Stuffed Tomatoes

Make this stuffed tomatoes recipe with Greek-style beef filling for an easy, healthy dinner. Plus, get 6 more ideas for fillings, hot or cold!

By Maya Krampf
Published August 6, 2019
Updated July 28, 2023

28 Comments

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These stuffed tomatoes make a filling meal that’s warm and comforting, yet healthy and light enough for summer, all at the same time. It might not be your traditional stuffed tomato recipe, but it sure is my fave lately! It’s inspired by a Greek dish called Gemista, but with cauliflower rice instead of white rice (though you’re welcome to use any rice you like). I think it’s amazing, but in case you’re looking for something different, I have more stuffing options for you below (including hot or cold ones). Pair them with a Greek salad drizzled with Greek salad dressing for the best of all worlds!

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Tomatoes

Tender, juicy tomatoes
Flavorful ground beef filling
Simple everyday ingredients
Easy to make
Versatile stuffed tomato recipe (6 stuffing ideas, hot or cold!)
Perfect weeknight dinner

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for stuffed tomatoes (Greek style), what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Tomatoes – Beefsteak tomatoes are the best tomatoes for stuffing, because they are large (to hold a good amount of filling) and stand upright easily. You can make this stuffed tomato recipe with other kinds of tomatoes, but you may need more of them to accommodate the filling.
Olive Oil – Used for sauteing, and also for the sauce. Other heat-safe oils, such as avocado oil, will also work.
Balsamic Vinegar – Adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor. You could use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar instead, but I prefer balsamic for subtle sweetness.
Italian Seasoning – I used homemade Italian seasoning, but store-bought works. Greek seasoning is great here, too. You can also opt for fresh herbs instead, such as thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, and/or marjoram.
Aromatics – Garlic (fresh or jarred) and onions add so much flavor! I don’t recommend substituting the dried spices here.
Ground Beef – Beef makes up the bulk of this stuffed tomatoes recipe, but ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork would all work as well. You could also use cooked lentils or quinoa for a meatless option.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Cauliflower Rice – I like to make my own fresh cauliflower rice, but frozen would work as well. You can also substitute cooked white rice or brown rice if you want it to be more filling.

How To Make Stuffed Tomatoes

This section shows how to cook stuffed tomatoes, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Hollow out the tomatoes. Preheat oven. Slice the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out the tomato flesh and transfer to a blender. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in a large baking dish. Set aside.

TIP: Be careful not to puncture the skin.

You don’t want your filling falling out. 😉

Puree the sauce base. Add the balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, olive oil, and sea salt to the blender with the tomato flesh. Blend until smooth. (Alternatively, you can mash the ingredients in a bowl instead.) Set aside.

Tomato flesh and seasoning blended until smooth.

Saute the aromatics. Heat more olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until browned. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Brown the beef. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
Simmer the filling. Stir in the cauliflower rice, as well as the tomato mixture from the blender. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: When you first add the pureed tomato pulp mixture, it will be very liquid, like soup.

This is normal! Just simmer it until it’s thick and saucy.

Ground beef and sauce mixture in a skillet.

Stuff tomatoes. Dry the insides of the tomatoes with a paper towel. Spoon the beef and rice mixture into tomatoes, and place the tomato “lids” on top.

Tomatoes stuffed with ground beef mixture.

Tomato lids placed on top of stuffed tomatoes.

Bake. Cover stuffed tomatoes with foil and bake. Uncover and bake again, until the tomatoes are soft and pucked on the edges. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Sometimes I even add a dollop of tzatziki sauce!

Baked stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish.

VARIATION: Add cheese!

Add mozzarella or parmesan cheese on top in the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Meal prep: Prep the tomatoes and filling ahead and assemble them right before baking. The recipe can be done a day or two ahead, but it’s better not to wait too long, as the tomatoes may lose their shape.
Reheat: Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F, or in the microwave, until hot.
Freeze: Raw tomatoes don’t freeze well, but you can store these baked stuffed tomatoes in the freezer for up to 3 months . Alternatively, you could freeze the prepared beef and cauliflower filling, and stuff it into fresh tomatoes before baking and serving.

More Stuffed Tomato Recipes

The version on the recipe card below makes Greek stuffed tomatoes, but don’t stop there — you can make stuffed tomato recipes in many other ways, both hot and cold. Try these variations:

Tuna Salad – For a cold stuffing, simply stuff with your favorite tuna salad. You can also try tuna and egg salad, avocado tuna salad, or even crab salad instead. Tuna-based fillings also taste great hot with melted cheddar cheese instead, kind of like a tuna melt in stuffed tomato form!
Chicken Salad – Use your favorite chicken salad for the filling. Try BBQ chicken salad for a cookout style filling, buffalo chicken salad for a spicy kick, creamy avocado chicken salad, or pack in those Greek flavors with a Mediterranean chicken salad.
Caprese – This is like a Caprese salad stuffed inside a tomato. Alternate layers of fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Drizzle with sweet balsamic glaze.
Spinach Artichoke – Make spinach artichoke dip, but instead of baking it in a casserole dish, stuff it into the tomatoes and bake according to the times in this stuffed tomato recipe.
Chicken & Pesto – Cook up some Instant Pot chicken breast and mix it with basil pesto. Stuff tomatoes with the mixture, top with cheese and bake according to instructions below.
BLT – Make BLT stuffed tomatoes from my Easy Keto Cookbook!

More Stuffed Vegetable Recipes

Stuffed vegetables are a great way to pack in flavor and nutrients into your meals. Here are some more creative stuffed vegetable recipes that are sure to impress your family and friends!

BLT stuffed avocado recipe on a cutting board.

Recommended Tools

Baking Dish – So durable and goes from oven to table beautifully.
Blender – This blender is my favorite! Makes blending the sauce easy.
Large Skillet – These nonstick pans have lasted me for years. Even recipes with ground beef and tomatoes won’t stain these pans.