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Grilled Tomatoes

These mind-blowing grilled tomatoes are easy and packed with smoky, juicy flavor. Serve them with herbs for a sensational summer treat.

Speechless. That’s what you’ll be after trying these grilled tomatoes (at least, we hope!). Here at A Couple Cooks we’ve made almost all the grilled vegetables, but tomatoes were something new. Take one bite and it’s true magic: smoky, pure sweet tomato, with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that makes you immediately want to shout how delicious they are. These grilled tomatoes work as a side dish or appetizer for a grilled dinner. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh herbs, and it’s the very best summer treat you could imagine.

Ingredients for grilled tomatoes

You only need a handful of ingredients for grilled tomatoes! The tomatoes in particular should be good quality. Here’s what you need:

Large, firm ripe tomatoes: this is important! The tomatoes must be ripe, but not so soft that they’ll fall apart on the grill.
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs: we used fresh thyme and oregano

If you’d like, you can add a few feta cheese crumbles too (we did). But it’s not necessary for flavor! The olive oil and herbs bring such a big punch, it’s at its core a vegan and plant-based grilled recipe.

High quality, ripe tomatoes are a must!

Great grilled tomatoes start with great tomatoes. While some cooking methods can cover over sub-bar ingredients, grilling requires great tomatoes. Here’s what to know:

Best choice: Local farmers market tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or garden tomatoes. These are full of the most nuanced, tasty flavor. And you can support local growers!
Ripe grocery store tomatoes: Grocery tomatoes are best during tomato season. If you’re buying in the off season, some brands of hydroponic greenhouse tomatoes can have better flavor. Just don’t buy pink or hard tomatoes.

How to grill tomatoes: time and temperature

All you really need to know about grill tomatoes is the grill temperature and timing. Memorize these few things, and then make this recipe on repeat all summer! Here are the basic steps for how to grill tomatoes (or jump to the recipe):

Preheat a grill to medium high heat: that’s 375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
Cut the tomatoes in half latitudinally: around the horizontal axis, not through the top.
Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side, until tender and charred. Be very careful when flipping the tomatoes, and use a confident, strong motion with your spatula.
Serve with olive oil, more salt to taste, and chopped fresh herbs.

More ways to season grilled tomatoes

The simplest way to serve grilled tomatoes is as we listed above. But if you want to get even fancier, here are some ideas:

Balsamic drizzle. Add a touch of balsamic reduction for sweet tart sophistication.
Grilled Caprese salad. Layer with slices of fresh mozzarella and top with fresh basil for a grilled spin on Caprese salad.
Crostini. Gently chop the tomatoes (using a serrated knife) and serve with crostini or goat cheese crostini.

Make it a meal!

Grilled tomatoes work with lots of different cuisines; they’re especially perfect with Mediterranean-style meals. Here are a few ways to accessorize them to make a grilled dinner:

Grilled portobello burger or veggie burger. Try a Perfect Portobello Burger or Grilled Veggie Burger.
Grilled shrimp or scallops. This Perfect Grilled Shrimp or Grilled Scallops would make a fantastic pair.
Grilled fish. Try Perfect Grilled Salmon or Easy Cedar Plank Salmon.

This grilled tomatoes recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Epic Grilled Tomatoes

(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

5 from 5 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

These mind-blowing grilled tomatoes are easy and packed with smoky, juicy flavor. Serve them with herbs for a sensational summer treat.

Ingredients

4 large, firm ripe tomatoes (not too soft or they can fall apart while grilling)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
For serving: Chopped fresh thyme and oregano, olive oil, feta crumbles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
Remove the stems from the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half (latitudinally: see the photos). Gently rub them with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
Grill cut side down for 4 to 5 minutes until tender and lightly charred. Carefully flip with a spatula, then cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
Sprinkle with a little more salt and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with fresh herbs and if desired, a few feta cheese crumbles (though the flavor is incredible without).

Category: Side Dish or Appetizer
Method: Grilled
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Grilled tomatoes, How to grill tomatoes

More fresh tomato recipes to try

Need more recipes for when summer tomatoes are juicy and ripe? Here are our top fresh tomato recipes to try:

Best Pico de Gallo Just 6 ingredients, it’s ideal for tortilla chips and topping for fish or tacos.
Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Salad Who can resist the magic of Caprese salad?
Fresh Tomato Salad One of the best ways to eat a tomato…period.
Best Salsa Recipe This really is the best salsa recipe, perfect for perfectly ripe tomatoes.
Tomato Cucumber Salad Ripe tomatoes, cool cucumbers and savory red onion.
Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad This one has a Mexican flair with avocado, lime and cilantro.

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

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Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake

This old-fashioned cinnamon swirl coffee cake is made with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a lightened-up twist, and topped with a crackly layer of cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans.

There are few things as satisfying as a perfect coffee cake, and this one is no exception: with Greek yogurt for moistness, and cinnamon, sugar and pecans swirled in and sprinkled on top.

Lifting a slice of Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake showing the texture inside

I just realized that 3 out of the the last 4 recipes I’ve posted have been for breakfast bready things. Sourdough muffins and boozy banana bread and now, this Greek yogurt coffee cake.

And actually, with strawberries and matcha and eggs you could probably justify eating this tart for breakfast too (I knew I liked you).

I have no idea why I’ve been craving breakfast bakes rather than my usual chocolate-heavy dessert recipes, but I’m just going to roll with it (though I do have a cookie recipe or two up my sleeve, so you have that to look forward to, too).

Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake on a ceramic plate with coffee cups and sugar cubes in the background.

This recipe is based on my grandmother’s sour cream coffee cake, of which I’ve made both apple and chocolate chip variations.

The recipe itself is virtually identical, just made with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (I also scaled down the recipe, a half-sized version essentially, since I feel like a lot of us are making smaller batches of things these days since excess baked goods aren’t quite as easy to share).

While sour cream and Greek yogurt are usually interchangeable in most situations, the lower fat content in the yogurt makes this version not quite as rich and ever so slightly drier (fat being one of the elements that keeps cakes moist), although I feel like you’d really only be able to tell this subtle difference if you tasted two versions side by side.

I do recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt, as the higher protein content in lower fat versions may make for a tougher, less tender texture (also be sure you buy plain yogurt, flavored ones would just be… weird).

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Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Here’s how to make the best strawberry shortcake: the classic way! Tender, biscuit-like shortcakes meet sweet berries and fluffy homemade whipped cream.

Strawberry shortcake marks the start of summer around here. And why make it with store-bought mix if it’s 100% more delicious homemade? Here’s our classic strawberry shortcake recipe. It’s got tender, biscuit-like shortcakes, juicy sweet berries, and fluffy, homemade whipped cream. It’s so ridiculously good, it’s perfect for special occasions of all kinds: cookouts, patio parties, birthdays, and anytime you come across a load of ripe, beautiful berries. Here’s how to make it!

How to make strawberry shortcake: 3 steps!

There are three main skills you’ll learn in making strawberry shortcake, which we’ll cover below:

Macerating the strawberries. Macerate means to let them sit with sugar so they break down.
Making the shortcakes. You’ll make lemon-scented, biscuit-like cakes (not spongy or fluffy).
Making homemade whipped cream. A basic skill for any home cook to master!

Baking the shortcakes: some tips

The type of shortcake in strawberry shortcake varies based on the recipe. Some you’ll find are more spongy, some light and airy. This version is flaky and biscuity: it’s a sweet version of our Homemade Biscuits. But instead of rolling and folding them several times to create layers, we’ve simplified the process. These are like a combination of a layered biscuit and a drop biscuit. Here are a few tips for making these shortcakes:

Use buttermilk. Buttermilk brings the right tangy flavor and fluffy texture. It’s worth springing for the real stuff.
Don’t overmix. Be careful not to overmix the batter. If it’s too dry, you can add a little more buttermilk: but not too much!
Use a biscuit cutter. A 3-inch biscuit cutter gets just the right shape.
Place the biscuits directly next to each other. Placing them next to each other on the baking sheet helps them rise in the oven.
Sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle the top with sugar to get a crunchy texture!

Can you make strawberry shortcakes in advance? These are best the day of, so they have a crispy on the outside and tender on the inside texture.

What if you don’t have a biscuit cutter?

If you don’t have a biscuit cutter for the strawberry shortcakes, here are a few ideas on how to cut the biscuits:

Find a circular cookie cutter that’s approximately 3 inches wide.
Use a knife to draw a circle 3 inches wide. (You could even cut out a 3-inch wide circle to trace as a guide.)

How to macerate strawberries

What does macerate mean? To macerate is to soften food by sitting in a liquid. With fruit and berries, you can simply mix them with sugar and let them sit. As they sit, the sugar extracts the juices from the berries, making a natural sauce with the sugar. I remember my mother doing this in the summer when I was growing up.

All you have to do is slice the berries and mix them with sugar: you don’t even have to measure quantities (or use the quantities in the recipe below). Here are a few notes about macerating the strawberries for strawberry shortcake:

You can use sugar or maple syrup. We’ve used sugar here, but if you prefer naturally sweet sugars with the berries maple syrup works too.
Adding acid makes them pop! Lemon juice makes the flavor even brighter: it’s almost like adding a pinch of salt. You can also use balsamic vinegar (strawberries and balsamic are a natural pair).
Make them as you bake the cakes, or 24 hours in advance. You can let the berries sit at room temperature while you bake the cakes. Or macerate them in advance in the refrigerator. Just make sure to bring them to room temp before serving.

Homemade whipped cream: it’s a must!

You could use store-bought whipped cream for strawberry shortcake…but if you’ve come this far, why not make homemade? Homemade whipped cream is fluffier, richer and creamier than anything you can get at the store. The recipe we’ve been making for years is this Homemade Whipped Cream. Go to that post for all our tips and tricks, but here are a fe w notes:

Do it with a whisk or a stand mixer. You can use a simple whisk and a bowl: get your muscles ready! It’s fun to watch cream thicken and become fluffy with just a whisk. If you have a stand mixer, you can use that for less of a workout!
Infuse it for a twist. Try Infused Alcoholic Whipped Cream to infuse your cream with bourbon or rum.
Can you make homemade whipped cream in advance? Yes. While it’s best right when it’s made, you can also make it a few hours in advance and refrigerate.

Ripe berries are a must for strawberry shortcake!

As always, the quality of the ingredients is key. For a summer symphony like strawberry shortcake, you absolutely must have the ripest berries you can find. Grab local strawberries if you can: their flavor is sweet and pure summer. The first time I had a bite of a local strawberry, my mind was blown. The nuance of the flavor is simply magical.

This strawberry shortcake recipe is…

Vegetarian.