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Home » Recipes » Summer

Easy Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Published: Aug 4, 2022 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

This easy recipe for Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes has only 5 ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes or less! They have an amazing balance of textures and flavors and make the best side dish when tomatoes are in season.

Overhead shot of a long white plate with four red and yellow tomatoes with breadcrumbs on top.

Whether it's my legendary Sun Gold Tomato Pasta or the world's greatest Tomato Salad, you can always find me making anything and everything tomato related when it's peak season. Fun fact: This recipe helped me get cast on Season 10 of Food Network Star!

Why this recipe works

  • Easy, beginner friendly recipe - anyone can make this!
  • Only 5 simple ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare.
  • The juicy, ripe tomatoes combined with the oniony chives, tangy, creamy goat cheese and crispy Panko breadcrumbs has an incredible mix of textures and flavors!
  • The breadcrumbs are toasted separately and added after baking to ensure they stay crisp and don't get soggy from the tomato juice.

Essential Ingredients

  • Tomatoes - This recipe should only be made when tomatoes are in season and at their peak. Look for small to medium sized tomatoes that are round and uniform in size. It helps if they have a flat bottom, but if not you can always slice a tiny piece off the bottom to make them more sturdy.
  • Goat Cheese - Use fresh goat cheese or Chèvre for these stuffed tomatoes, not an aged goat cheese. It helps to let the goat cheese come to room temperature an hour or so before using so it's easier to mix.
  • Chives - I've tried every single type of herb in these tomatoes and I have to say, chives are the undisputed winner. They add a mild oniony bite that pairs beautifully with the other flavors. If you can't find chives, use very thinly sliced scallions, but only the dark green parts - the light green and white parts are too strong.
  • Breadcrumbs - Panko is the best option, as they are so light and crispy, they make the perfect topping for the stuffed tomatoes. Coarse homemade breadcrumbs would also be great.
Close up of a baked goat cheese stuffed tomato cut in half on a plate with a knife and fork.

Step by step instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil the bottom of a small baking dish.
  2. If the tomatoes are wobbly, slice a tiny piece of flesh off of the bottoms to make them stand up straight.
  3. Cut out the top of each tomato and scoop out some of the flesh. 
  4. Liberally season the cavities with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish. 
  5. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, chives and a little bit of pepper (no salt - the cheese is salty enough). 
  6. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and stuff it into the cavity of each tomato. 
  7. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften and the filling is heated through.
  8. While the tomatoes bake, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat, then add the panko and stir. 
  9. Toss the breadcrumbs around in the pan continuously until they turn golden brown and crisp. 
  10. Top each tomato with the toasted breadcrumbs, sprinkle with more chopped chives and serve.

Tips for success

  • Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the tomato, make sure there is enough flesh to hold in the filling.
  • Try to find tomatoes that are all uniform in size so that the portions are even.
  • Don't throw away the tomato juice, seeds and pulp that you scoop out! Add it to Gazpacho, tomato risotto, tomato fritters or pan con tomate!
  • Season the tomato cavity generously with salt and pepper - trust me, it needs it!
  • Season the goat cheese with pepper only - it's salty enough already.
Side view of baked tomatoes with breadcrumbs on top.

Faq about Baked Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Is it ever ok to refrigerate tomatoes?

Yes, but once tomatoes have been refrigerated they should be cooked rather than eaten raw. Refrigeration changes the texture and mutes the flavor of tomatoes, so they're best suited to cooked applications like, sauce, fritters, or these baked stuffed tomatoes.

Is it really necessary to toast the breadcrumbs in a pan or can I just bake them with the tomatoes?

I like toasting the breadcrumbs separately because they cook more evenly. When they're baked with the tomatoes, the tops have a tendency to burn while the lower breadcrumbs stay raw. Additionally, the juice from the tomatoes tends to make the breadcrumbs soggy, so I like to add them right before serving so they stay nice and crisp.

Related Recipes

  • Heirloom Tomato Toasts with Feta + Herbs
  • French Tomato + Goat Cheese Tart
  • Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Fried Shallots
  • Greek Tomato Fritters

Did you make this recipe and LOVE it? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and/or comment to help other readers. I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all questions and comments. I love seeing when you make my recipes, so please tag me @ColeyCooks on Instagram and I will repost!

Print

Goat Cheese + Chive Stuffed Tomatoes

Close up of a baked goat cheese stuffed tomato cut in half on a plate with a knife and fork.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

This easy recipe for Baked Goat Cheese + Chive Stuffed Tomatoes has only 5 ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes or less! 

  • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: side
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: California
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium tomatoes, uniform in size 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking dish
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil the bottom of a small baking dish.
  2. If the tomatoes are wobbly, slice a tiny piece of flesh off of the bottoms to make them stand up straight.
  3. Cut out the top of each tomato and scoop out some of the flesh.
  4. Liberally season the cavities with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, chives and a little bit of pepper (no salt - the cheese is salty enough).
  6. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and stuff it into the cavity of each tomato.
  7. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to soften and the filling is heated through.
  8. While the tomatoes bake, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat, then add the panko and stir.
  9. Toss the breadcrumbs around in the pan continuously until they turn golden brown and crisp.
  10. Top each tomato with the toasted breadcrumbs, sprinkle with more chopped chives and serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 294
  • Sugar: 4.9 g
  • Sodium: 924.2 mg
  • Fat: 18.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24.3 g
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Cholesterol: 13.1 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review and star rating ⭐️ to help other cooks!

More Summer Recipes

  • The New York Times Plum Torte
  • No-Cook Fresh Sun Gold Tomato Pasta
  • Easy Homemade Greek Tzatziki Sauce
  • Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes + Jalapeños

Reader Interactions

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  1. MeCooks

    September 11, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Great recipe! Yummy
    Check out my site 🙂
    http://www.mecooks.com

    Reply
  2. Frank

    August 04, 2022 at 1:53 pm

    These were absolutely incredible. Used tomatoes from my garden. So easy to make and great flavor. Thanks for the reicpe, we will be making these again very soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Jarvis

    August 04, 2022 at 1:53 pm

    Great recipe

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! I'm a chef and recipe developer specializing in coastal Italian cooking. Welcome to Coley Cooks! About Nicole Gaffney

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