Sweet, juicy tomatoes are given a savory twist with a little bit of grill time to make delicious smoked tomatoes. Eat them as-is or combine them with crackers and cheese for a truly delectable treat!
Have you ever tasted something that you just had to recreate?
Sure, there are the recipes that you’d like to try, but eventually forget. But what about the ones that you just can’t forget. The recipes that stick in the back of your mind until you finally give in and try it out?
This is one of those recipes.
I was visiting my parents, and having fun making giant gougeres that Sunday morning, when they pulled out a few smoked tomatoes that a neighbor had dropped off.
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Guys, those tomatoes were amazing.
And, it turns out they were just simple smoked tomatoes that they had made on their own backyard grill. Nothing fancy, just fantastic.
Ever since then, I couldn’t help but think about them. How to go about smoking them and what else to do with them.
It took a few trials, but we finally figured out how to make our own smoked tomatoes! Yay!
What You’ll Need to Make Smoked Tomatoes on a Charcoal Grill
- Chimney Starter
- Charcoal briquettes (lump charcoal will burn too hot)
- Hickory or Applewood Chunks
- Foil pans
Smoked Tomatoes Recipe
Smoked Tomatoes Recipe
Sweet, juicy tomatoes are given a savory twist with a little bit of grill time to make delicious smoked tomatoes. Eat them as-is or combine them with crackers and cheese for a truly delectable treat!
Ingredients
- 5 Ripe Tomatoes, we use plum/roma
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- Sea Salt to taste
- Hickory or Applewood for smoking
Instructions
Prepare the Tomatoes:
- Cut each tomato in half.
- Brush the open side of each tomato half with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Prepare Your Coals and Grill:
- Fill a chimney starter just less than 1/3 full with charcoal briquettes. You should have just barely more than one layer of coals.
- While the coals are heating up, place an aluminum foil pan inside your grill to catch any drips from the tomatoes as they cook
- When the coals are heated up, add them to the grill next to the drip pan, and then close the lid. Allow the grill to come up to about 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Smoke the Tomatoes
- Place the cooking grate in your grill and then place the tomatoes on the grate, over top of the drip pan. The tomatoes should not be over top of the charcoal briquettes.
- Add one small chunk of hickory or applewood directly to the coals.
- Close the lid on the grill and cook the tomatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
Notes
- We use large wood chunks instead of chips for our smoking. If you are using wood chips, make sure to soak them first, and follow the instructions on the package for placing them in your grill.
- For gas grills, you can use one burner on low and place your tomatoes on the upper rack of the grill. You may want to rotate your tomatoes on the rack every 30 minutes or so. It can take 2 to 3 hours to smoke tomatoes this way on a gas grill.
- Err on the light side for your wood. We've made the mistake of putting too much wood in with our tomatoes every now and then, and they end up far too strong. You are just looking for a hint of smoke to compliment your tomatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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A Few Things to Remember
- We use large wood chunks instead of chips for our smoking. If you are using wood chips, make sure to soak them first, and follow the instructions on the package for placing them in your grill.
- For gas grills, you can use one burner on low and place your tomatoes on the upper rack of the grill. You may want to rotate your tomatoes on the rack every 30 minutes or so. It can take 2 to 3 hours to smoke tomatoes this way on a gas grill.
- Err on the light side for your wood. We’ve made the mistake of putting too much wood in with our tomatoes every now and then, and they end up far too strong. You are just looking for a hint of smoke to compliment your tomatoes.
How to Eat Smoked Tomatoes
Most of the time, I just pick up a tomato half and enjoy it just as it is. But here are a few other options:
- Puree the tomatoes for pasta sauce
- Chopped in omelets with cheddar and ham
- Remove the pulp and puree the tomatoes for a thicker sauce. Serve with crackers and cheese.
- Chopped or pureed on top of grilled steak
Now, It’s Your Turn
Fire up your grill this weekend and make some smoked tomatoes for yourself! Then you’ll see why I just HAD to make them, too.
What would you do with smoked tomatoes?
What is your favorite way to cook tomatoes?
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Connie says
I'm thinking those would taste amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Connie
Morsels of Life says
Smoking tomatoes sounds like a great way to add more variety to the tomato routine! Tasty too!
Leslie says
@Connie – They really do taste fantastic. And we actually incorporated them into a couple other recipes that accentuated the smoky flavor. Yum!
@Morsels of Life – You should definitely give it a shot if you get the chance. I hadn't heard about it before, but I'm totally hooked now!
Peggy says
Do you think they would freeze well? That way you could have that smoky taste all winter long!! Can you imagine them on a pizza with fresh basil and mozzarella? Umm I am going to have to try this… now to get woodchips and a smoke box for the grill.
Pattie @ On Hollyhock Farm says
My mouth is drooling now! I have to try this! Thanks for sharing. 8^)
Leslie says
@Peggy – I'm not sure if they would freeze. Honestly, we ate them up so quickly by themselves or in other recipes that we didn't get the chance to try freezing the tomatoes!
@Pattie – Thanks so much for the kind words. Please let me know if you do try them!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
Whaaaaat?! These are genius! I’m obsessed with anything smoked, but I’ve never heard of smoked tomatoes before. Yes, I absolutely must try these!!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I love this! I’ve been wanting to try smoking for the longest time, and your method seems to easy ~ I bet these are incredible, and I think I might try to make salsa out of them.
Veena Azmanov says
Oh God, what a tasty looking this Smoked Tomatoes is! I am in love with the colors and how simple and short the ingredient list is. Yum!
rUTHY @ pERCOLATE kITCHEN says
This is such a smart and tasty side! I’m saving it for a Memorial Day picnic I know we’re going to.
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
I never heard about smoked tomatoes. I wish I had charcoal grill to try out this recipe. It sounds fantastic.
Linette says
I definitely have to try these! This looks incredible. Thanks for sharing.
Marie | DIY Adulation says
These look fantastic! We love tomatoes but I’ve totally never thought of smoking them. I bet you could make some amazing salsa with these. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Molly says
I have never heard of smoked tomatoes before but they do look good
Mollyx
Teresa says
Sounds delicious. I usually do that with bell peppers, though our grill is electrical and they never taste as good…)
Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
Jessica says
This is so useful to know as I read a recipe the other day that called for these but I had no idea how to make them! xx
P.S I have a world food linky over at jesseatsandtravels.com if you ever want to join in 🙂
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
We’ve smoked mushrooms but never tomatoes – what a great idea! These sound so good!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party!
Helen - cooking with my kids says
These look delicious. I’ve been wanting to find some more recipes for our BBQ and these look perfect! #cookblogshare
Sandra L Garth says
My husband and youngest daughter would love these! Thanks for joining us again at Celebrate Your Story, have a great weekend.
Antonia says
Roasted tomatoes….yum! Thank you for bringing them to the party! Happy Fiesta Friday!