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!

Diced tomato on a wooden cutting board with whole tomatoes and a sharp knife on the side.

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.

1. Rinse and Scrub

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.

A firm, round tomato on a cutting board with other tomatoes on a vine in the background.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5 Secrets to Healthier Family Dinners
Tips & recipes for getting yummy — and healthy — meals on the table.

FAQs

How do you dice a tomato without crushing it?

Use a sharp knife to dice a tomato without crushing it. 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.

Is there an easy way to dice tomatoes?

Yes, if you cut sections away from the core first and then use a spoon to remove the remaining seeds, dicing tomatoes is a breeze!

What do you do with diced tomatoes?

You can use diced tomatoes 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.

Are tomatoes good for you?

Yes, tomatoes are good for you because they are high in vitamins and minerals, like potassium, and are an excellent source of antioxidants.

How to store fresh tomatoes?

To store tomatoes, 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.

How to freeze tomatoes?

To freeze tomatoes, 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.

Recipe Tips

  • 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.
A small, glass bowl full of healthy diced tomatoes with whole tomatoes in the background.

Ways to Use Diced Tomatoes

Diced tomatoes go perfectly with each of these dishes:

More Knife Skill Tutorials

If you’re looking to up your prep game, check out these other how-to’s:

Don’t want to dice all of your tomatoes? Learn how to peel tomatoes and then freeze tomatoes for later!

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5 from 4 votes

How to Dice a Tomato

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.
A sharp knife is used to dice tomatoes easily.
Yield 1 serving
Prep 2 minutes
Total 2 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 tomato

Instructions 

  • Rinse and scrub the tomato then dry thoroughly with a dish towel.
    1 tomato
  • 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.
    A wedge is cut away from the tomato core.
  • 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.
    A knife cuts wedges away from the core of a tomato.
  • Using a spoon or the knife, brush away any seeds that still remain within the tomato slices.
    A knife carefully removes the seeds from the tomato flesh.
  • 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.
    How to cut wedges into strips, and then dice the tomatoes.

Tap stars to rate!

5 from 4 votes

Video

Notes

Storage Directions
You can dice tomatoes up to one day before you need them to save time.
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.
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.
Recipe Tips
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 22kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.03g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 292mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1025IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 Secrets to Healthier Family Dinners
Tips & recipes for getting yummy — and healthy — meals on the table.

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