Fire-roasted tomatoes add a smoky, flavorful kick to nearly any recipe - perfect for a hearty stew, soup, or salad. Save money by making them yourself at home with this simple recipe.
These fire tomatoes have a smoky taste and delicious aroma that just takes your food to the next level.
You can buy canned tomatoes or diced tomatoes that are already fire-roasted, but homemade is much fresher and cheaper. Also, they don't contain any artificial preservatives.
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Why Use Fire-Roasted Tomatoes?
Well, there's one big reason: flavor!
Fire-roasted tomatoes have a distinct flavor brought out by both the spices and the oven-roasting process. This means they bring a unique twist to any dish they're included in.
When you roast tomatoes, the sugars caramelize, resulting in a rich, smoky flavor. Combining these roasted flavors with added seasoning creates something truly wonderful and different from regular tomatoes.
I sometimes use fire-roasted tomatoes for my goat stew and turkey stew. It really transforms and elevates the flavors!
💭 What Are Fire-Roasted Tomatoes?
The name sort of says it all here. Fire-roasted tomatoes are simply tomatoes that are heated over an open fire.
This process caramelizes the sugars and concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes. This means that every bite is full of bright, rich tomato flavor.
In a modern kitchen, you can simplify this process by roasting tomatoes in the oven at high heat or grilling them to get some delicious char.
Next time you have too many fresh tomatoes on hand, whip up a big batch of fire-roasted tomatoes and save them for making stews, serving over low-carb pasta, or even as a naturally low carb pizza topping.
Ingredients Used
- Roma tomatoes: These tomatoes are less watery than regular tomatoes and are perfect for roasting.
- Spices: Black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. The peppers give a slightly spicy kick and help cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Olive oil: This helps the spices stick to the tomatoes.
How To Make This Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Rinse the tomatoes, and slice them lengthwise. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet with the cut side facing up - they'll roast best that way. Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil on the tomatoes, and brush the tomatoes with spices. Place the tomatoes in the oven, and roast them for 45 minutes or until charred.
- Allow them to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
Storing and Reheating
The best way to store these tomatoes is in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge. You can store them this way for 5-7 days. They taste amazing freshly roasted, so try throwing them into your recipe before they cool down.
If you are fortunate to have a ton of tomatoes at the peak of ripeness, try roasting a bunch and freezing them to eat later in the year. Be sure to freeze in small batches so you get just enough for one recipe at a time.
What can I make with fire roasted tomatoes?
Fire-roasted tomatoes are perfect for making sauces or stews. You can make pasta sauce, tomato soup, or a filling stew like my beef stew or chicken stew. They also make amazing salsa!
Tips and variations
- Make this recipe in your air fryer by cooking the tomatoes at 400 degrees for thirty minutes.
- You can make these tomatoes on your grill! Place the tomatoes cut side up in a grill basket or pan. Grill them for about ten minutes, turning halfway till the tomatoes are charred.
- Roast your tomatoes with some garlic cloves for even more flavor!
- If you want to use these tomatoes on a salad, we'd recommend using them cold. If you heat them, the heat could wilt your salad, making it a little less exciting.
- You can reduce the cayenne pepper to make it less spicy.
- Add your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary or basil.
- Replace the cayenne pepper with Italian seasonings for tomatoes that taste like the best tomato sauce ever!
👩🍳 Frequently Asked Questions
Most people who ask this question are trying to decide between different types of canned tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes can cook at high heat over a flame like in an oven or over a grill. This roasting process condenses their flavor and reduces their acidity.
Meanwhile, regular canned tomatoes at the grocery store are acidic and may even have a slightly metallic flavor from the can. They need to be cooked down before they taste as rich as fire-roasted tomatoes. Opting for fire-roasted canned tomatoes or making your own is a great way to sneak in even more flavor to your recipe.
Fire roasting simply refers to how the tomatoes are prepared, not their flavor or seasoning. I recommend adding cayenne pepper for a richer flavor and a kick of heat, but it is completely optional.
Tomatoes are naturally lower carb and fire roasted tomatoes are a great addition to a keto diet. This recipe makes six servings, and each serving has 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber.
📚 Related Recipes
Check out these mouthwatering stews and sauces!
📖 Recipe
Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 roma tomatoes approx 1 lb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Rinse the tomatoes and slice them lengthwise.
- Arrange the tomatoes with the cut side facing up.
- Mix spices together in a bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil on the tomatoes and sprinkle the spices.
- Brush the spices on the tomatoes.
- Place the tomatoes in the oven and roast for 45 minutes until charred.
- Let it cool when done.
- Store in an airtight container & refrigerate.
Make it in the air fryer
- Cook the tomatoes in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Make it on the grill
- Place tomatoes cut side up in grill basket or pan.
- Grill for about 10 minutes, turning halfway, till the tomatoes are charred.
Notes
- You can make this recipe in your air fryer by cooking the tomatoes at 400F degrees for 30 minutes.
- You can make these tomatoes on your grill! Place the tomatoes cut side up in a grill basket or pan. Grill them for about 10 minutes, turning halfway till the tomatoes are charred.
- If you're hoping to use these tomatoes on a salad, we'd recommend using them cold. If you heat them, the heat could wilt your salad, making it a little less exciting.
- You can reduce the cayenne pepper to make it less spicy.
- You can also jazz it up by adding herbs and more spices if you wish.
Can you freeze these for later use?
Yes you can!
Absolutely delish! I am so glad I couldn't find Fire Roasted Tomatoes at the grocery store, or I never would have found this recipe! And it's so easy. It's on my "keeper" list! Thanks!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca. It's a keeper for sure!