This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full Disclosure Policy.
Fire smoked tomatoes are an incredibly flavorful and unique dish that can add a delicious smoky flavor to any meal. With just a few staple ingredients needed, you’ll be able to create this fire roasted tomato dish quickly and easily!
I love to use this simple recipe as a base for so many of my favorite recipes. From pasta sauce to smoky tomato soups, try making an extra big batch to store in the fridge for quick and easy meals.
The Taste Of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Fire roasted tomatoes are delicious and are a great way to add flavor to any dish. These tomatoes have a deep complexity that pairs well with fresh herbs and garlic. Perfect for adding depth to salads or served as an appetizer on a charcuterie board! Plus, fire-roasting your own tomatoes is easy enough that anyone can do it at home!
Methods To Fire Roast Tomatoes
You can fire-roast tomatoes in a variety of cooking methods.
Open Fire or Grill
The most popular method is to fire-roast them over an open flame, such as with a gas or charcoal grill. A homemade fire can work too.
Smoker
Fire smoking your tomatoes will give you an even deeper complexity and smokiness that is delicious in sauces and dips.
Oven
You don’t need to fire roast your tomatoes over an open flame or on the grill. Fire roasting tomatoes in the oven is quick, easy, and can be just as tasty!
Air Fryer
The air fryer is a very fast way to roast these tomatoes. Turn your air fryer to 200C and roast for approximately 17-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.
Skillet
You can also fire roast tomatoes in a stovetop cast iron skillet over high heat. This will give you great flavor without needing to use any firewood or charcoal!
Best Tomatoes To Roast
Although you can use almost any type of tomato, the best type of tomatoes to fire smoke are Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes. These two types of tomatoes have the highest amount of natural sugar which helps create that flavorful fire-smoked taste. When fire-smoked, the natural sugars in Roma or plum tomatoes caramelize, creating an intense and sweet taste that is truly unforgettable.
It’s always better to use fresh tomatoes at their peak of ripeness. You almost always can find both of these types of fresh tomatoes at your local grocery store.
Best Wood Chips To Use For Fire Smoked Tomatoes
The smokiness of fire roasted tomatoes can be further enhanced with wood chips like hickory, mesquite, applewood or pecan for an even richer flavor.
When selecting wood chips for smoking, it’s important to choose flavors that will complement the sweetness of the tomatoes; hickory, mesquite, applewood and pecan all work well for fire smoked tomatoes. Additionally, using a combination of woods can help enhance the smokiness and complexity of your dish too!
Oak and hickory are two popular types of wood chips that work well for smoking tomatoes (these are my hubby’s favs) . Oak adds a subtle smoky flavor while hickory provides a more intense smokey taste. Both kinds of wood chips have high heat retention which is perfect for fire-smoked tomatoes.
Other types of wood chips such as apple or cherry can also be used depending on your desired outcome, but oak and hickory are generally considered to provide the best results when smoking tomatoes.
Shop Fire Smoked Supplies
I have this Treagor grill and LOVE it. These are a few of the most recommended smokers I have come across as well.
How To Make Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Now that we can covered all the tomato and wood chip details, let’s get onto this easy recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tomatoes, 2 pounds, sliced and seeded
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil, extra virgin
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
Optional
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 rosemary sprig,
Directions
- Depending on the type of smoker, soak wood chips in water for at least one hour.
- Preheat a smoker, grill, oven or fire pit to around 250°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and herbs of your choice until evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned tomatoes onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I prefer to use a stone baking tray when roasting any vegetables as it seems to cook them perfectly every single time.
- Grill until the tomatoes are charred, this should only take a few minutes. If you are using the oven method, roast for 45-50 minutes or until the edges of the tomatoes begin to brown.
- Remove the fire-smoked tomatoes from heat and let cool before handling
- Peel off any remaining skin on each tomato if desired.
- Serve as desired!
Storing Fire Roasted Tomatoes
To store fire-smoked tomatoes, first, allow them to cool completely before placing them in a sealed container or jar. Make sure that the lid is firmly secured so no oxygen enters the jar and causes spoilage.
Additionally, it’s best to use fire roasted tomatoes within three days of preparation for maximum flavor and freshness. For longer storage options, fire-smoked tomatoes can also be frozen for up to six months!
Tips and Tricks for Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- When cooking tomatoes over an open flame, it’s important to make sure that the fire is not too hot as this can cause the tomatoes to burn. Aim to keep the fire between 220°F and 250°F so that you get maximum flavor without burning your tomatoes.
- Be sure to check on the tomatoes regularly throughout cooking time as they are prone to burn if left unattended.
- Use a stone baking tray if possible. Stone bakeware heats the tomatoes evenly and creates delicious crispy edges, moist interiors, and perfectly browned finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fire roasted tomatoes are a unique type of tomato that has been fire smoked in order to impart a flavorful smoky taste. This cooking method is different from regular tomatoes, which are typically cooked with heat but not fire-smoked.
Cooking the tomatoes this way will have a distinct charred flavor and aroma due to the wood chips used in the fire smoking process, while regular tomatoes do not. Additionally, these tomatoes tend to be slightly sweeter than their non-fire smoked counterparts due to the natural sugars released during the fire smoking process.
While fire-smoking does enhance the natural sweetness of Roma or plum tomatoes, it doesn’t necessarily make them spicy. The type of wood chips that you use for fire smoking will also impart subtle flavors that can range from sweet and nutty to lightly smoky. Fire- smoked tomatoes generally won’t be too spicy unless extra spices like chilli powder, chilli flakes or cayenne pepper are added.
Fire roasted tomatoes can keep for up to two weeks when stored properly in an airtight container, mason jar or bag in your refrigerator. This makes these tomatoes great for meal-prepping ahead of time, as they will stay fresh and flavorful throughout the week.
Additionally, fire smoking helps preserve the natural sugars of Roma or plum tomatoes which helps them stay fresher longer than regular cooked varieties. So if you’re looking for a convenient and flavorful way to enjoy fire smoked taste all week long, these tomatoes are definitely worth trying out!
Other Grilling Recipes
Make sure you try a few other recipes from the grill.
- Grilled Portabello Mushrooms with Goat Cheese
- Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
- The Ultimate Buffalo Burger
Fire Smoked Tomatoes (Homemade)
Equipment
- 1 Wood Chips oak, hickory
- 1 Smoker grill
Ingredients
- 8 large tomatoes sliced and seeded
- 2 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 Kosher salt and ground pepper
Optional
- 1 tbsp oregano dried or fresh
- 1 tsp pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped or dry
- 1 tbbsp basil fresh, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic
Instructions
- Depending on the type of smoker, soak wood chips in water for at least one hour.
- Preheat a smoker, grill, oven or fire pit to around 250°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and herbs of your choice until evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned tomatoes onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Grill until the tomatoes are charred, this should only take a few minutes. If you are using the oven method, roast for 45-50 minutes or until the edges of the tomatoes begin to brown.
- Remove the fire-smoked tomatoes from heat and let them cool before handlingPeel off any remaining skin on each tomato if desired.
- Serve as desired!
Notes
- Aim to keep the fire between 220°F and 250°F so that you get maximum flavor without burning your tomatoes.
- Be sure to check on the tomatoes regularly throughout cooking time as they are prone to burn if left unattended.
- Use a stone baking tray if possible. Stone bakeware heats the tomatoes evenly and creates delicious crispy edges, moist interiors, and perfectly browned finishes.
- Fire roasted tomatoes can keep for up to two weeks when stored properly in an airtight container, mason jar or bag in your refrigerator
