Smoked Tomatoes

Are you ready for some serious flavor? Smoked Tomatoes are meaty, juicy, flavorful, and with a kiss of smoke and concentrated flavors from cooking low-and-slow, I say move over sundried tomatoes and make room for Smoked Tomatoes! Want to see how these amazing tomatoes are made? Read on and I, Chef Jenn, will show you how to make them amazing every time!

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Smokers are a rare breed – we smoke everything just to see how it turns out. Smoking tomatoes, as it turns out, is amazing! My mind is awhirl with all the ideas of what I can do with smoked tomatoes. As it turns out, the first few batches got gobbled up too quickly! I will just have to make another batch!

What You Need to Make Smoked Tomatoes

• Traeger pellet smoker or another kind of smoker
• Hardwood pellets or your favorite pellet flavor
• Grill basket or pan
• Roma tomatoes – I pick firm, ripe tomatoes so they hold their shape while smoking.
• Olive oil – I use extra-virgin for flavor; neutral oils work as safe substitutes.
• Garlic – Fresh only! Jarlic won’t give the same bright flavor.
• Salt and pepper – Season to taste.

How To Make Smoked Tomatoes

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Preheat your Traeger pellet grill or smoker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and set it to 225°F (107°C).

Wash the tomatoes and remove the stem ends. Slice them in half, or cut larger tomatoes into thick slices for even smoking.

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the minced fresh garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.

Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a grill pan or smoker basket. Place them in the smoker and cook at 225°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

The tomatoes are done when they look slightly wrinkled from moisture evaporation and are tender but not mushy. Continue smoking longer if you prefer a deeper smoky flavor or a more concentrated texture.

Chef Jenn’s tips

It’s really quite hard to mess up smoking tomatoes, but here are a few tried and true tricks to help them turn out perfectly every time:

• Make sure your tomatoes are cut nice and thick. Thin slices can stick to the grill pan or can disintegrate when you try to move them
• Use a grill pan versus a solid bottom container to let the smoke circulate more easily
• Don’t over-season them. Let the tomato flavor shine through with just a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic. A touch of fresh rosemary or thyme are also nice additions
• Low and slow is the name of the game – don’t turn the heat up too high. 225-F is my favorite sweet spot for roasting tomatoes

How to Use Smoked Tomatoes

There are a million and one ways to use smoked tomatoes, and these are my favorite!

• On a slice of grilled bread with fresh mozzarella or ricotta
• Turned into salsa
• Turned into tomato sauce
• Added to chili
• On a charcuterie board – here’s how to make a charcuterie board

Let me know in the comments what your favorite ways are of using these tasty and smoky tomatoes!

Are Smoked Tomatoes Freezer Friendly?

Heck yes! You can freeze these tasty Traeger smoked tomatoes for a taste of summer in the middle of the winter. I like to use my vacuum sealer to keep them fresh.

Freeze them for 3-4 months, or you can keep them in the fridge for about a week. You can store them longer in the fridge if you pack them in olive oil. A tasty bonus is the olive oil will then be flavored with smoked tomatoes!