Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze
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Roasted cherry tomatoes make a delicious snack, tasty appetizer, or versatile side dish. Cherry tomato halves are roasted with garlic and olive oil until they’re partially dehydrated, and their sweetness and flavor have concentrated. A little basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze add flavor and take these tasty bites over the top.
If you’re curious how to make an insane amount of cherry tomatoes disappear in the blink of an eye, turn them into these roasted cherry tomatoes. They’re sweet and savory little bites that make an excellent snack, appetizer, or simple side dish. When you bake cherry tomatoes, all of their sweetness condenses into a tiny little nibble. They’re total flavor bites.
But to truly elevate them, add some balsamic glaze and basil when they come out of the oven. They are irresistible.
Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes – there are so many varieties of cherry tomatoes. Choose whichever ones look the best at the grocery store or market.
Olive oil – a decent quality cooking olive oil will work best for this recipe.
Garlic – we like to grate the garlic on a microplane so that it becomes a paste. You can also mince garlic really well.
Basil – Chopped fresh basil really complements the sweet tomatoes
Balsamic glaze – this is thickened and sweetened balsamic vinegar and is found in the vinegar section of your grocery store.
Serving suggestions
Roasted cherry tomatoes are usually eaten as a snack around here. They’re delicious served hot or at room temperature. These tasty little bites disappear from the bowl so fast that they’re gone long before dinner. But if we’ve made a double batch, these are a few other ways we like to enjoy them:
- Put them on toast – bonus points if you spread the toast with goat cheese first.
- Add them to a pasta sauce – pesto or cream sauces are great.
- Serve them as a side, or on top of, fish or chicken.
- Put some in your salad.
- Mix them into rice or risotto.
- Use them on pizza.
- Include them on a cheese and charcuterie board
Storing leftovers
Roasted cherry tomatoes will keep well for 4-5 days if kept in a covered container in your fridge. Note that the basil will darken when it’s stored. While it’s safe to eat, it will look best if added to the tomatoes fresh before you eat or serve them. If you’re making this roasted cherry tomatoes recipe and think you’ll have leftovers, only add the basil to the tomatoes you think you’ll eat.
Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-3 teaspoons garlic paste (garlic that’s been grated on a Microplane – see notes)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Transfer the tomatoes to a baking sheet and spread them out so that they are in a single layer.4 cups cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1-3 teaspoons garlic paste, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and black pepper
- Roast the tomatoes for 1 – 1 ¼ hours, or until they are shriveled and partly dehydrated.
- Serve the tomatoes topped with basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.2 tablespoons chopped basil, 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Has anyone tried freezing it?
I have and it freezes very well!
Incredible recipe and so simple! I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with but after making this recipe, I felt like I didn’t have enough! I used these as a pizza topping and they were wonderful. Full disclosure I completely forgot they were supposed to have balsamic glaze until I came here to write this comment because I started eating them right out of the oven and didn’t think to add anything else to them. I barely had enough left to use them for a recipe because I couldn’t stop snacking on them!
I’ll also say this works just as well with grape tomatoes for a slightly different flavor, a little more savory but just as great.
I made these last night and the whole family loved them. Thank you!
I would also make a variant, namely “tomates confits” by doing as follows: in a little glass bowl mix one tbsp. thyme, two tbsp. sugar, one tbsp. salt, extra virgin olive oil.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, do nothing but add a bit of the condiment I just described and leave them in the oven to dry (120 C-sorry, we’re metric this side of the pond…) for 1 and a 1/2 hour or more. Once ready, you may keep them as they are in the fridge, or put them in a glass jar covered by extra virgin olive oil, (Southern France way) where they will keep for months.
Having tried doing stuff with basil in the oven, I would also be very careful, in your recipe, to cover the basil with oil, otherwise it will burn and destroy the flavour.
That is such a great idea. I will definitely try that next time ?
Wow! Yummy!! It looks really good and tasty. Good luck 🙂
Thanks, Hila!
Looks really good! and easy! G
Thanks, Gerald!
Make no mistake…The food has always been fantastic whenever Kristen is present.
Thanks, Jordon!
Love Love Love Cheerry Tomatoes, Luckylly we have them all year long here! They Look Delicious! When I began cooking again I’m surely use this Recipe. Thanks for a wonderful Food Blog Filled with all your passion and love!
Javier,
You’re so lucky to have tomatoes all year round. I eat them almost daily during the summer to get my fill before their season ends. Let me know how the tomatoes turn out when you make them!
Mmmm Just at the end of tomato season in Ontario! What a perfect guilt free way to enjoy tomatoes. Thanks K!!
Perfect timing! You’re right, they are the perfect guilt free snack.