Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
If you like Caprese salad, you’re going to love these Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil! Ready in 15 minutes, this recipe is so easy. I layer juicy, tender baked tomatoes with creamy melted mozzarella and fresh basil, so you get a refreshing taste of summer sunshine in every bite. Enjoy for lunch, as an appetizer, or as a side with your favorite protein.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, kosher salt
- Why You'll Love It: If you like Caprese salad, you're going to love this quick, easy, and refreshingly delicious baked tomatoes with mozzarella and basil recipe.
Summer’s Best Bite in Just 15 Minutes
These baked tomatoes with mozzarella and basil are just about the easiest things you’ll ever make. The minute those tomatoes start coming in for the season, this is the first recipe I reach for!
I like to call them tomato mozzarella melts, but heck, it doesn’t matter what you call them. All you need to know is how good fresh, juicy baked tomatoes taste when topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a sprinkle of basil. It’s refreshing, delicious, and the perfect dish to enjoy this summer.
I make these baked tomatoes with mozzarella as a side dish with supper sometimes, but I also like them as an evening snack or a quick lunch when it’s just me here. They’re super easy, fuss-free, and done in no time at all. Best yet, if you have a garden, chances are most of the ingredients are right outside your door!
Reader Review
“Thank you so much for this recipe, it was delicious! I had a bunch of Roma tomatoes that needed to be used up soon, so I used them in this recipe and was not at all disappointed. It was so simple, too!” – Whitney
Recipe Ingredients
- Tomatoes (I’m using Roma tomatoes, but you can use garden tomatoes if you like)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (or shredded mozzarella if that is what you have)
- Dried or fresh basil
- Kosher salt (table salt works too!)
Customize Your Baked Tomatoes
Don’t feel like you need to stick to exactly what I use – this recipe is super flexible! Try mixing shredded mozzarella with grated parmesan, or swap it out for gruyere or fontina. Both melt nicely over roasted tomatoes. Instead of fresh basil, you could always spread a layer of basil pesto before adding the cheese. And for extra flavor, sprinkle on some oregano or Italian seasoning. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar or olive oil before baking would also be fantastic!
How to Make Easy Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
1. Prep the Tomatoes
To start, slice your tomatoes in half and place them on a metal baking sheet or cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with kosher salt.
Pro tip: If using Roma tomatoes, slice them in half lengthwise. If using garden tomatoes, slice them ½ to ¾-inch thick.
2. Broil Tomatoes
Place your tomatoes under the broiler on high and cook for anywhere from 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. I like to cook mine until the skin lightly wrinkles, but you can cook them just long enough to heat through if you like.
3. Assemble & Serve
Remove tomatoes from the oven and immediately top with slices of fresh mozzarella, then the bits of torn basil.
If you like, return them to the oven for 2-4 more minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm.
That’s it! Told you this baked tomatoes recipe was ridiculously easy. Enjoy!
Top Tips for Success
- I always pat my tomatoes dry with a paper towel before seasoning them, as it helps the salt and toppings stick better and prevents things from getting too watery.
- Keep a close eye on your tomatoes under the broiler! Every oven is different, and they can go from perfectly blistered to burnt real quick.
- I like to tear the mozzarella by hand rather than slicing it. It melts more evenly and gives it that rustic look.
- If your tomatoes are extra juicy, tilt the baking sheet slightly when removing it from the oven to drain off any excess liquid before serving.
- Room-temperature mozzarella melts much faster and more evenly than cold mozzarella straight from the fridge, so it’s worth the extra few minutes!
Storage
This is one of those recipes where you can adjust the quantities based on how many you want to make, so storage isn’t necessary. It makes a perfect lunch for one, or I tend to make two slices per person when entertaining or serving as a side dish.
Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil FAQs
If you’d rather not cook them under the broiler as I do, you can just put them in a 500°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Watch for the skin to lightly wrinkle and the cheese to turn golden and bubbly. I always keep a close eye on them under the broiler since things can go from perfectly golden to burnt pretty quickly!
If you want to serve your baked tomatoes as a side dish, they go very well with an Italian-inspired main dish like skillet lasagna, crockpot spaghetti, Italian sausage soup, and pizza rolls.
Your turn! Rate this recipe and let me know how it went in the comments. I’m always here and love chatting with you all!
Ingredients
- Tomatoes **
- Fresh mozzarella sliced
- Fresh basil torn (or dried basil)
- Kosher salt or table salt
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes into thick slices (if using smaller tomatoes, just slice in half). Place on a metal baking sheet or cookie sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil for 3-5 minutes or bake in a 500℉ oven for 5-7 minutes.Tomatoes, Kosher salt
- Remove from the oven and top with slices of mozzarella and basil. Return to the oven for 2-4 more minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm.Fresh mozzarella, Fresh basil
I am so glad im not the only one who doesnt like fresh tomatoes. I loved them cooked, just about any way, but i just cant do the fresh ones. I cant wait to get my first tomato out of the garden so we can have these. I know my husband will love them.
Christy Your trip sounds wonderful. What stops did you make in Kentucky. We live near Bowling Green and I’m sorry to say we havent visited much in our own backyard. I would love to hear more about your trip. Love your recipes and stories.
I, too, will not eat raw tomatoes, no matter how you fancy them up, but will gladly stuff myself with any form of cooked tomato! Wonder why that is? These look intriguing, and will probably make an appearance on my table as soon as the good, juicy ones come into the farmers market (not being a snob, I swear; it’s just that good, in-season tomatoes are cheaper there than at the grocery store, and this does not look like something I’d want to make with subpar tomatoes). Until you’ve been rolling-pennies-for-gas broke, you don’t appreciate how much you can really live without organic, cold-pressed, raspberry-infused white truffle oil, or even fresh parsley.
Also, thanks for visiting my home state! Spread the word that we’re more than just trailer parks and meth addicts, and we hardly ever marry our cousins! 🙂 Come back and see us sometime – I’ll give you the grand tour!
Had I known you were in KY I would have suggested a glass of iced tea on the back porch while the kids had a dip in the pool. Kentucky is a beautiful state with much to explore. Glad you enjoyed the trip.
I have a raw tomatoes aversion too, and I will also eat them cooked in anyway shape and form. Glad to know it’s not just me 😛
I don’t like raw tomatoes either, but love any cooked tomato product! I had no idea someone felt the same way – so encouraging 😉
Now I do love salsa and pico de gallo, but I cannot just eat a slice of raw tomato.
Oh Christy!! Did I hear you correctly when I read your comment about Cincinnati Style Chili?!!! Did you say didn’t like it?!!! Oh that just breaks my little transplanted southern heart! I am a Tennessee native, went to school in Kentucky but have lived in Ohio for close to 19 years now – including a 12 year stint in Cincinnati! My sweet family can’t make it over 2 weeks without making a 30 minute drive to Skyline Chili for a round of 3-ways! It is NOT like tex-mex chili – it is it’s own entity. I hope you didn’t order a bowl instead of a 3-way and I hope you didn’t “twirl” your noodles – that is just sooo wrong!! Please promise to give Cincinnati Chili one more chance! =D
I didn’t say I didn’t like it, just that we didn’t need to discuss it :).
I never speak ill about others cherished dishes and can see full well why this chili would be such a phenomenon there.
I actually tried it twice!
🙂
Come on back and give it one more try. You need the 5-way. That’s with spaghetti, chili, cheese, onions and beans. So delicious. I will admit it is different…but after a while you will acquire the taste buds for this dish and can’t live without. PS I was born and reared in Alabama.
I had the four way. The spaghetti idea was brilliant!
Haley, I too love Cinci chili. When I was in school at Asbury in Kentucky, we drove to Cinci for Reds games. They weren’t complete without a trip to Skyline. I love 3 Way Skyline chili! If I could, I’d drive north and get some today.