Fresh tomatoes sliced and grilled sitting on top of a bed of fresh mozzarella cheese topped with basil and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. This deconstructed caprese salad is a great way to serve juicy grilled tomatoes while highlighting their natural sweetness and fresh herbs during the summer months.
This grilled juicy tomatoes recipe with mozzarella and basil is the perfect side dish or easy appetizer to serve at Memorial Day weekend, July 4th, or Labor Day weekend barbecues. It is also great to throw together as an easy and quick lunch and can also be turned into a tomato and grilled cheese sandwich to enjoy for lunch or dinner.
This was inspired by my Grilled Steak Quesadilla on this site, and pairs well with this Homemade Big Mac.
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Ingredients
- tomatoes
- mozzarella
- basil
- balsamic vinegar glaze
- black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Heat the grill up to medium heat. Slice the tomatoes about ½ inch thick. Slice the mozzarella.
Place tomatoes on the grill. Grill tomatoes about 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks start to slightly char into the tomato slices. Remove from the grill.
Slice the fresh basil leaves.
Create the tomato basil mozzarella stacks. Crack fresh ground pepper on top and drizzle with balsamic glaze to top tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Hint: slice a potato in half and rub it on the grill grates once it is heated to a high heat up prior to cooking. The starch from the potato will help keep the tomatoes from sticking onto the grill. You can also brush tomatoes with a little oil to help keep them from sticking.
Substitutions
- Tomatoes - instead of regular grocery store tomatoes from the store, use heirloom tomatoes for a more robust flavor. Roasted tomatoes or baked tomatoes can also be used instead of grilling. Green tomatoes are also a good option because since they are more dense they will grill nicely.
- Basil - drizzle pesto instead of basil for a similar flavor profile
- Mozzarella - instead of mozzarella, sprinkle parmesan cheese or feta cheese
Variations
- Sandwich - place the ingredients on two bread slices of toasted sourdough for a delicious caprese sandwich
- Salad - toss the ingredients in with a bed of lettuce to create a caprese salad
- Burger - throw these ingredients on top of a juicy medium rare burger for a caprese burger
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes on top of the tomatoes to spice this dish up a bit. Although not spicy, some Italian seasoning can also be added for some extra complimentary flavor to the tomatoes slices. These dried herb flavors can be a great compliment to the fresh herbs on the dish
Equipment
For this recipe, a gas grill is needed. A sharp knife and cutting board are also needed to prepare the ingredients. Grilling tongs are also helpful to flip the tomatoes on the grill. A small bowl is also helpful to hold the sliced basil when assembling.
Storage
Store the ingredients separately from each other and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Make sure the tomato is cut decently thick. This will help keep the tomatoes from losing all their juice and tomato pulp and falling apart. The point of grilling the tomatoes is not to cook the tomatoes but rather to give the tomatoes a charred flavor from the grill.
FAQ
The tomatoes might not look pretty, but they will still have the same flavor and can be used. This is why it is important to make sure you are using thick slices of tomato.
Yes! If cherry tomatoes are being used they can either be sliced in half and grilled or placed in a grill friendly sautee pan for vegetables to grill the tomatoes and still get that charred flavor.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these Grilled Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil:
📖 Recipe
Grilled Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella
- 12 basil leaves
- balsamic vinegar glaze to drizzle on top
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the grill up to medium heat. Slice the tomatoes about ½ inch thick. Slice the mozzarella.
- Place tomatoes on the grill. Grill tomatoes about 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks start to slightly char into the tomato slices. Remove from the grill.
- Slice the fresh basil leaves.
- Create the tomato basil mozzarella stacks. Crack fresh ground pepper on top and drizzle with balsamic glaze to top tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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