A Foodcentric Life

  • Memorial Day
  • Meet Sally
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Memorial Day
  • Meet Sally
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Memorial Day
    • Meet Sally
    • Recipe Index
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dressings and Condiments

    Garlic Roasted Tomatoes with Thyme

    Published: Sep 8, 2023 · Modified: May 7, 2025 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    262 shares
    A bowl of colorful oven roasted tomatoes with thyme leaves and golden crostini.
    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Sweet, jammy, and full of rich, garlicky flavor, these easy garlic roasted tomatoes with thyme are a summer staple. Just toss cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, then roast until caramelized and bursting with flavor. Ready in about 30 minutes, they're incredibly versatile—perfect for tossing with pasta, piling on toast, or spooning over grilled meats. Once you make a batch, you'll want them on hand all season long. Scroll down for 10 delicious ways to use them.

    A bowl of colorful oven roasted tomatoes with thyme leaves and golden crostini.

    Roasting transforms tomatoes from bright and juicy to deep, jammy, and intensely flavorful. The heat concentrates their natural sweetness, while garlic, olive oil, and plenty of fresh thyme infuse every bite with rich, savory depth. It’s one of the simplest—and most delicious—ways to use sweet summer tomatoes, and once you try garlic roasted tomatoes you'll never look at raw tomatoes the same way again.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Like This Recipe
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Recipe Instructions
    • 10 Ways to Use Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Easy Summer Recipes
    • ⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why You'll Like This Recipe

    • Perfect for tomato season – A simple way to use cherry or grape tomatoes at their peak.
    • Big flavor, minimal effort – Just olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
    • Versatile – Toss with pasta, spoon over toast, add to bowls or salads.
    • Freezer-friendly – Make a big batch and save some for winter.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Simple ingredients for simply fantastic flavor-filled garlic roasted tomatoes.

    Ingredients for roasted cherry tomatoes on the counter in glass bowls.
    • Tomatoes – Cherry and grape tomatoes are ideal for roasting; they caramelize beautifully and hold their shape. Roma (plum) tomatoes work too, but may require a longer roast time. Always choose ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
    • Olive Oil – Use a good-quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil to coat the tomatoes and help them roast evenly.
    • Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves are best. Use a microplane to grate the garlic finely so it melts into the mixture without any sharp bites.
    • Herbs – Fresh thyme is my go-to, but rosemary works well too.

    Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt, and black pepper.

    For more tomato recipes try this roasted tomato sauce or this tomato chutney recipe.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • For a South of France twist, add a teaspoon of dried Herbs de Provence to the mix.
    • No fresh herbs? Use ⅓ the amount of dried herbs, or about 2 teaspoons. Add the dried herbs to the olive oil and let them stand for a bit to soften and rehydrate before mixing.
    • Use mixed colored tomatoes like yellow, red, orange, and purple.

    Recipe Instructions

    Line a half sheet baking tray with parchment or foil to start, then prep your ingredients. Note: smaller tomatoes roast faster so watch your timing.

    Cutting cherry tomatoes in half for roasting on cutting board.
    Step 1: Halve the tomatoes.
    Chopping fresh thyme leaves on a cutting board.
    Step 2: Chop the thyme leaves.
    Zesting garlic fine into a bowl of cherry tomatoes for roasting.
    Step 3: Add thyme, finely chop or zest garlic, add oil, salt.
    A glass bowl filled with colorful cherry tomatoes tossed with herbs and garlic.
    Step 4: Mix gently.
    A baking tray of fresh cherry tomatoes ready for the oven.
    Step 5: Arrange tomatoes cut side up on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined sheet pan in a single layer and roast.
    Cherry tomatoes after roasting on baking tray, browned and jammy.

    Chef's Tip: Baking parchment paper is an indispensable kitchen tool. Find it at the grocery store in rolls or buy packages of pre-cut sheets at cooking stores and online. Use the heavier rolled parchment for making chicken baked in parchment and the thinner pre-cut sheets to line baking sheets for recipe such as these roasted cherry tomatoes.

    10 Ways to Use Garlic Roasted Tomatoes

    What dishes can I use garlic roasted tomatoes in? Here are 10 things to do:

    • Top roasted halibut or any grilled fish for a rich, savory finish
    • Add flavor to boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a spoonful on top
    • Stir into risotto or quinoa for a burst of color and richness
    • Stuff into portobello mushrooms with goat cheese for a meatless main or appetizer
    • Spread on toasted baguette with soft goat cheese and finish with balsamic or Parmesan
    • Toss with pasta and zucchini noodles for an easy, elegant meal
    • Spoon into omelets or use as an omelet filling for a savory upgrade
    • Top green beans or roasted asparagus with a few spoonfuls for a colorful side
    • Use as a pizza topping with mozzarella and fresh basil
    • Swap them for bell peppers in this summer corn succotash recipe.

    Garlic roasted tomatoes will last a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container or freeze in a flat layer in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Be sure to label and date.

    Zucchini noodles with roasted tomatoes in a bowl.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I roast different types of tomatoes?

    Yes, you can roast different types of tomatoes. Choose tomatoes that are of uniform size for even roasting. The larger the tomatoes and the juicier they are, the longer it will take. Cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes work very well.

    What's the best temperature and cooking time for garlic roasted tomatoes?

    I've found that the best temperature for oven roasted tomatoes is between 375°F and 400°F. Factors in timing include the size of the tomatoes, the juiciness of the tomatoes, and whether you are using convection mode or standard mode in your oven. Check them as they roast and follow your nose. When you smell them they are likely done or close to being done. Check them at 20 minutes (for cherry and grape varieties) and go from there depending on how jammy you want the tomatoes.

    What dishes can I use garlic roasted tomatoes in?

    Here are 10 ways to use oven roasted tomatoes. 1) Toss with pasta 2) Fold into and omelet or serve with scrambled eggs 3) Stuff portobello mushroom caps (sans gills) with goat cheese and oven roasted tomatoes 4) Serve over roasted or grilled vegetables such as asparagus or zucchini 5) Stir into Risotto or rice 6) Spread on crisp crostini as an appetizer 7) Top a pizza 8) Top baked or roasted fish like salmon, halibut or cod. 9) Give delicious life to plain boneless skinless chicken breasts 10) Swap them for fresh tomatoes in many dishes for more depth of tomato flavor.

    What's the difference between oven roasted tomatoes and dried tomatoes?

    The short answer is temperature and timing. Oven roasted tomatoes are usually baked at temperatures between 375°F - 400°F for around 25 minutes depending on the size of the tomatoes. Oven-dried tomatoes are baked or dried at a very low temperatures such as 250°F for much longer times, often a couple of hours. And the results are different too; different texture and flavor. Both delicious and super usable in tons of recipes.

    More Easy Summer Recipes

    While summer is still here, try these terrific summer recipes or check out the Labor Day recipe ideas category.

    • Cast iron pan of cheesy queso dip with cilantro, tortilla chips, and jalapeno garnish.
      Smoked Queso Dip with Real Cheese
    • A piece of golden baked breakfast casserole with eggs on a plate with a fork and dollop of sour cream on top.
      Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole Recipe
    • Small bowl of homemade everything but the bagel seasoning with seeds, garlic, and onion.
      Homemade Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
    • Banana muffins studded with mini chocolate chips wrapped in muffin papers.
      Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (gluten-and dairy-free)

    ⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?

    If you make garlic roasted tomatoes, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.

    📖 Recipe

    A white bowl of red and gold roasted cherry tomatoes with fresh thyme leaves.

    Garlic Roasted Tomatoes

    Sally Cameron
    While cherry tomatoes are at their summer peak, roast some with herbs, garlic and olive oil. See recipe notes for the many ways to use them. Servings vary with how you are using them.
    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, condiment, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 45 kcal

    Equipment

    • Half sheet baking pan
    • Parchment paper or use foil

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ pounds organic sweet cherry or grape tomatoes halved
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2-3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 pinches fresh black pepper

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Toss halved tomatoes with oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread tomatoes on the baking sheet cut side up and roast for about 25 minutes until shriveled and edges are just starting to turn a bit brown.
      Timing will depend on your oven, how juicy the tomatoes are, and whether you use convection mode or standard mode. Follow your nose; when you smell them they are probably done. If your tomatoes are super juicy it will likely take longer (so be patient).
    • Serve warm, room temperature, or cool. They will keep a week in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    For a South-of-France flavor, add a teaspoon of Herbs de Provence. It's a classic French blend that includes French thyme, savory, fennel, rosemary, marjoram, basil, lavender and tarragon. Find it at most markets or herb and spice stores. 
    How to Use Roasted Tomatoes
    • Serve with crostini alone or spread with soft goat cheese.
    • Stuff portobello mushrooms. 
    • Top a pizza.
    • Toss with pasta.
    • Fill an omelet or serve beside scrambled eggs.
    • Fold into risotto or rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 110mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 665IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment and leave a star rating!

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.

    « Tabouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh)
    Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers »
    262 shares

    Comments

    1. Leisa says

      June 24, 2017 at 6:55 am

      Can these be frozen? I have a bountiful garden this year.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        June 26, 2017 at 11:21 am

        Lucky you on a bountiful garden! I've never tried freezing them Leisa so I am not sure. If you try it out, please report back and let everyone know how it works out. Thanks.

        Reply
    2. La Torontoise says

      November 11, 2016 at 7:13 am

      Sally, love this recipe and do it with French herbs. Regarding the lavander: I spend a lot of time in the South of France and there the local lavander is extremely strong. two teaspoons would be so aromatic that would feel like adding strong soup. So, I went with maybe 2/3 of a spoon, and the lavander's presence was still extraordinary: -)

      Reply
    3. Denise says

      August 30, 2016 at 4:09 am

      Fabulous recipe! It looks so delicious! I will have a mix of vegetables roasted and herbs.

      Reply
    4. LJ says

      February 28, 2015 at 4:49 am

      The aroma of these tomatoes in the oven brought the family to the kitchen asking "what smells soooo good?" So yummy! Bought more tomatoes to make them again. Thanks, Sally.

      Reply
    5. sogna says

      August 01, 2012 at 8:45 am

      That sounded soo good that I tried them for our next BBQ. I really loved them. Do you maybe have other recipes for grilled vegetables, like eggplant or zucchini ?
      I just have a question: the 357 degrees are in Fahrenheit , right? Cause I'm from Germany and wondered how did you manage to pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees 🙂

      Reply
      • Sally says

        August 01, 2012 at 9:36 pm

        Although I make them often in summer, I have not done any other posts on grilled vegetables. I've been thinking about doing so. I love grilled zucchini in particular. Although I am not a big eggplant fan, I do like it sliced thin, coated with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic then grilled. You can then dice it up and toss with pasta and fresh herbs for a nice vegetarian dinner. If I have my numbers correct, 375 F is 190 C. Does that work for you in Germany? Thanks for reading and commenting!

        Reply
        • sogna says

          August 08, 2012 at 11:28 am

          ah so I did it right 190 C 🙂 Thanks for your reply and I will definitely try the zucchini out! Maybe also interesting for you I made sth a friend told me. Sliced Zucchini and eggplant grilled a little bit in pan and put one over each other down in Reynolds Wrap with feta cheese between, topped with dried tomato and roasted sunflower seeds on the grill. It was really delicious.

    6. Deborah says

      July 11, 2012 at 11:43 am

      Sally, thank you for the great recipe. I love your oven-roasted tomatoes with thyme and find myself making them every few days. This dish is now a staple in my refrigerator. You've even inspired me to consider this -
      http://thebarelynakeddiary.blogspot.com/2012/07/second-thyme-around.html

      Reply
      • Sally says

        July 11, 2012 at 1:17 pm

        Thanks Deborah. You can do lots of things with them. Pile on crostini with goat cheese, toss with pasta, or pasta and other vegetables, pile on roast halibut, and heres the recipe for my roast halibut. https://afoodcentriclife.com/roast-halibut-with-roast-baby-tomatoes/. Glad you are enjoying them.

        Reply
    7. Michelle K says

      June 05, 2012 at 8:13 am

      I am very curious to try this with grapeseed tomatoes. They are one of my favorites to eat raw, so I'm excited to learn they will cook fine. In the past when i have tried to BBQ them or cook them in other ways, I have not had good luck, the skin got too hard and was not a good texture for eating. Hubby didn't seem to like them cooked - at least the way I cooked them. I don't like peeling tomatoes to cook them, and these are too small to try for me anyway! Any hints, let me know and thank you for the great recipe.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        June 05, 2012 at 8:52 am

        Michelle - grapeseed tomatoes are what I always use for my oven roasted tomatoes. Halve them, toss with the oil, garlic and thyme. Roast on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. for a single batch I use a quarter sheet. For a double batch I use a half sheet. They only take 20-25 minutes in the oven. The result is sweet, soft, rich tomatoes you can do lots of things with. For ideas, look at the tomatoes post. Great in Risotto or spread on toasted crostini with a little cheese! Really versatile thing to have in the refrigerator.

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Chef Sally Cameron of aFoodcentricLife.com in her kitchen.

    Welcome! I'm Sally, a professionally trained chef, former personal chef and caterer, lover of fresh healthy food, and sharing it with others.

    More about me →

    Memorial Day Recipes

    • Gluten-free brownies with melted chocolate in a square pan after baking.
      Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies

    • Grilled chicken kabobs glazed with hoisin sauce on a baking sheet.
      Hoisin Chicken Skewers

    • Watermelon salad ready to serve with cucumber, feta, basil, shallots.
      Easy Watermelon Basil Salad with Feta Cheese

    • White shallow bowl stilled with green cabbage coleslaw, carrots, and parsley with a light dressing.
      Simple Easy Coleslaw Recipe

    • Oven baby back ribs glazed with rich brown hoisin sauce.
      Baby Back Ribs in the Oven

    • lemon ice cream
      Homemade Lemon Custard Ice Cream

    More Recipe Ideas

    • Smoked salsa in a tall jar and a small serving glass cup with corn chips
      Easy Smoked Salsa (pellet grill recipe)

    • Gluten-free pasta salad with tomatoes, cucumber, pine nuts, herbs, and more.
      Lemony Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe

    • greek salad
      Tossed Greek Green Salad

    • A single layer sweet cherry cake with golden top on white plate.
      Easy One-Pan Fresh Cherry Cake

    Footer

    as seen on

    Logos of Featured Publications

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and recipes.

    Menu

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 aFoodcentricLife.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.