Wondering what to do with tomatoes, canned? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 645 recipes to put them to work.
Key Points
Ripe tomatoes peeled and packed at peak summer, beating pale off-season fresh for any cooked dish
Forms differ by texture: whole peeled most useful, diced stay firm, crushed go straight to sauce
Simmer at least ten minutes to lose the raw tinny edge; balance acid with a pinch of sugar
San Marzano is a sweet low-seed plum with a DOP seal, but a fresh good plum often beats a tired import
Never store leftovers in the open can; the metal reacts with the acid, so move to a sealed container
What is tomatoes, canned?
Canned tomatoes are the workhorse of any real pantry. They are ripe tomatoes peeled and sealed in their own juice, picked and packed at the height of summer, which is exactly why they beat the pale, hard tomatoes most stores sell in January.
For nine months of the year, a can of good tomatoes tastes more like a tomato than the fresh ones on the shelf. That is not a compromise. It is the better choice for any dish that gets cooked down.
Plum tomatoes do most of the canning because they hold more flesh and less water than a round slicer, so the can is meatier and the sauce thicker.
Choosing a Form
Canned tomatoes come in a few forms, and the form decides the texture of your finished dish.
Whole peeled are the most useful pack, and usually the best fruit in the can. Crush them by hand and you control the chunk.
Diced hold their cubes through long cooking because of added calcium chloride, which is great for chili and stew but stubborn if you want them to break down.
Crushed sit in the middle, ground to a rough texture in a little puree, and they go straight into a quick pasta sauce. Puree and passata are smooth and already cooked, for when you want no texture at all. Each form has its own page here with the full detail.
Cooking and Common Mistakes
Almost everything savory and slow starts here. A Sopa Azteca leans on them for its broth, a pot of Easy Chili Con Carne for its body, German Cabbage Rolls for their braising sauce. They carry soup, stew, braise, and pizza.
Two things make canned tomatoes taste better. First, cook them long enough to lose the raw, tinny edge; ten minutes of real simmering rounds them out. Second, balance the acidity with a pinch of sugar or a grated carrot rather than drowning it.
The common mistake is not draining diced tomatoes when a recipe wants a thick result. That packing juice is thin and watery, and it can turn a sauce soupy.
The other mistake is judging the can by its dent-free look alone. A reactive, acidic tomato sitting in a cheap can can pick up a faint metallic taste, which is why a glass jar or a lined can is worth the extra coins.
When You Are Out
No canned tomatoes? In summer, blanch, peel, and chop ripe fresh tomatoes; roughly 1½ pounds (700 g) of fresh stands in for a 14-ounce (400 g) can.
For a smooth sauce, thin tomato paste with water until it pours, then season and simmer. Passata or a jar of plain marinara also fills in. Stewed canned tomatoes work in a pinch, though they bring their own onion and pepper seasoning along.
Buying and Storing
San Marzano is the famous name, a sweet, low-seed plum tomato grown near Naples; the real ones carry a DOP seal on the tin.
They are excellent, but a fresh can of any good whole plum often beats a tired imported one. Do not pay the premium on faith alone.
Read the label for calcium chloride and citric acid. The calcium chloride firms the cubes, which you want in diced and do not want in tomatoes meant to melt. A short ingredient list of tomatoes, juice, and maybe basil is the sign of a quality pack.
Cans keep for years in the cupboard, though flavor is brightest in the first 12 to 18 months.
Once opened, never store leftovers in the can; the metal reacts with the acid. Move them to a sealed container and use within about five days, or freeze for up to three months.
Types of tomatoes, canned
Specific kinds of tomatoes, canned and the recipes that use them.
Stewed canned tomatoes are whole or large-cut tomatoes that have been cooked down in the can with seasonings already mixed in. Most brands add a little sugar and salt along with bits of onion, celery, and green pepper.
That built-in seasoning is what sets them apart from plain canned tomatoes.
The cooking leaves them soft and a little jammy, swimming in a thicker, sweeter liquid than diced or whole tomatoes pack. They are meant to be a near-finished base, not a blank canvas.
These are whole or cut tomatoes packed in their own tomato juice rather than thick puree. The juice is real, ripe-tomato liquid, so it tastes fresher and brighter than the heavy concentrate that comes with paste-style packs.
Use the whole can, juice included. That liquid carries flavor and acidity, so draining it throws away the part you most want. Tip it into the pot and let it cook down.
They do their best work in long-simmered dishes where the juice reduces and the chunks soften. A San Francisco-Style Cioppino leans on that loose, brothy liquid, while Tri-Color Pasta uses it to coat the noodles without a separate sauce.
For how to crush these and what to swap them with, see tomatoes, canned.
Crushed tomatoes are ground tomatoes suspended in a little tomato puree or paste, giving you a rough, pourable texture that sits between smooth puree and chunky diced. They are the shortcut to a sauce that already looks and feels like a sauce straight from the can.
Open a can and you get soft pulp with some body to it, not cubes and not a slick liquid. That texture is the whole point.
Whole peeled tomatoes are the most neutral canned form: skins off, nothing chopped, nothing concentrated. That blank slate is exactly why cooks reach for them, because you control the final texture instead of the cannery.
Crush them yourself. Squeeze each tomato by hand for a rustic, chunky sauce, or run the can through a food mill when you want it smoother. You decide how coarse it lands.
Look for San Marzano on the label if you want the classic pick. Those plum tomatoes are meaty and a touch sweet with few seeds, which is why they anchor a Best Creamy Tomato Soup or a slow Chunky Minestrone.
Everything else, from juice packing to storage, lives on tomatoes, canned.
These are ordinary canned tomatoes with one thing left out: the salt. A standard can carries a lot of added sodium, so the no-salt version hands that decision back to you.
Season as you go. Add salt in small pinches and taste, the way you would with fresh tomatoes, instead of starting from a salted base. It is the simple way to keep a dish in check.
Tex-Mex meatball chili stew with crushed tortilla chip-bound meatballs simmered in picante sauce, tomatoes, and kidney beans. Topped with cilantro and more tortilla chips for crunch.
My family loves Italian food so I created this recipe to fit our tastes of a savory marinara sauce that is great over pasta, in lasagna, on pizza and as a dipping sauce. We love it over cooked spaghetti squash. You can make it with the meatballs or leave them out. It very freezes well.
Mom's chili stacks beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, and a quiet blend of cumin, oregano, and basil into a slow-simmered family-style pot. Old-school weeknight chili with a long-simmer payoff.
Simple homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and torn basil. Simmers in 30 minutes for a rustic Italian pasta sauce.
Easy Mexican rice with carrots, peas, picante sauce and canned tomatoes with green chilies. A one-pot vegetarian side dish that's ready in under an hour.
Smoky beef chili with toasted dried chiles, habanero heat, and kidney beans. Toast, blend, and simmer for deep chile flavor that'll ruin you for canned chili powder forever.
Hearty and zesty, this is my favorite pasta to make. It's a little bit of work, but comes out as stunning visually as it tastes. Definitely worth the effort. Enjoy!!!
Crockpot pumpkin turkey chili: lean ground turkey and peppers simmered with tomatoes, real pumpkin, and chili powder. The pumpkin melts in for a velvety, subtly sweet, lighter chili.
Cobble corn chili tacos stuff crispy taco shells with a chunky chili-style ground beef filling loaded with corn, stewed tomatoes, and celery. A 45-minute weeknight Tex-Mex pantry dinner.
Easy homemade spaghetti sauce, caramelized onion simmered with stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning into a quick, hearty marinara. Ready in minutes for spaghetti and meatballs.
Chili with kidney beans is a hearty crowd-size beef chili built on garlic-browned ground beef, peppers, tomatoes, and red kidney beans, simmered low with chili powder, cloves, and bay. Crowd cooker for game day.
Cowboy pintos are a hearty vegan bean pot: dried pintos slow-simmered with tomatoes, onion, carrot, celery, thyme and cilantro until creamy. Spoon it over rice or barley for a stick-to-your-ribs meatless bowl.
Hearty bean soup combines kidney beans, sweet corn and tomatoes in a chili-cumin spiced broth, topped with shredded cheddar. A 35-minute pantry meal that feels like it simmered all day.
Arcadian eight bean chili packs six bean varieties, ground beef, bacon, and dried poblanos into a smoky simmered crowd-feeder. Cinnamon and coriander give this chili an unexpected depth.
Easy creamy tomato soup thickened with potatoes instead of cream, brightened with oregano, basil, and parsley. Naturally vegan, blender-smooth, and pantry-friendly.
Vegan gazpacho with three colors of bell peppers, cucumber, celery, plum tomatoes, fresh basil, and a kick of hot sauce. A no-cook chilled summer soup bursting with raw vegetable flavor.
Pork ragu lasagna layered with a slow-cooked tomato and herb sauce, plenty of grated cheese, and a milk-brushed top that bakes golden. A hearty homemade lasagna built on ground pork instead of beef.
A delicious and filling vegetarian main dish. Meaty mushrooms, rigatoni tomatoes veggies and two kinds of cheese make this a pleasing hearty main dish.
Chunky vegetarian chili packed with kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, and rice cooked right in the pot. Mexican-style tomatoes plus chili powder and cumin make a hearty one-pot meal in 45 minutes.
Amy's vegan chili with hominy, pinto beans, chickpeas, zucchini, and a hint of molasses for depth. The dump-and-simmer one-pot weeknight chili that's hearty enough to skip the meat entirely.
Ground beef browns with onions, then simmers all day in the slow cooker with kidney beans, lima beans, stewed tomatoes, and creamed corn spiked with chili powder for a stick-to-your-ribs winter soup.
Mediterranean pasta with chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, olives, and rosemary in tomato sauce over vermicelli. Crumbled feta on top. Weeknight dinner classic.
A warming chowder of turnips, mushrooms, lima beans, and tomatoes seasoned with cumin, fennel seeds, and chili powder in turkey stock. Hearty cold-weather comfort in a bowl.
Vegan tomato rice soup blended creamy with soy milk and garlic, brightened by apple cider vinegar and finished with cooked rice and toasted sunflower seeds. Dairy-free comfort.
Thick ground beef and black bean chili simmered with cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Ready in an hour with a rich, smoky broth that begs for a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread.
Great comfort food. Its simplicity makes it a dish loved by many. The ingredient that makes this recipe special is the cottage cheese, which is not traditionally used in lasagna.
Pumpkin and tomato bisque with butternut squash, maple syrup, and slow-sweated onions, finished with optional red pepper puree garnish. Low-fat, gluten-free fall soup that skips heavy cream.
Vegan black bean chili with smoky chipotle and chewy seitan stand-in for meat. A 45-minute one-pot chili that delivers serious depth and heat without animal protein.
Baby portobello mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms and tomatoes make this ragu taste super delicious. Mix it into spaghetti or use it to make lasagna, and it will deliver the maximum yumminess.
Home made basil and spinach lasagna with home made red and white sauce, with the thousand layers juice sauce and tasty lasagna, it is a great recipe when you have company coming or a holiday dish for your family.
Loaded chili built on three meats, ground beef, hot Italian sausage, and smoked sausage, with kidney beans, a layered hit of serrano and habanero heat, and a splash of red wine. Thickened with cornmeal and tastes even better the next day.
A garden vegetable spaghetti sauce loaded with peppers, zucchini, and summer squash, slow-simmered with garlic and a big handful of herbs. A meatless, freezer-friendly marinara for using up the garden.
Bob's hot chili: ground beef simmered low and slow with whole tomatoes, tomato paste, red beans, chili sauce, and a kick of cayenne. The classic two-hour chili with serious heat.
Cheesy eggplant parmigiana layers crisp breaded fried eggplant with a garlicky tomato-basil sauce and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella, baked bubbling and golden. The classic Italian vegetarian comfort dish.
Hearty, rich, flavorful, and so easy to make. No Instant Pot. No worries, the stovetop method is included. And the bang for the buck on this barley beef stew recipe for inflationary times checks all the boxes.
