Recipes › Beefsteak Tomato › Slow-Roasted Beefsteak Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Slow-Roasted Beefsteak Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Beefsteak tomatoes halved and roasted low and slow until they concentrate into intensely flavoured, jammy rounds bathed in garlicky, herb-scented olive oil. The process takes two hours but is entirely hands-off, and the result is a pantry powerhouse that makes everything it touches better. Use them on pasta, bruschetta, pizza, salads, or straight from the pan with good bread.
Beefsteak Tomato is usually ready May to June. More beefsteak tomato recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 4 large beefsteak tomatoes, halved through the equator
- ½ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 6 sprigs fresh thymeRosemary or oregano work
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 275°F. Arrange tomato halves cut-side up in a single layer in a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Nestle garlic cloves and thyme sprigs among the tomatoes.About 5 min
- Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. The sugar helps caramelisation without making them sweet.About 3 min
- Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours until the tomatoes are collapsed, wrinkled at the edges, and deeply concentrated but still moist. The oil in the pan should be fragrant and tinted red. Remove and cool slightly before serving.About 120 min
Tips
- Go low and slow — higher heat steams the tomatoes instead of concentrating them.
- The roasted garlic becomes meltingly soft and sweet; spread it on bread alongside the tomatoes.
- Store covered in their oil in the fridge for up to 10 days — the oil becomes a wonderful condiment too.
Ring the changes
- Add a few anchovy fillets to the oil before roasting for a deeply savoury result.
- Use a mix of beefsteak and cherry tomatoes for a variety of textures.
Keeping it
Store tomatoes covered in their olive oil in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Freeze without the oil for up to 3 months.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
Hollowed-out beefsteak tomatoes packed with a savory filling of ground beef, rice, onion, and herbs, then baked until the tomatoes are tender and the tops are golden. This is a classic American summer dinner that makes the most of garden-fresh tomatoes. The tomato shell infuses the filling with its sweet juice as it bakes.
1 h · medium · Beefsteak TomatoThick slices of peak-summer beefsteak tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and basil, finished with good olive oil and flaky salt. This salad is a celebration of the tomato at its finest — nothing more, nothing less. The key is using tomatoes that are fully ripe and at room temperature.
10 min · easy · Beefsteak Tomato
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 5 April 2026.