Sometimes when I’m tired of stuffed peppers, I like to change things up. These air fryer stuffed tomatoes are the perfect alternative. They’re packed with gooey cheese, Italian seasonings, and anything else you want, for a side or a meal on their own.
A stuffed tomato is just a juicy vessel for the delicious fillings inside. Similar to stuffed peppers, you have a ton of variety in terms of what you can stuff in a tomato.
Choose rice, meats, cheeses, vegetables, and various seasonings to create your perfect combination. You won’t need to add any tomato sauce, though, as it’s in the shell naturally!
I sometimes use up leftover rice from making air fryer arancini, which is another Italian favorite around here.
Ingredients to Grab
4-6 medium slicing tomatoes
¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (divided)
½ pound sweet Italian sausage
2 tsp salt (or more as needed) (divided)
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish)
¼ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup soft herb and garlic cheese at room temperature (such as Boursin)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ Tbsp olive oil
Substitutions and Variations
Tomatoes. You can use on the lower end if you have really large beefsteak tomatoes, or 8 smaller tomatoes if you like. With some patience, small Campari-sized tomatoes can be used as a poppable appetizer!
Panko can be swapped in for normal breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs work fine as well)
You can use ground beef in place of the sausage or omit the meat entirely. If you omit meat, you’ll need to add 1 Tbsp or so of olive oil to the stuffing to replace missing fat
In place of Boursin, you can swap in ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream
For a rice variation, add in about ½ cup of cooked Arborio rice, leftover risotto or even orzo pasta. You can omit the breadcrumbs inside if you do this
To make a vegetable variation, add 6 oz of cooked spinach to your stuffing blend
How to Make Air Fryer Stuffed Tomatoes
Using a serrated knife, cut the tops off each tomato, approximately ½” from the top
Carefully remove the filling from the tomato without damaging the walls of the tomato. Pro tip:Cut a circle around the inside wall of the tomato using a sharp knife. Then, score the center crosswise. Pull the large pieces out with your fingers, then use a cutlery teaspoon to clean up the sides
Sprinkle the insides of the tomato cavity with 1 tsp salt (or more as needed depending on size of tomatoes), then turn them upside down on a paper towel lined plate to drain
While tomatoes drain, heat a skillet on the stove over medium high heat
Add the sausage and cook until well browned. Do not drain
To the browned sausage, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more
In a mixing bowl, combine sausage and garlic, Italian seasoning, diced onion, fresh basil, ½ cup of the breadcrumbs, pepper, remaining 1 tsp salt, parmesan, Boursin, and mozzarella cheese. Make sure to smash in the Boursin and distribute well. The mixture should be damp (but not wet). Add a small amount of olive oil if needed to add more moisture
Take the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and combine it with the olive oil in another small bowl, tossing to coat evenly
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (or 360°F depending on your air fryer’s available settings)
Fill your tomatoes with the stuffing mixture, making sure to pack it down slightly and mound it on top. Pro tip:I use my hands, and it takes 3 handfuls to stuff a medium tomato (of course this will vary based on both hand and tomato size)
Top the tomatoes with the reserved oiled breadcrumbs. Press down slightly to stick breadcrumbs to the tomato
Place the filled tomatoes in the preheated air fryer basket
Cook tomatoes on the air fry setting for 10-15 minutes at 350°F, until tops are golden brown and filling is heated through
Garnish with additional fresh basil before serving
It is not recommended to freeze whole stuffed tomatoes. The filling may be prepared, frozen, and defrosted when ready to use.
Freezing tomatoes themselves tends to alter their texture and you’ll get an unpleasant, mealy consistency from them.
How Do You Cut Tomatoes For Stuffing?
To cut tomatoes for stuffing, use a serrated knife to cut off the entire top of the tomato, about ½” from the top. Use a smaller paring knife to separate the veins from the sides of the tomato. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the pulp and seeds.
It’s important to take your time and do this carefully. If you damage the outside edge of the tomato, it won’t hold up well during stuffing and cooking.
What Tomatoes Are Best For Stuffing?
The best tomatoes for stuffing are large, wide tomatoes. Some ideal varieties are beefsteak, heirloom, globe, or larger vine-ripened tomatoes.
You can use smaller varieties if that’s all that’s available. However, they require more work to scoop them all, and offer a slightly different tomato to filling ratio.
Expert Recipe Tips
Since they’re stuffed, there’s no need to flip during cooking for this recipe
I recommend tongs or a spatula to help you remove the hot tomatoes from the air fryer
If you like, you can add the tomato “guts” you pulled out back into your filling for additional flavor and/or moisture. Discard the seeds, though
It is normal for the tomato skins to peel during cooking. They can be consumed, or peeled off easily before presentation if desired
More Stuffed Air Fryer Recipes
Stuffed Banana Peppers
Air Fryer Stuffed Clams
Stuffed Artichokes
Final Thoughts
These tasty air fryer stuffed tomatoes are bursting with cheese and Italian flavor. They’re a perfect side dish, light bite, or make a meal if you fill or pair them with some heartier options. I love that they’re flexible between vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions as well.
If you want to try out some other tomato recipes in your air fryer, I suggest this creamy air fryer roasted tomato soup for a spoonful of comfort.
Air Fryer Italian Stuffed Tomatoes with Cheese Recipe
These stuffed tomatoes feature Italian seasoning and cheese, and are cooked easily in your air fryer. It’s a great alternative to turning on the oven for an equally delicious result.
1Tbspchopped fresh basil(plus more for garnish if desired)
¼Cupgrated parmesan cheese
¼Cupsoft herb and garlic cheese, at room temperature(such as Boursin)
½Cupshredded mozzarella cheese
½Tbspolive oil(or more as needed)
Instructions
Using a serrated knife, cut the tops off each tomato, approximately ½” from the top
4-6 Medium slicing tomatoes
Carefully remove the filling from the tomato without damaging the walls of the tomato. First, cut a circle around the inside wall of the tomato using a sharp knife. Then, score the center crosswise. Pull the large pieces out with your fingers, then use a cutlery teaspoon to clean up the sides
Sprinkle the insides of the tomato cavity with 1 tsp salt (or more as needed depending on size of tomatoes), then turn them upside down on a paper towel lined plate to drain
2 Tsp Salt (or more as needed)
While tomatoes drain, heat a skillet on the stove over medium high heat
Add the sausage and cook until well browned. Do not drain
½ Pound sweet Italian sausage
To the browned sausage, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more
1 Tsp minced garlic
In a mixing bowl, combine sausage and garlic, Italian seasoning, diced onion, fresh basil, ½ cup of the breadcrumbs, pepper, remaining 1 tsp salt, parmesan, Boursin, and mozzarella cheese. Make sure to smash in the Boursin and distribute well. The mixture should be damp (but not wet). Add a small amount of additional olive oil if needed to add more moisture
¾ Cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, ½ Tsp black pepper, 1 Tsp Italian seasoning, 1 Tbsp dried minced onion, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese, ¼ Cup soft herb and garlic cheese, at room temperature, ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Take the remaining ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and combine it with the olive oil in another small bowl, tossing to coat evenly
½ Tbsp olive oil
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (or 360°F depending on your air fryer’s available settings)
Fill your tomatoes with the stuffing mixture, making sure to pack it down slightly and mound it on top. I use my hands, and it takes 3 handfuls to stuff a medium tomato (of course this will vary based on both hand and tomato size)
Top the tomatoes with the reserved oiled breadcrumbs. Press down slightly to stick breadcrumbs to the tomato
Place the filled tomatoes in the preheated air fryer basket
Cook tomatoes on the air fry setting for 10-15 minutes at 350°F, until tops are golden brown, filling is heated through, and cheese is melted
Garnish with additional fresh basil before serving (optional)
Notes
You can use less if you have really large beefsteak tomatoes, or 8 smaller tomatoes if you like. With some patience, small Campari-sized tomatoes can be used as a poppable appetizer!
Panko can be swapped in for normal breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs work fine as well)
You can use ground beef in place of the sausage or omit the meat entirely. If you omit meat, you’ll need to add 1 Tbsp or so of olive oil to the stuffing to replace missing fat
In place of Boursin, you can swap in ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream
For a rice variation, add in about ½ cup of cooked Arborio rice, leftover risotto or even orzo pasta. You can omit the breadcrumbs inside if you do this
To make a vegetable variation, add 6 ounces of cooked spinach to your stuffing blend
Since they’re stuffed, there’s no need to flip during cooking for this recipe
I recommend tongs or a spatula to help you remove the hot tomatoes from the air fryer
If you like, you can add the tomato pulp you pulled out back into your filling for additional flavor and/or moisture. Discard the seeds, though
It is normal for the tomato skins to peel during cooking. They can be consumed, or peeled off easily before presentation if desired
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, any substitutions, and exact quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Keyword air fryer stuffed tomatoes, air fryer tomato recipes, air fryer tomatoes, air fryer tomatoes with cheese, italian stuffed tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes recipe, tomatoes
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
