If you’ve been wondering How to Dice a Tomato, then look no further! This is the easiest, quickest, and best way possible! Once you cut this fresh fruit into evenly sized cubes you can use it in an endless number of dishes. This simple method is perfect for pico de gallo, to top salads or pizzas, or to freeze for later!
Whether it’s for pico, salads, or some type of salsa…
Many websites and chef’s out there claim they know the BEST way to dice a tomato.
But unless they do it the way you see below, it simply isn’t true.
Because this method will not only give you a perfect dice, it’s also SO quick and easy to do.
You also don’t have to worry about coring the tomato or making any fancy cuts. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below, and you’ll naturally core the tomato with just a few simple slices (and without crushing it!)
All you’ll need is a tomato, a sharp knife, and a cutting board to do it!
How to Dice a Tomato
This method is great for Roma tomatoes, vine-ripened, San Marzano, or other medium to large varieties. It does not apply to cutting cherry or grape tomatoes, since they are too small to dice.
The basic steps for dicing a tomato are simple to follow:
Rinse and Scrub
It is important to clean the outside of the tomatoes before using them.
Rinse and gently scrub the tomato with your hands under running water to remove any visible dirt or debris. Be careful, as the skins can be quite fragile.
Then, dry thoroughly with a dish towel.
Slice off the Sides
Use a large cutting board and a sharp, serrated knife. If you have a board with a groove around the side, use this as it will catch any tomato juices that seep out.
Set the tomato down with the stem facing up.
Position the knife about ¼ to ½-inch to the right of the stem. (Or to the left for you lefties out there!)
Carefully but firmly slice all of the way down to the base of the tomato. If you look at the fruit, you will see the natural curves. Try to follow this outline.
Rotate the tomato 90 degrees but keep the stem facing up. Slice off this side. Keep turning and cutting down until you have 4 tomato slices along with a core.
Remove the Seeds
You do not need the core or the seeds still attached to it, so you can discard it.
Even though a good bit of seeds stayed on the core, there are still some in the chunks you need to cut away. Tomato seeds add extra moisture to dishes, sometimes resulting in soggy and unappealing meals.
The best way to avoid this is to remove the seeds.
Using a spoon or the knife, brush away any seeds that still remain within the tomato flesh.
Dice into Pieces
Start with one piece of the tomato and set it skin-side down on the cutting board. Cut it into strips about ¼ to ½-inch wide.
Rotate the strips 90 degrees and make cuts perpendicular that are at about the same width. Repeat this process until all of the tomato is cut into small cubes.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: You can dice tomatoes up to one day before you need them to save time.
- To Store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. After that, the meat will break down and they will get watery and develop a mealy texture.
- To Freeze: The best way to keep tomatoes longer is to first flash freeze them by placing on a baking sheet in a single layer. Set them in the freezer for an hour until they are frozen and hard. Then, transfer the tomatoes to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 6 to 9 months.
FAQs
It is essential to use a very sharp knife when cutting tomatoes as the skin and flesh are fragile. You can also use the tip of the paring knife to make a small incision where you want to cut, then slice across it. It is also best to use fresh tomatoes with a firm texture when dicing.
If you cut sections away from the core first and then use a spoon to remove the remaining seeds, dicing tomatoes is a breeze!
You can use tomato cubes on so many dishes! Top your favorite ground beef tacos, make pico de gallo, put them in a Greek tomato salad, mix them with avocado and onion as a dip for tortilla chips, throw them in a food processor to make tomato sauce, use them for fresh tomato pizza, or stir them into stews.
Tomatoes are high in vitamins and minerals, like potassium, and are an excellent source of antioxidants.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Go big. Be sure to use medium-large sized tomatoes when dicing.
- Be firm. If the texture is soft, it will be hard to dice.
- Stay gentle. Tomatoes are fragile and you can squish them if you aren’t careful cutting.
- No seeds. Be sure to scoop away any remaining seeds from the flesh before using or dishes will be watery.
- Use ’em up. These diced tomatoes are excellent to top Mexican dishes along with sour cream, and cilantro, or on pizza with fresh mozzarella cheese and basil leaves.
Ways to Use Diced Tomatoes
Diced tomatoes go perfectly with each of these dishes:
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
- Tomato Bruschetta
- Homemade Guacamole
- Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
- Shrimp Ceviche
More Knife Skill Tutorials
If you’re looking to up your prep game, check out these other how-to’s:
- How to Julienne Cut
- How to Cut a Mango
- How to Cut an Avocado
- How to Cut Green Onions
- How to Cut a Pineapple
Don’t want to dice all of your tomatoes? Learn how to peel tomatoes and then freeze tomatoes for later!
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How to Dice a Tomato
Ingredients
- 1 tomato
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub the tomato to remove any visible dirt or debris and then dry thoroughly with a dish towel.
- Place the tomato on a cutting board, stem side-up. Place a well sharpened chef’s knife about ¼ to ½-inch to the right of the stem. Make a slice all of the way down to the base of the tomato, following the natural curvature of the fruit. Rotate the tomato 90 degrees, with the stem side still facing up, and cut off this side of the tomato. Repeat this process until you have 4 slabs of tomato and the core with the seeds still attached. Discard the core.
- Using a spoon or the knife, brush away any seeds that still remain within the tomato slices.
- Lay one piece skin side-down onto the cutting board and make cuts approximately ¼ to ½-inch apart to get strips. Turn the strips and make additional cuts perpendicular to those that are roughly the same width apart. Repeat this process until all pieces of tomato have been diced.
- Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
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Video
Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: You can dice tomatoes up to one day before you need them to save time.
- To Store: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. After that, the meat will break down and they will get watery.
- To Freeze: The best way to keep tomatoes longer is to first flash freeze them by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Set them in the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen and hard. Then, transfer the tomatoes to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 6 to 9 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
