Smoked Tomatoes & Smoked Tomato Sauce

Things can't get any better than making Smoked Tomato Sauce from homemade Smoked Tomatoes. The sweetness of the tomatoes combined with the smokiness from the smoker is absolute perfection.

Tomatoes are versatile and easily add a load of flavor to your favorite dish. They do not need to be a side dish or an afterthought; they can also hold their own as the star of the plate.

Sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is one of my favorite appetizers.

I am happy with a lightly salted slice of tomato as well. However, there is something great about the flavor that emerges when you grill, roast, and even smoke your tomatoes.

Once you smoke your tomatoes, there are several different applications that you can use them in. From smoked tomato sauce to a juice, a gazpacho, a soup, or even as serving them as a side on their own with your steak and eggs, flavor-packed smoked tomatoes are one of my new favorites. It really doesn't get any easier than this.

What types of tomatoes can I smoke?

You can smoke any tomato, but the type depends on your application. If you have cherry tomatoes, then I would recommend placing them on a skewer or in a basket so you don't lose any through the grates. As the tomatoes cook, they do get tender and soft and can easily slide into the fiery abyss.

I smoked plum tomatoes and placed them on a piece of foil. I didn't want a ton of tomato juice dripping all over the smoker. I used the plum tomatoes with the plan of making tomato sauce from them.

The main thing to remember with the choice of tomato is how you are planning to serve them. If you want sliced tomatoes with a smokey flavor, then go with big fat tomatoes. If you want something that will char well and add to a salad, go with cherries. The choice is up to you.

How to make smoked tomatoes?

Step One: Rinse your tomatoes to ensure there are no bugs or dirt on them.

Step Two: Preheat your smoker to about 225° - 250°F. I actually did two batches simultaneously. One with my Weber Kettle, the other with my Traeger Ironwood, but you can use any smoker that you can maintain a good low/medium temperature on. I used charcoal with hickory wood chips in the Weber and hickory pellets in the Traeger.

Step Three: I placed a piece of foil on my grate so that the juices wouldn't drip and extinguish my coals or make a mess. Drippy tomato juicy runs much faster than hot fat. On the foil, I seasoned the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Step Four: Smoke the tomatoes until they are hot throughout and the outer skin breaks and cracks. For these plum tomatoes that took about two and a half hours.

Step Five: Remove from heat when the smoked tomatoes reach your desired doneness. After that, it is up to you on how you want to serve them or if you are incorporating them into a different dish or application.

How to make smoked tomato sauce?

We will continue with the next step to making the smoked pasta sauce after having smoked the tomatoes.

Step Six: You can treat these like you would if they were roasted tomatoes. Peel the skin off of the tomatoes. This only takes a few minutes because the smoke has lifted the skin nicely from the flesh.

Step Seven: Once the tomatoes are peeled, place them in a blender or food processor. Give it a few good pulses.

Step Eight: Season to taste. I added a few pinches of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Step Nine: Pour the sauce into a container or mason jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you want to save it longer for later use, you can put it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to six months, or you may want to can the smoked tomato sauce.

How to use smoked Tomato Sauce?

Use it as you would any of your other favorite tomato sauces. It goes great on homemade pizza, try it in this delicious Keto Meatball Casserole, or in your Smoked Lasagna or Grilled Chicken Parmesan. This is sure to take any of your tomato sauced based dishes to the next level!

What else can you put into smoked tomato sauce?

Fresh Herbs: You can easily add fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, or thyme.

Garlic: Garlic or even roasted garlic or smoked garlic would be amazing.

Chunky Vegetable Sauce: If you are looking for a hearty tomato sauce I would add a mix of grilled vegetables. I would suggest mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and onions.

Onions: Blend some roasted, sauteed, or smoked onions when you puree the sauce.

How can you can smoked tomatoes?

I love the idea of canning and preserving food from when it is in season for a later time to be enjoyed. Canning is a great way to achieve that. Here is a great step-by-step way to can your smoked tomatoes. Click here to learn how to can your tomatoes.

What to make with smoked tomatoes?

I said these were versatile, you can serve them with any of your favorite meals, and they give a beautiful pop of color to the plate. I recommend serving them whole or halved a side with Pellet Grill Steak, Smoked Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Sausage, or once cooled, incorporate them into your favorite salsa.

And make sure to try these Keto Stuffed Tomatoes next!