Tomato Chips
These incredibly easy dehydrated tomato chips will be your favorite snack. They are one of the easiest ways to preserve the delicious flavor of tomatoes long after your garden has stopped producing.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Parmesan Tomato Chips
⏰ Ready In: 12 hours 10 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 12 hours (dehydrator) or 3 to 4 hours (oven)
👥 Serves: 20
🥕 Main Ingredients: Tomatoes, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, dried parsley, dried oregano, Parmesan cheese.
🍳 Special Equipment: Food dehydrator or oven, dehydrator trays or cooling rack, rimmed baking sheet, paper towels, pastry brush.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Crispy, cheesy, and packed with concentrated tomato flavor. They’re an easy way to preserve fresh tomatoes and make a delicious snack or salad topping.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Dehydrated tomatoes are the perfect healthy snack for young and old alike! They only take about 10 minutes of hands-on time, and they keep for at least six months when stored properly.
You can dehydrate them in a commercial dehydrator, in the oven, in the air fryer, and in arid climates, even in the sun, to make sun-dried tomatoes.
Why Should You Make These Tomato Chips?
- They last for months when properly stored.
- They only take a few minutes of hands-on time.
- They are special diet-friendly, specifically gluten-free, keto, low-carb, nut-free, egg-free, and low-calorie, but high in vitamins.
- They are a sustainable choice and a great way to use excess tomatoes from the garden.
What You Need
- Tomatoes: We like to use large tomatoes, like Beefsteak or Big Boy, but technically, any variety of tomatoes will work. They should be thin-cut but not too thin if you’d like to top them with cheese.
- Salt: Kosher salt or sea salt will give you a very nice flavor.
- Spices or Herbs: While not mandatory, adding spices like garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning, or herbs like basil or oregano will add a lot of flavor.
- Cheese: While again, not mandatory, finely grated Parmesan cheese is absolutely delicious on them.
How to Make Them
Slice the tomatoes about ¼-inch thick. Use a paper towel to pat both sides of the tomato to remove excess moisture.
Place the slices on the rack of your dehydrator.
Baste them with olive oil.
Sprinkle each slice with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Top each slice with Parmesan cheese.
Place the racks in the dehydrator.
Dehydrate the slices at 85°F / 30°C for 8-12 hours until dry.
How to Store Tomato Chips
Let the chips cool completely before storage. Store them in a covered, airtight container placed in a cool, dark area.
Pro Tips for Success
- Slices should be thin, but not too thin. If they are less than ⅛-inch, the cheese will fall through the holes as the tomato dries. For best results, cut them between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick. The thinness of your tomatoes will determine how long they will take to dry.
- Using a higher temperature to dry them will take less time, but the risk of burning is greater.
- Store dried tomato chips properly for long-term storage.
What to Do with Them?
- Use them as a topping for burgers.
- Add them to a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Garnish a pizza or quiche.
- Munch on them as an afternoon snack. They taste a bit like a crispy pizza.
More Chips Made From Produce
- Cucumber Chips
- Apple Chips
- Peach Chips
- Strawberry Chips
Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- VEVOR Food Dehydrator – Keeps a steady, low temperature so the tomatoes dry evenly without burning. Using an oven can take longer and often gives less consistent results.
- Dehydrator Sheets – Prevent small tomato slices from sticking to the trays or falling through the openings. Without them, you can lose pieces and make cleanup much harder.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet – Catches any juices or drips during prep and makes it easy to move trays without creating a mess. Skipping it usually means extra cleanup.
- Cooling Rack – Lets the tomato chips cool evenly so they finish crisping instead of trapping moisture underneath. Leaving them on a flat surface can make them soften.
- Unbleached Parchment Paper – Keeps slices from sticking during prep and makes cleanup quick. Without it, tomatoes can cling to the surface and tear when removed.
- Chef’s Knife – Slices the tomatoes into even pieces so they dry at the same rate. Uneven slices leave you with some chips that are still soft, while others become overly dry.
Dry large batches of produce, herbs, or meat in one session. The adjustable temperature lets you match the heat to different foods.
This knife makes quick work of slicing fresh tomatoes for snacks and recipes. The sharp edge helps prevent crushing soft, ripe tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The skins help the slices hold their shape during dehydration and add a little extra texture. Just wash the tomatoes well before slicing.
The chips should be dry and crisp with no soft or moist spots. If any slices still feel flexible, continue dehydrating until they become completely crisp.
Roma or other paste tomatoes are a great choice because they have less moisture and more flesh. However, cherry, grape, and slicing tomatoes also work if you adjust the drying time as needed.
More Tomato Recipes
If you have extra tomatoes to use up, here are a few more ways to preserve and enjoy them all year long.
- Canning Whole Tomatoes – A simple way to preserve fresh tomatoes for soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles.
- Canning Tomato Sauce – A smooth, flavorful sauce that’s ready for pasta, pizza, and your favorite Italian recipes.
- Freezing Tomatoes – The easiest preservation method when you want to save tomatoes without canning.
- Green Tomato Salsa – A tangy, zesty salsa that’s perfect for using unripe tomatoes before the first frost.
- Canning Tomato Soup – Stock your pantry with homemade tomato soup that’s ready to heat and serve on busy days.
Parmesan Tomato Chips
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In the Dehydrator
- Slice the tomatoes about ¼-inch thick. Gently press with a paper towel to pat both sides of the tomato to remove excess moisture.3 large tomatoes
- Place the slices on the rack of your dehydrator.
- Baste them with olive oil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sprinkle each slice with salt, pepper and herbs.2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Top each slice with parmesan cheese.2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Place the racks in the dehydrator.
- Dehydrate the slices at 85°F / 30°C for 8-12 hours until dry.
In the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 175°F.
- Slice the tomatoes about ¼-inch thick. Gently press with a paper towel to pat both sides of the tomato to remove excess moisture.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- Place a cool rack on top of the baking sheet. Spray the rack with no-stick spray.
- Place the slices on the rack, with a bit of room between the slices.
- Baste them with olive oil.
- Sprinkle each slice with salt, pepper and herbs.
- Bake them for 3-4 hours until dry. Check them often to make sure they aren't getting too browned.
- When they are almost dry, sprinkle each tomato with the parmesan cheese. Return the baking sheet to oven for 15-30 minutes, until the parm melts.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky's Amazon Store!Notes
- Slices should be thin, but not too thin. If they are less than ⅛-inch, the cheese will fall through the holes as the tomato dries. For best results, cut them between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick. The thinness of your tomatoes will determine how long they will take to dry.
- Using a higher temperature to dry them will take less time, but the risk of burning is greater.
- Store dried tomato chips properly for long-term storage.
- Use them as a topping for burgers.
- Add them to a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Garnish a pizza or quiche.
- Munch them as an afternoon snack. They taste a bit like a crispy pizza.
