These Stuffed Tomatoes are made with a delightful combination of different cheeses, herbs, and seasonings. They’re easily prepared in the air fryer and perfect for a delicious vegetarian side dish or light lunch.
This stuffed tomato recipe is sort of like a Margherita pizza minus the crust or a roasted caprese salad. What’s not to love!?
Air Fryer Stuffed Tomato Recipe
If you’re looking for a new and delicious way to use up garden summer tomatoes or just in need of an easy side dish, these Italian stuffed tomatoes will not disappoint. Filled with mozzarella, parmesan, fresh herbs, and crisp panko breadcrumbs, they are simple but so delicious.
For this stuffed tomato recipe, the tomato pulp is scooped out and chopped up, then becomes part of the filling (so there’s no waste!) mixed with just the right amount of cheese and seasonings for an aromatic and tasty dish. The panko gives it some body without being heavy, although can be substituted if you need something gluten free.
Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Tomatoes
- Quick and easy. Scooping out the flesh and making the filling takes just about 15 to 20 minutes, then the air fryer does the rest.
- A winning flavor combination. What’s not to love about tomatoes, melty cheese, aromatics, and fresh herbs? These stuffed tomatoes are sort of like Margherita pizza minus the crust or a roasted Caprese salad. YUM.
- Great use of summer tomatoes. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden and an abundance of fruit, this is a great way to take advantage of it.
- Versatile. You can easily adjust the base recipe to what you want to use up or have on hand. Feel free to treat it as a guide and make some swaps, if preferred.
- Nice alternative to stuffed peppers. If you love stuffed bell peppers, but want to change it up, stuffed tomatoes are a fantastic option.
- Make it more of a meal. Precooked ground Italian sausage, beef, or turkey are hearty and flavorful additions that transform the tomatoes into a more substantial entree while still being light and healthy. Make sure you split any of those evenly with the breadcrumbs.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need for this stuffed tomato recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Tomatoes – Medium firm tomatoes that are 2 & 1/2 to 3 inches wide. See note below.
- Cheeses – Both shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan are included in the stuffing.
- Panko breadcrumbs – These give the stuffing some body without making it feel heavy. They also absorb some of the tomato juices.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds flavor and aromatics. A touch of garlic powder can be used instead, if preferred.
- Herbs – Fresh chopped basil is part of the stuffing, while fresh chopped parsley is a nice garnish.
- Seasonings – Dried oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper season the dish.
- Olive oil – This is drizzled on the tomatoes before air frying, which adds richness and moisture.
Best Tomatoes For Stuffing
For these stuffed tomatoes, you will want to use tomatoes that are medium in size (about 2 & 1/2 inches), have a flat base, uniform roundness with firm walls, and without bruising. If purchasing tomatoes, there’s a variety called “tomatoes on the vine” which are typically sold as a cluster of tomatoes still attached to the vine (thus the name) and are perfect for this recipe.
How to Make Stuffed Tomatoes
Stuffed Tomatoes are super easy to make. Here’s a summary.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and don’t miss the helpful tips and video below.)
- Clean the tomatoes. Remove the vines from the tomatoes, then wash and dry them.
- Prep the tomatoes. Slice off the top of each tomato and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 1/4-inch thick sides and bottoms, being careful not to puncture the walls of the tomato. Separate the seeds from the tomato flesh and transfer the flesh to a cutting board – discard the seeds and the tomato liquid.
- Season and drain tomatoes. Season the insides of the tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper, then invert the tomatoes onto paper towels and allow to drain while you make the filling.
- Make the filling. Chop the reserved tomato flesh and transfer to a medium mixing bowl along with the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, basil, garlic, and seasonings. Mix well to combine.
- Stuff the tomatoes. Fill the hollowed out tomatoes with equal amounts of the stuffing. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
- Preheat air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 370 for a few minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray, then arrange the tomatoes with space in between.
- Air fry. Cook until the tomatoes are tender, filling is heated through, and the topping is golden, about 15 minutes.
- Serve. Carefully remove from the air fryer and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Don’t Have an Air Fryer?
Tips and Variations
- Coring the tomatoes. I find the easiest way to core the tomatoes is by running a small spoon around the edge and then scoop out the flesh. If you find the bottom is being stubborn, a pairing knife works great to remove more difficult pieces.
- Be careful not to pierce the outer flesh. Try to avoid puncturing the skin or juices can leak out. You want a nice sturdy edible tomato bowl.
- Drain the tomatoes well. Tomato pulp should be separated from the seeds as best you can, but don’t stress. A little is fine.
- Be generous with the filling. It will shrink quite a bit as it cooks.
- Use different breadcrumbs. I prefer the light crispness of Panko, but Italian-style or even gluten-free breadcrumbs can be used.
- Swap the breadcrumbs. Instead of breadcrumbs, replace them with an equal amount cooked rice or quinoa.
- Add some protein. Precooked ground Italian sausage, beef, or turkey are hearty and flavorful additions that transform the tomatoes into a light meal. They should be split evenly with the breadcrumbs or a grain.
- Try different cheeses. Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, or PepperJack (for a bit of heat) are all delicious cheese options.
Video: Air Fryer Stuffed Tomatoes
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve stuffed tomatoes as a light side to accompany baked chicken breast, roast chicken, meatloaf, or air fryer pork chops. They’re also nice on their own or with salad for a light lunch. Note that stuffed tomatoes are best served fresh as they don’t keep well since the tomatoes tend to get mushy.
Proper Storage
- Advance preparation. These are great to assemble in advance, then just pop in the air fryer prior to serving dinner. You can assemble up to 1 day prior, cover and keep refrigerated.
- Storing leftovers. As mentioned above, stuffed tomatoes are best served fresh as they don’t keep well since the tomatoes tend to get mushy. However, if you do have leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or microwave until warmed through.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Breakfast Pizza
- Salmon Bowls
- Margherita Pita Pizza
- Air Fryer Pineapple
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Air Fryer Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium firm tomatoes , 2 & 1/2 to 3 inches wide
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese , divided
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil , plus more for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- olive oil , for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Slice off the top of each tomato and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 1/4-inch thick sides and bottoms, being careful not to puncture the walls of the tomato.Separate the seeds from the tomato flesh and transfer the flesh to a cutting board – discard the seeds and the tomato liquid.Season the insides of the tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper, then invert the tomatoes onto paper towels and allow to drain while you make the filling.
- Chop the reserved tomato flesh and transfer to a medium mixing bowl along with the mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, basil, garlic, and seasonings. Mix well to combine.
- Fill the hollowed out tomatoes with equal amounts of the stuffing – be generous with the filling, it will shrink quite a bit as it cooks. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 for a few minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray, then arrange the tomatoes with space in between.
- Air fry until the tomatoes are tender, filling is heated through, and the topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the air fryer and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
