Easy Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Easy Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes are sweet, tangy and completely addictive! They’re so flavorful and perfect for elevating appetizers, sandwiches, or pasta!
I’ve been going tomato crazy lately. My garden is exploding with cherry tomatoes, which means I’m finding new ways to use them. These Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes are my latest obsession, and if you like sun dried tomatoes, you’re going to love these!
The story behind these oven roasted cherry tomatoes is kind of funny. I’ve been roasting tomatoes like this for years, and last year I meant to share them with you but never got the photos quite right and scrapped it.
This year I roasted and photographed 3 different batches before I finally settled on these. It was so bad that my youngest son asked me, “Why do you keep taking pictures of tomatoes?”
I seriously had a problem.
The problem was that this crazy tomato lady wanted a shot before they were roasted, then afterward, which is 2.5 hours later. Then the lighting wasn’t in my favor, or I over-roasted them a bit and they weren’t photogenic enough.
They were still good enough to eat right off the sheet pan, but gosh, they have to look good for photos.
Here are the before and after shots:
BEFORE
AFTER
So notice how the edges are dried out and the insides are still on the juicy side? That’s exactly how slow roasted cherry tomatoes should be.
You’re looking at 2 – 2.5 hours in a 250 degree oven, and they keep in an air tight container in the fridge toss in some olive oil to preserve them for a good week or two.
Maybe you’re wondering why you should oven roast your cherry tomatoes right now when they’re in season and at their peak of flavor? Quite possibly you have a garden that’s producing a large amount of cherry tomatoes (or regular tomatoes for that matter), so oven roasting them is a great way to use them up.
My favorite reason is just because they’re the greatest tasting tomatoes ever. Roasting intensifies them and gives them a big, concentrated tomato flavor that will elevate any dish you use them in.
You just have to try this oven roasted cherry tomato recipe to understand. And once you try it, there’s just no going back. 🙂
More cherry tomato recipes:
Pasta with burst cherry tomatoes from NYT Cooking
Easy Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes stemmed and halved (your favorite variety)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Place the cherry tomatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Turn each tomato top side up and spread in a single layer. Roast for 2 - 2.5 hours or until the edges are dried but the insides are still juicy, checking for doneness after 2 hours.
- Cool and place in an air tight container, tossing with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to preserve. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Change up these tomatoes with your favorite herbs.
- Store cherry tomatoes in an air tight container with additional olive oil and use within 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
34 Comments on “Easy Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes”
It’s funny you shared these tomatoes because I was JUST talking with my Aunt this past weekend and she makes a similar dish and gave me the recipe. I was hooked, and now that I’ve seen your version, I’ve got to try this! Sounds like this would be so delicious on pasta, salads, you name it. And I’ve been crazy about cherry tomatoes lately too…so this sounds perfect!
Thanks, Gayle! There’s just something so special about roasted tomatoes — I can’t stop making them!
These sound so delicious Marcie! I love how they are made with only few ingredients. Yum!
Thanks, Anu!
Oh my goodness, I have SO many cherry tomatoes going nuts in my garden currently and I think I just discovered what I’m doing with them! LOVE the idea of slow-roasting them for hours! I would totally be eating these straight off the sheet. 😉
My cherry tomatoes are really starting to go, so I’ll be making more and more of these. And I’ve definitely eaten my share right off the sheet pan! 🙂
Ooooh man, I LOVE sun dried tomatoes, so I can only imagine how nutso I’m going to go for these once I get my hands on some baby heirlooms! I want to put them on everything! So yummy, Marcie!
Thanks, Rachel! The baby heirlooms are just too pretty to resist!
So, I’ve never tried roasting tomatoes before and now I’m convinced I need to try! These look like they would be so good on just about anything, Marcie!
Thank you, Danielle! These are so good and I just can’t stop making them!
These are so perfectly roasted!! Oh, and nothing wrong with being a bit neurotic at times 🙂
Thank you, Ashley, and I appreciate your understanding! lol
hahaha one of the reasons I don’t love to do prep shots is that depending on the time length of the recipe the light changes SO MUCH in my house during that time! And then I go nuts trying to edit them to look somewhat cohesive! I understand your pain! 🙂 I love love love roasted tomatoes – they are like candy!!
YES…when the lighting changes it drives me nuts editing photos! Ah well, at least I finally got this done. Thanks, Ashley, and they are just like eating candy! 🙂
Glad to hear you’ve got some garden fresh tomatoes Marcie! They are my favorite! This is such a great idea to roast them! Love the photos!
Thanks so much, Mira!
Slow roasted tomatoes are THE BOMB!!! Seriously they are like candy! And they are craaazy addictive, right?! I had to laugh at the batch #342 because I’ve been there! These are so pretty Marcie! I have a bunch of vine ripe cherry tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter and I had plans for them, but this is making me want to scrap those plans and shove ’em in the oven instead! SO MUCH YUM! Cheers, girlfriend!
They really are like candy and I’m not ashamed to say that I did devour one sheet pan all to myself…I think that was batch #158. lol Thanks, Cheyanne!
Haha, yes! These photos are so gorgeous though, Marcie and totally worth all the effort and extra photos 🙂 I could seriously inhale this entire pan. We can’t get enough of cherry tomatoes and now I know what to do with the rest we have! Yum!
Thank you Kelly, and I did eat an entire pan once! haha
Ha ha I think that is a story that many food bloggers can relate to! I hate having to re-photograph recipes but I’m always glad I did…and these photos are gorgeous! Love this and can’t wait to try it!
I knew my blogging friends would understand! haha Thanks, Denise! 🙂
These look so flavorful! I’m tempted to pick up a ginormous amount of cherry tomatoes from the farmer’s market to have these beauties on hand for salads, sandwiches, pasta, you name it! Just brilliant! 😉
Thanks, Julia, and definitely get that ginormous amount of cherry tomatoes! These are gone in a flash so you gotta make a bunch. 🙂
I love slow roasted tomatoes! I need to do this with the crazy amount of tomatoes I have coming out of my garden right now!
This is the perfect thing to do with those tomatoes — I have the same “problem”!
I love the story behind these, haha! I know they must be good if you’re willing to take so many pictures that your son has to ask you why,
I’ve never had them slow roasted like this but the way you describe them is making me crave them like crazy! I’m definitely going to give them a try and likely become a crazy tomato lady with you! 🙂
HAHA, you will become a crazy tomato lady if you try these…I promise! 🙂
haha, only food blogger can understand the craziness behind clicking the right pictures! But the pictures turned out gorgeous, so worth all the extra effort! This sounds lovely, I will give it a shot!: )
You’re so right — food bloggers totally get it! haha Thank you, Manali!
They look beautiful! Yum!
Thank you, Laura!
I don’t love fresh tomatoes, but I love cooking with them! This recipe looks like a great use of Summer’s bounty 😉
Thank you, Megan, and these taste like candy!