The Tomato Butter Recipe That Makes Every Dish More Delicious

There is nothing more delicious than a plump, pulpy tomato in its peak season. Sweet, bright, and delightfully juicy, you’ll never catch me outside of summer sinking my teeth into a fresh tomato—it’s just not the same.

Luckily, my mom grows them in her garden, so procuring a fresh bounty is never more than a 20-minute drive away. Now, what to do with the haul is another story. From no-cook pasta sauce to eye-catching tomato tarts and vibrant salads, there are countless recipes online that showcase the summer tomato in all its balmy glory. But perhaps no recipe is as easy, versatile, and flavorful as tomato butter.

It only takes 10 minutes to prepare, and the rewards are many. Smother it on a piece of steak, oven-roasted vegetables, or a fish fillet to instantly elevate your next meal. Stir it into risotto, pasta, or any dish where you would typically use regular butter for added depth and richness. Or, keep things casual and smear it over a piece of toast for a no-effort snack that still feels special. Trust me, make this once and you’ll be looking for excuses to put it on everything.

How To Make Tomato Butter

What’s the second-best thing to fresh summer tomatoes? Roasted tomatoes. Not just any roasted tomatoes, though. I’m talking about tomatoes that become beautifully caramelized and jammy, striking a perfect balance between extra sweet and acidic. The easiest way to achieve this? By broiling cherry tomatoes.

This recipe for tomato butter begins with just that: Preheat the broiler function in the oven. Place the cherry tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven, about 6 inches from the top. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan every few minutes to ensure the tomatoes are evenly cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Once cool, drain the tomatoes and then transfer them to a food processor. Add some thyme, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Pulse until the tomatoes are mostly chopped. Then, add cubes of softened, room-temperature butter to the food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

From there, transfer the tomato butter to an airtight container, where it’ll keep in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips and Tricks

• It’s important to use room-temperature butter so that it can easily emulsify with the tomatoes. Using cold butter would break it down into crumbly chunks rather than turning it into a smooth, homogenized product, which is what we’re looking for.
• Cherry tomatoes are the better choice for this recipe since they’re smaller and highly concentrated in flavor. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use other types such as beefsteak and globe tomatoes. If using larger varieties, consider slow-roasting them in the oven to ensure all the water escapes, allowing the tomatoes to develop their fullest flavor.
• The recipe we have on site leans into Mediterranean flavors: earthy herbs like thyme and oregano add a touch of grassiness that imparts lemony flavors. Chili brings heat. Of course, there are plenty of other herbs and spices you could use here as well. A combination of zingy sumac and cumin would be a chef’s kiss. Something floral, like coriander and chili, would also be a good choice. A fun approach is to think about your favorite tomato recipes and use the herbs and spices from those to flavor the butter.
• If going the dried spices route, I’d suggest blooming or toasting the spices before adding them to the butter to make the most of their aromatics. You can do this by cooking the spices in oil or butter over medium heat for 10 to 20 seconds, or until their aromas fill the air. Just keep a careful eye on them because they go from toasted to burnt in a flash.