How to roast cherry tomatoes with just 4 ingredients – 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.
Rinse and dry the cherry tomatoes and place them in an oven-safe dish.In general, it's advised that you use non-reactive cookware when cooking acidic ingredients like tomatoes. That includes glass, ceramic, and stainless steel.
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 their shape more while roasting, AND they look great for presentation, too!
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 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!
Notes
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.
Optional add-ins:
Herbs/Spices: feel free to combine the oven-roasted cherry tomatoes with herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, or red pepper flakes. You could alternatively, you 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.
Check the blog post for more tips and serving suggestions!