Marinated Tomatoes
Updated Mar 09, 2025, Published Aug 30, 2023
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This mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes recipe is an easy summer side dish that’s perfect with anything you’re serving. The harmonious blend of aromatic herbs, tangy red wine vinegar, and a touch of sweetness from brown sugar makes this recipe irresistible!
“Delicious. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
If you love tomatoes the way I do, you’ll put this recipe on repeat!
With aromatic herbs, tangy red wine vinegar, and a touch of sweetness from dark brown sugar, this tantalizing marinated tomato salad is a delicious way to enjoy summer tomatoes.
This marinated tomato recipe is:
- Super simple.
- Crave-worthy.
- Make-ahead.
- A great way to elevate the flavor of out-of-season tomatoes!
How to Make Marinated Tomatoes:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this marinated tomato recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Tomatoes: This marinated tomato recipe is perfect for tomato varieties that are more fleshy, like plum (Roma) tomatoes, cherry or grape tomatoes, or the “tomatoes-on-the-vine” because they hold up better in the refrigerator. But don’t let that stop you from using big, juicy sliced tomatoes such as Beefsteak.
- Fresh Herbs: Use fresh parsley, basil, and thyme. I don’t recommend dried herbs.
- Scallions: Use a small shallot if you don’t have scallions. You want the flavor of the tomatoes to shine through and not be overpowered by onions.
- Hot Sauce: I used Louisiana Original Hot Sauce for a mild, spicy Creole kick.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light brown sugar for a richer, more complex flavor.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is fermented red wine. Bacteria and oxygen are introduced to red wine to transform it into acetic acid, which gives vinegar its distinctive tangy flavor. After fermentation, the vinegar is diluted to achieve approximately 5% acidity. Pompeiian is a reliable brand.
- The Oils: I always use extra-virgin olive oil in my cooking because it’s the first pressing of the olives and the most intensely flavored. However, that also means extra-virgin olive oil can also be a bit intense, so I combine it with a more neutral oil like canola in this marinated tomatoes recipe. You can also use vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed oil.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Cut the tomatoes into 6 to 8 wedges each.
- Place in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk together olive oil, canola oil, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, dark brown sugar, garlic and salt, and black pepper to taste in a small mixing bowl for the tomato marinade.
- Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and gently stir.
- Add the scallions, parsley, and thyme. Stir again.
- Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Stir from the bottom up before serving.
- Sprinkle with sliced fresh basil just before serving.
- Enjoy!
- Some crusty bread on the side to mop up the delicious, tangy marinade means the best lunch ever!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- To marinate larger tomatoes such as Beefsteak, slice instead of cutting into wedges. Place in a baking dish, then pour the dressing over the tomatoes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Waste not! Save the lovely dressing that’s left over from this marinated tomato salad recipe and marinate chicken or fish in it for grilling. It’s also great drizzled over a green salad.
Recipe FAQs:
If you’re like me and love tomatoes even when they’re not in season, this marinated tomato recipe is perfect! It will make even supermarket out-of-season tomatoes taste great!
This recipe is best the day it’s made, but the tomatoes will still be flavorful two days later.
Storage:
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serve with:
- Crusty bread!
- Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops
- Maryland Crab Cakes
More great tomato recipes you’ll love!
- Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
- Oven-Roasted Tomatoes (Tomato Confit)
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Burrata Caprese Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Get all my side salad recipes at Side Salads – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Marinated Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to tolerance
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 medium round tomatoes, cut into 6-8 wedges
- 2 large scallions, white and light green part only, halved and sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 large sprig fresh basil, leaves removed, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, canola oil, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, dark brown sugar, garlic and salt, and black pepper to taste in a small mixing bowl.
- Place tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and gently stir.
- Add the scallions, parsley, and thyme. Stir again.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Stir from the bottom up just before serving then sprinkle with sliced fresh basil.
Notes
- You can also use vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed oil.
- To marinate larger tomatoes such as beefsteak, slice instead of cut them into wedges. Place in a baking dish, then pour the dressing over the tomatoes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Save the leftover dressing and marinate chicken or fish for grilling. It’s also great drizzled over a green salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Can’t rave about this enough. Doubled the marinade for garden tomatoes and to marinade the raw chicken in. Made it with pesto zoodles. Perfection for the second summer in a row! Thanks, Carol!!
Hi, Megan, So nice to hear from you!! So happy you love this recipe. Really appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate. Hope all went well with your Mom & Dad’s move out there! Thanks again!
Can you recommend a crusty bread other than a baguette to have with this? I made your cherry tomato pasta, and we never finish a baguette. Anything else?
Hi, Kat, Thanks so much for your question. If you have a Kroger or one of their other banner stores in your area, look for the La Brea twin pack of Take and Bake loaves; they’re half the size of a full baguette. We buy them frequently and I just freeze the one we don’t use. La Brea also makes Take and Bake French dinner rolls. If you’re a two-person household, it can be difficult to find smaller loaves. Perhaps ciabatta? Thanks again and hope this helps!
I LIKE tomatoes but don’t usually LOVE to eat them on their own. I could not stop eating these; they were amazing. Hint of sweetness and fresh flavors. We thought you could add shrimp and avocado if you wanted to make it into a meal. But I will be making it as is forever.
Hi, Kathleen, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed!! Yes, this recipe is definitely versatile. Thanks again!!
Delicious. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. We ate them as a side dish tonight and it was a unanimous “you can make these again”. I think they’d also be delicious on a salad or pasta. Thank you, Carol – this is definitely a keeper!
Hi, Barb, Thanks so very much and so happy everyone enjoyed!! I put the last few tomatoes on some lettuce and didn’t need extra dressing, so definitely! Thanks again!