made in heaven. I like to add thick garlic slices (as they won’t burn as quickly), but you could also use minced garlic.

How to Roast Cherry Tomatoes

First, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.

Then rinse and dry the cherry tomatoes and place them in an oven-safe dish.

I used a cast-iron pan this time. However, in general, it’s advised that you use non-reactive cookware when cooking acidic ingredients like tomatoes. That includes glass, ceramic, and stainless steel. Meanwhile, reactive cookware includes copper, iron (and cast iron), aluminum, and non-stainless steel. This is because they can release atoms into the food and impact the flavor/color.

Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

While you can technically remove the vines for roasting, I like to save that until after roasting as it helps them hold their shape more while roasting, AND they look great for presentation, too!

Then, roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to blister and are very tender.

The time will vary slightly based on the size of tomatoes, the type of baking pan used, and your oven. It can take up to 40 minutes, in my experience.

Enjoy the oven-roasted tomatoes either warm or at room temperature for the best results!

How to Store Roasted Cherry Tomatoes?

Store: you can store any leftover oven-roasted cherry tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Note that while they sit, the tomatoes will release more juices, perfect for using as a “sauce” for dishes. I love to combine mine with high-quality extra virgin olive oil and use it as a bread dip.

Freeze: Freezing roasted cherry tomatoes is simple. Freeze either in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe airtight container for between 4-6 months. Then, allow them to thaw in the fridge or reheat from frozen.

Reheat: you can reheat the cooked cherry tomatoes in the oven, microwave, or even on the stovetop. No matter which method you use, the tomatoes will soften and “fall apart” further into a sauce consistency – but still taste delicious!

How to Use Roasted Cherry Tomatoes?

• Use to top bread/toast – I love to pair it with homemade cream cheese, labneh, burrata, or mozzarella and fresh herbs like basil on top of toast. You can also add over avocado toast, make bruschetta, add to grilled cheese, or bake over focaccia! And of course, you can add roasted garlic or even roasted onion on your toast!
• Use as a garnish/side for proteins – meat, fish, or tofu/tempeh!
• Turn into a sauce – like this roasted tomato sauce or in a simple marinara sauce.
• Serve with eggs – like a base for baked eggs, as part of a shakshuka/ eggs in purgatory, or alongside cloud eggs/scrambled egg/tofu as part of a larger breakfast!
• Add to pasta dishes – like this vegetarian One-Pot Pasta bake, spinach Green Pasta Salad, pesto zoodles, tomato eggplant pasta, baked feta cherry tomato pasta, or Easy Homemade Potato Gnocchi.
• Use to garnish soups – like this creamy tomato soup.
• Toss into salads – like this burrata Caprese salad, classic Caprese salad, Mediterranean salad bowls, and more!
• Use to garnish dips – like a  labneh dip, garlic roasted white bean dip, whipped ricotta, hummus, baba ghanoush, etc.
• Add to a charcuterie/cheese board.
• Use to top burgers (and wraps) – like this Sweet Potato Burger With Portobello Mushroom Bun or Pumpkin Bean Burger With Spicy Mayo Sauce.
• Add to homemade pizza (as a topping or mashed as part of a stuffed crust).
• Serve alongside cooked grains – like brown rice or quinoa, or even burrito bowls and risottos, for extra flavor.

Let me know in the comment what your favorite ways to enjoy oven-roasted cherry tomatoes are!

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Please don’t waste the juices: while roasting cherry tomatoes, they will begin to burst and release their juices. Make sure to pour these juices over your dish for extra flavor!
• To roast cherry tomatoes in an air fryer: you can optionally line your air fryer with a “liner” (like parchment paper) or some foil. Then add the tomatoes, oil, and seasoning, and cook at 400ºF/200ºC for 10-14 minutes (or until tender and beginning to burst). 
• Roasting the tomatoes halved: I like roasting cherry tomatoes whole as it helps them retain more of their juices while still caramelizing and adding depth to the flavor. However, you can also chop the cherry tomatoes in half before baking. These will slightly dry out in the oven and shrivel up more.
• For a smoky/charred flavor: you can broil the tomatoes for a few minutes at the end of the roasting process.

More Ways to Enjoy Tomatoes

• Heirloom tomato salad
• Caprese pasta salad
• Grilled peach burrata salad
• Panzanella salad (Tuscan tomato and bread salad)
• Avocado cucumber tomato salad
• Shirazi salad (Persian cucumber, onion, tomato salad)
• Tomato cucumber salad
• Easy gazpacho

If you try this simple method for roasted cherry tomatoes, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!