Tomato Confit: Your New Favorite Kitchen Staple š āØ
If you’ve never made tomato confit before, get ready to fall in love. This is the kind of low-effort, high-reward recipe that makes you feel like a kitchen wizard with practically no work. Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes swimming in garlicky, thyme-infused olive oil? YES, PLEASE.
At The Mad Table, weāre all about bold flavors, joyful cooking, and having a good time while weāre at it. This easy tomato confit recipe checks all the boxes, and then some.
Whether youāre topping crusty bread, mixing it into pasta, or sneaking spoonfuls straight from the fridge (no judgment), tomato confit is that secret ingredient that levels up just about everything.
What is Tomato Confit?
āConfitā is just a fancy French word for slow-cooking something in fat (like olive oil) until it’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With tomatoes, it means soft, jammy, flavor-packed bites that are rich, slightly sweet, and totally irresistible.
This homemade tomato confit is simple, satisfying, and makes your kitchen smell amazing. Bonus? You can make it ahead and enjoy it all week long.
Ingredients Youāll Need:
- 3 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2 heads garlic, sliced in half horizontally
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ā¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1Ā½ cups olive oil, or enough to almost reach the tops of the tomatoes
Just 6 ingredients and a whole lot of flavor
How to Use Tomato Confit
Once you make this once, youāll find a million ways to use it. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Spread it on toasted baguette with goat cheese or ricotta
- Toss it into warm pasta with Parmesan and a handful of basil
- Spoon it over grilled chicken, steak, or salmon
- Mix it into quinoa, couscous, or rice bowls
- Swirl it into scrambled eggs or frittatas
- Add a spoonful to your next cheese board or charcuterie platter
- Use the leftover garlic-thyme oil for salad dressings, roasted veggies, or dipping bread
Storage Tips
After your tomato confit cools, transfer everything (tomatoes, garlic, oil, herbs) to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Itāll keep beautifully for up to 10 days.
Important: The oil will solidify in the fridge (donāt panic!). Just let it sit at room temperature for 20ā30 minutes before using, or warm it gently on the stove.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the kind of recipe that makes people think youāre a pro, but you know the secret: itās just fresh ingredients, olive oil, and time. Tomato confit is rustic, comforting, and 100% crave-worthy.
Make it once, and itāll become a Mad Table staple in your kitchen too.
Did you make this Tomato Confit?
Tag me on Instagram @TheMadTable and show me how youāre using it! I love seeing your creations. š š
Tomato Confit
Ingredients
- 3 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2 heads garlic, sliced in half
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ā¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1Ā½ cups olive oil, or enough to almost reach the tops of the tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300Ā°F.
- Place tomatoes in a large baking dish with deep sides. Nestle the heads of garlic, cut side up, in with the tomatoes and pour the olive oil, making sure to almost reach the tops of the tomatoes. Add the fresh thyme sprigs and season with salt and black pepper.
- Roast for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes have browned on top and begin bursting and the garlic is soft when pierced with tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Gently squeeze garlic cloves out of peel and into the tomatoes and oil, discarding the skin. Enjoy!
