Grilling tomatoes brings out their sweetness! As they grill, the sugars in tomatoes caramelize, and the flavors become more concentrated.

Which tomatoes are best to grill?

Use semi-firm tomatoes- Roma tomatoes, vine-ripened, heirlooms or any others, that 2-4 inches in diameter. If tomatoes are too ripe, they may collapse on the grill.

Can you grill tomatoes whole?

You can, but they will split and pop, often sending shooting hot tomato juices everywhere- so be warned!

Can you grill on the stove?

Yes, use a well-greased cast iron grill pan and grill on your stove.

Grilled Tomatoes

Name: Grilled Tomatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: mediteranean
Ingredients: 2 lbs tomatoes, semi-firm (Roma, Vine ripened, Better boy, Heirloom) 3-5 inches in diameter; 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for finishing; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2-4 garlic cloves, finely minced; 2-3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped; ½ teaspoon salt, more for finishing; 1 teaspoon pepper

Description

Grilled tomatoes with oregano, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar– a summery side dish that can be made in 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 lbs tomatoes, semi-firm (Roma, Vine ripened, Better boy, Heirloom) 3-5 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons olive oil, more for finishing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2–4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2–3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, more for finishing
1 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Clean and grease the grill well.
Remove the core of the tomatoes using a sharp knife. Cut in half. If using Romas, cut through the core. If using round tomatoes, cut perpendicular to the core. See photos.
Place tomatoes in a bowl. Stir olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper together, and pour this over the tomatoes, gently mixing to coat well.
On a well-greased grill, place tomatoes open side down- and SAVE THE REMAINING MARINADE in the bowl. Cover and grill 5-7 minutes (longer if bigger) or until deep grill marks appear. Using a thin metal spatula, turn them over, continue grilling, covering, checking every few minutes, until they begin to soften. You want them to the point where they are softening, but not totally collapsing, so watch closely at the end.
If grilling multiple things, you can keep these warm in a 350F oven until ready to serve. If your tomatoes are particularly large the oven will continue to soften which can be a good thing.
When ready to serve, place tomatoes on a platter and pour any leftover marinade over the tomatoes, arranging the oregano so there is a little on each tomato. Drizzle with more olive oil if you like (I like) and sprinkle with salt (a flakey finishing salt is really nice here).
Serve warm or a room temp.

Notes

Semi-firm tomatoes work best here. Overly ripe tomatoes will collapse.

Feel free to grill on the stove using a grill pan.

Leftover grilled tomatoes will keep up to 4 days in the fridge, and taste great cold! Cut up and use in salads, soups, chop up and make bruschetta, mash or blend and make a sauce. You’ll love these. 🙂

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 whole tomato
Calories: 77
Sugar: 4.8 g
Sodium: 203.1 mg
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
Carbohydrates: 8.1 g
Fiber: 2.4 g
Protein: 1.6 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg