Tomato Butter: Good On Everything!

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There is very little better in this world than summer tomatoes. When they are really at their peak, they are sweet, juicy and delicious. I love making this compound butter with tomatoes as it concentrates the flavour so well and it makes a delicious accompaniment to so many things. You can use it on so many things – on toast or smothered on steak or smoothed onto a roast chicken. Anything that would usually be good with regular butter would probably be good with this tomato butter.

quenelles of tomato butter on a grey plate

I use cherry tomatoes in this tomato butter recipe as I find them the sweetest which adds good flavour to the butter but you could also use large tomatoes if they were really good ones. The key is seasoning it well when roasting and then blitzing well in a food processor to make it gorgeous and smooth. I love it in pasta, if you need a serving suggestion.

Why you'll love this Tomato Butter

It’s so simple yet so rich and moreish.
A compound butter is the best way to quickly jazz up any other meal like steak or chicken.
It’s also a great recipe to use up any tomatoes that might have gone slightly beyond their best in the fridge as once they are roasted and blended, you wouldn’t be able to tell!

You will need the following ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes here as I think they taste the best.

Salt: key to season well for tomatoes but remember that you are using salted butter.

Pepper

Olive oil: this doesn’t need to be extra virgin olive oil as it’s for roasting the tomatoes. It won’t be wasted after, I keep all the liquid and use it as a delicious base for salad dressings or pouring over roasted vegetables.

Garlic cloves: for a nice balance to the tomato sweetness

Salted butter: you could use unsalted but I think salted butter is just better and means there’s already a good base of seasoning to this dish.

Small bunch of basil: just a few sprigs is fine here, it also gives it nice green specks in the butter so it looks good!

Substitutions and variations

Tomatoes: as mentioned, I like cherry tomatoes here but it would still work with the same amount of large tomatoes. Just try to find nice ripe, red ones, on the vine ideally. Just cut them into quarters before adding to the try and add the oil. Remember you will drain off the oil at the end! Maybe a touch of sugar with the bigger tomatoes when you roast them or a splash of balsamic to balance.

Fresh basil: this would also be good with some fresh chives or fresh parsley. Use what you have on hand, any soft herb!

Garlic: you don't have to use garlic (although I would recommend) so skip if it you don't have. I like the butter made with a little splash of balsamic vinegar - maybe 1 teaspoon or so, just to add a tang.

Different flavours: try roasting some red peppers in the same way as you would the tomatoes and then blitzing with the butter and all the rest. So yum!

Here's how to make this simple compound Tomato Butter :

ONE: add the tomatoes, garlic, vines and oil to an ovenproof dish. Season well with salt and pepper.

TWO: Pop in the oven at 180c until jammy and soft. They should look like this.

roasted tomatoes, garlic and basil in food processor

THREE: Scoop out the tomatoes into a blender but reserve the tomato cooking oil. It's so good for roasting other vegetables and salad dressings! Make sure the garlics are popped out of their skin.

roasted tomatoes, garlic and basil in food processor with butter

FOUR: Once blended, add the butter and blend again until smooth. Done!

Cooking tips

Saving the tomato cooking oil: Do not throw this away! Tip it away into a little jar and keep it. I promise you won't regret it, it's liquid gold to use when roasting vegetables, when making a salad dressing, making a sauce. It's so good.

Cooling the tomatoes once roasted: Don't try to blitz the butter with hot roasted tomatoes as it will turn it into a liquidy mess. Make sure the tomatoes are room temp before adding the butter and blending.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store the tomato butter?

If you are going to use it soon, once it's semi-solidified (ie. not liquid), you can place the butter on a square of parchment paper. Roll the parchment paper up then pinch the overhanging edges and twist. This will make a little log of tomato butter that you can slice. However, an airtight jar or container will keep it fresh for the longest.

How long will leftover tomato butter last?

The leftover tomato butter will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Just make sure to remove from the fridge before using if you are wanting to spread it onto something like bread or a chicken.

How else can I use up the tomato butter?

I like it swirled into pasta, as well as smothered over a chicken before roasting it - so good. It's also delicious as a butter to have on top of a steak, or spread over toast or crusty breads. On toast, it would be great with a fried egg on top too.

Recipes you might like

If you are a butter fiend, you need to try this Whipped Garlic Brown Butter recipe, it can be used in lots of ways and it's so good. It was one of my first viral Tiktok recipes back in the day! Making a garlic compound butter is also a great idea, you can use it in Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs. For more tomato recipes, this cherry tomato pasta is a classic and really simple. Really makes the tomatoes shine!

Made this recipe and loved it?

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