Fire roasted tomatoes add smoky flavor to anything you make with them. Make this easy recipe; it’s the perfect replacement for canned tomatoes!

Anything you like to make with canned tomatoes can be made using fire roasted tomatoes as a substitute.

Even if your recipe calls for diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, all you’ll need to do is make this recipe and then dice or crush the tomatoes according to your need. It’s beyond simple and doesn’t take more than a few minutes to prep them for the oven.

The depth of flavor of grill or oven roasted tomatoes is one that really cannot be compared to anything else. They have bits of char on them that add texture as well as flavor.

Benefits of Making Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Aside from fresher flavor, there are some great reasons for roasting tomatoes yourself. Here are a couple of 5-star ratings from KIC readers, with their comments on why they love this recipe:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I have an abundance of fresh summer tomatoes and I have been looking for a way to use them up. I am so making these soon! I will eat them as a snack or use them on pasta.” ~ Jacques

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Many people don’t know that when you buy canned tomatoes, you are ingesting metal from the can. Acids in tomatoes cause the aluminum to leech. I LOVE that I don’t have to worry about that anymore!” ~ Don

Video: Fire Roasting Tomatoes

To see this recipe in action, watch the video located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cooking methods: Grill or Oven

You can cook the fire roasted tomatoes on a grill or, if you don’t have a grill, roast them in an oven.

Using a grill is the quickest way to make them; they roast to perfection on a grill in about 10 minutes.

If you need to use an oven, it will take about 40 minutes for them to roast. I typically add water to the pan to avoid any excessive smoke.

Flavor Variations

When you shop for cans of fire roasted tomatoes, you’ll notice that they are usually available as Italian or Mexican-style. All that entails is adding seasonings to the tomatoes before roasting.

Those two flavors are the most common, so if you want to recreate them at home, here are the seasonings you’ll need.

Italian-Style Fire Roasted Tomatoes

• fresh rosemary sprigs
• garlic cloves

Mexican-Style Fire Roasted Tomatoes

• Mexican oregano
• chili powder

You can use any type of seasoning blend that you want, but to prevent the herbs and spices from burning, you’ll want to watch them closely. Another tip is to place the seasonings onto a grill pan or sheet pan and then place the tomatoes on top of them. This will help to protect them from the heat and flames.

Storage and Shelf Life

After roasting the tomatoes, allow them to cool completely. If you won’t be serving them right away, place them into a mason jar or other type of glass container with a lid. Then, cover them with olive oil and store in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that homemade fire roasted tomatoes have no preservatives. So, for the best flavor, use them up within a week or two or transfer them to a freezer-safe, airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Uses for Fire Roasted Tomatoes

These tomatoes are beyond fantastic in just about anything you can imagine. Here are just a few of the endless possibilities:

• pasta sauce – Use roasted tomatoes in place of regular canned tomatoes when you make spaghetti sauce.
• chili or soup – They’re especially delicious in Mexican or Tex Mex cuisine, like chile con carne.
• breakfast – place them in an omelet or on top of huevos rancheros.
• sandwiches – add them to a patty melt or grilled cheese sandwich
• garnishes and recipe add-ins – One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is stirred into a serving of smoked mac and cheese!
• Salsa- Of course, my favorite way to use them is for roasted tomato salsa

Or, if you simply can’t wait to use them in a recipe, enjoy them straight off of the grill on a bed of baby spinach. The warm tomatoes will wilt the spinach slightly, creating the PERFECT salad!

This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking July 20, 2020, was last updated with new content on Aug 19, 2021.