This cherry tomato confit recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, rewarding and delicious. And best of all, it takes less than 10 minutes of active time! Your oven does the rest of the work! Enjoy with toast, on pasta, on grain bowls and charcuterie board.

If you’re looking for more cherry tomato recipes, check out my popular Burrata  CapreseBurrata Bruschetta, Cherry Tomato SalsaRoasted Cherry Tomato Sauce and Pickled Cherry Tomatoes.

Slow baked cherry tomatoes with garlic and herbs in olive oil.

So you went a little overboard at the farmer’s market and purchased too many cherry tomatoes! Or maybe your garden is working overtime and you have cherry tomatoes coming out of your ears this tomato season!

Check out my essential Cherry Tomato Recipes post for more ideas on how to use whole cherry tomatoes.  

What is Confit?

Confit is a traditional culinary technique that involves slowly cooking food in fat at a low temperature. The French term “confit” comes from the verb “confire,” which means “to preserve.” This method was originally used as a way to preserve meats before refrigeration was available.

The most famous confit dish is canard confit, or duck confit cooked in its own fat.

A jar of confit cherry tomatoes on a board.

The same technique can be adapted and applied to other ingredients, namely garlic cloves and tomatoes. This recipe does just that! You will also find this recipe and cooking method applied to garlic confit in my book, Seed to Table.

Ingredients

When my garden is pumping out cherry tomatoes and I can’t keep up with enjoying them fresh, I make this recipe on repeat. It might just be my favorite way to extend their life and transform them into something magical.

Cherry tomato confit recipe ingredients with individual labels on a board.
  • Fresh Tomatoes: This recipe calls for ripe cherry tomatoes. You can use any color or size, but they should be quite small (cherry or grape tomatoes). The recipe does not work with large tomatoes. The goal is here to cook these cherry tomatoes low and slow so that they don’t necessarily burst. If you were to use large tomatoes, you would have to cut them up, which would defeat the purpose. If you have larger plum tomatoes on hand, try my Roasted Tomato Sauce and Marinated Tomatoes recipes.
  • Fresh Garlic: Tomatoes and garlic are a match made in heaven. I am using whole heads of garlic that I have cut horizontally. You can just scatter some peeled garlic cloves in the baking dish if you prefer.
  • Lemon Peel: An optional ingredient, but I like the bitter flavor it imparts on the finished dish.
  • Fresh Herbs: This cherry tomato confit will bake low and slow for a long time, so I recommend baking with woody herbs like fresh sage, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. You can use dried herbs if that’s all you have.
  • Olive oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Yes, the recipe does call for a lot of oil, but think about what you can do with the oil. Add it to marinades, salad dressings and vinegarettes. Drizzle it over bread. Lots of possibilities!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Confit Cherry Tomatoes

This is a straightforward and simple recipe. And best of all, it’s mostly hands-off!

Cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs and lemon peels smothered in olive oil in a baking dish.

Step 1. Prepare. Preheat your oven to 250F/120C. To a roasting dish, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic heads, herbs, lemon peels, olive oil, a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Keep everything in a single layer. If you find that your ingredients are overlapping on top of each other, use a larger roasting dish.

Cherry tomato confit with garlic and herbs in olive oil.

Step 2. Roast. Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and slow roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once the cherry tomatoes are soft, but not busting, cool to room temperature and transfer to a mason jar.

How to Use Confit Cherry Tomatoes

There are several ways to enjoy these delicious, busting-with-flavor cherry tomatoes:

Toast topped with ricotta cheese, confit cherry tomatoes an fresh basil on a plate.

The leftover olive oil can be used in marinades, salad dressings, vinegarettes, as a dip for fresh bread.

Expert Tips

  • Fresh is best! Use summer fresh cherry tomatoes that you have grown yourself or purchased at the farmer’s market. This recipe can be made any time during the year, but it’s truly spectacular in the summer harvest season. For more ideas and additional recipes on how to use cherry tomatoes, check out my Cherry Tomato Recipes post.  
  • Use a ceramic or glass baking dish. Don’t use a metal baking sheet or tray for this recipe. If you must use a metal tray, I recommend lining it with parchment paper.
  • Do you have to submerge the cherry tomatoes? Some cooks will recommend that you submerge the cherry tomatoes entirely in olive oil. To that, I say: In this economy? You most definitely do not need to submerge them fully. But you should still use enough oil to help with the slow roasting process.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this confit cherry tomato recipe in advance?

Yes, this is a great make-ahead recipe. Make it up to 3 days ahead of time. Make sure to store the cooled confit tomatoes in an airtight glass container (a mason jar works well) in the refrigerator.

What is the best way to store leftover cherry tomato confit?

In a glass airtight container (like a Mason or Weck jar) in the fridge. Use within 7 days.

Can I freeze cherry tomato confit?

Absolutely, freeze cherry tomato confit in freezer-save glass mason jars (wide-mouth jars are ideal for freezing). Use within 6 months.

If you make this Cherry Tomato Confit recipe or any other Appetizer on Urban Farm and Kitchen, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe.

For more Urban Farm and Kitchen, follow along on InstagramFacebook, and Pinterest, visit the Urban Farm Shop, or subscribe for new posts via email.

5 from 1 vote

Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic Recipe

This cherry tomato confit recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, rewarding and delicious. And best of all, it takes less than 10 minutes of active time! Your oven does the rest of the work! Enjoy with toast, on pasta, on grain bowls and charcuterie board.
Servings: 6 servings
Slow baked cherry tomatoes with garlic and herbs in olive oil.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Equipment

  • Rimmed baking dish

Ingredients 

  • 2 pints Ripe cherry tomatoes
  • 1-2 Garlic bulbs – Cut in half or cloves separated
  • A few sprigs of fresh herbs – Rosemary, thyme and/or sage
  • Peel of one lemon
  • ¾-1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt, flakey salt or sea salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions 

  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 250F/120C. To a roasting dish, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic heads, herbs, lemon peels, olive oil, a big pinch of flaky salt and black pepper. Keep everything in a single layer. If you find that your ingredients are overlapping on top of each other, use a larger roasting dish.
  • Roast. Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and slow roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once the cherry tomatoes are soft, but not busting, cool to room temperature and transfer to a mason jar.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.
Ingredient notes:
  • Fresh Tomatoes: This recipe calls for cherry tomatoes. You can use any color or size, but they should be quite small. The goal is here to cook these cherry tomatoes low and slow so that they don’t necessarily burst.
  • Fresh Garlic: Tomatoes and garlic are a match made in heaven. I am using whole heads of garlic that I have cut horizontally. You can just scatter some peeled garlic cloves in the baking dish if you prefer.
  • Lemon Peel: An optional ingredient, but I like the bitter flavor it imparts on the finished dish.
  • Fresh Herbs: This cherry tomato confit will bake low and slow for a long time, so I recommend baking with woody herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme.
  • Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil for this recipe. Yes, the recipe does call for a lot of oil, but think about what you can do with the oil. Add it to marinades, salad dressings and vinegarettes. Drizzle it over bread. Lots of possibilities!
 
Other additions: balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, sliced onions or chili peppers. Tender herbs like fresh basil can be added at the end of the cooking process.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 20g, Sodium: 18mg, Potassium: 346mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 771IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

iconLike this recipe? Rate & comment below!

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

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

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. Linda says:

    How long will these keep in the refrigerator?

    1. Luay Ghafari says:

      The FAQ above covers this. Should keep for 7 days but you can freeze it too.