How to Dice a Tomato

Is this your first time at dicing tomatoes? Then you are in the right place. Tomatoes are simply delicious, and if you love them as much as we do, you’ll want to get the most out of them without wasting one bit. That is the reason why today we’ll be telling you all about how to dice a tomato the right way.

Tomatoes are the primary dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. As you can tell, adding more tomatoes to your diet is always a good idea.

There are quite a few ways to dice tomatoes, including using a knife and cutting board or even your food processor. Though it sounds like a relatively easy task, there are a few pointers that will make a massive difference in your tomato dicing skills. It’s all about having the right kitchen utensils and following a few simple guidelines before you dice a tomato like a pro. We’ll be showing you a couple of different ways so you can learn how to dice a tomato properly.

How to Dice a Tomato FAQs

How do you dice tomatoes evenly?

First, place the tomato on its side on a cutting board to dice a tomato. Then, use a serrated knife to cut the tomato into evenly spaced slices, working your way from the stem end to the bottom. The thinner the slices, the smaller the dice will be. Discard the stem and bottom ends.

How do you dice a tomato without squishing it?

According to The Kitchn, the best way to slice a tomato is with a serrated knife. Tomatoes are firm on the outside and soft on the inside, so if you try cutting them with a chef’s knife, especially one that isn’t very sharp, you risk crushing the fruit instead of slicing through that outer layer right away.

A serrated knife is best for cutting through the tomato skin. Cutting with a paring knife or a fancy chef knife can tear and crumble the skin of the tomato.

Can you dice tomatoes using a food processor?

A food processor is a perfect appliance to dice tomatoes in less than a minute. You can use the pulse feature to prevent the appliance from making a sauce out of your tomatoes.
Dicing tomatoes with a food processor is a convenient alternative. This method helps you cut tomatoes into cubes of equal size within seconds.
Use the regular blade that came with the appliance, and do not overload the bowl with tomato pieces. Press the pulse button to cycle the blade for two or three seconds to obtain diced tomatoes.

What other alternatives are there to dicing tomatoes?

In addition to a knife and food processor, you can also use the dicer to dice tomatoes. This alternative is best if you are to dice small and medium-sized tomatoes. You have to push down the lever to dice a tomato into fine and uniform cubes.

What can you do with diced tomatoes?

You can perfectly use small tomato cubes for topping and for making sauces. Medium tomato cubes work best for salsas and sides, while larger ones are best for salads, soups, and stews. Delicious recipes which call for diced tomatoes and that are everyone loves include nachos, topped with ground beef, shredded cheese, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, avocados, and sour cream; pico de gallo, Greek tomato salad, and fresh tomato pizza.

How do you prepare tomatoes before dicing?

• Wash your tomatoes. Tomatoes should always be washed under the faucet prior to dicing. Make sure to remove any dirt and debris. Peel off any stickers as well.
• Remove the core. A small spoon or a teaspoon can be used to remove the core of your tomato. Simply insert the tip of the spoon into the tomato’s stem. Dig out the stem using the spoon and then discard it.

How to seed tomatoes before dicing?

1. Cut your tomatoes in half. Cut the center of the tomato. Try to keep the two halves roughly the same size.
2. Make a series of three to four length-wise cuts across each half of your tomato. This should cut your tomato into quarters. Each quarter should be roughly the same size.
3. Place each quarter on a table or cutting board with the skin side facing downward. Slice a knife across the tomato to cut out the white, fleshy portion of the tomato. The seeds are attached to this portion so that they will be sliced out as well.

How to Dice a Tomato

Knife Method

1. Place the tomato on its side and use a serrated knife to trim off any stems or leaves.
2. Cut the tomato half crosswise to expose the seeds and pulp in the middle.
3. Gently squeeze the seeds and use a spoon or table knife to seed tomatoes from the middle. Then, discard the seeds.
4. Placing the seeded half tomatoes on the cutting board, make vertical and evenly spaced slices. Depending on how large or small you want the cubes to be, you can choose the thickness.
5. Rotate the tomato slices 90 degrees and slice in the opposite direction to make cubes.

Farberware Edgekeeper Serrated Utility Knife

Each blade is expertly crafted from superior quality, high carbon stainless steel, ensuring the blades retain their ultra-sharp edge longer than conventional stainless steel and provide precision results.

The ergonomically designed handles are for a comfortable grip; knives are perfectly balanced for precision while cutting.

Hold the sheath on a stable surface and gently pull the knife through the sharpener. The blade edge will sharpen every time the knife is pulled out of the sharpener.

Features:

• Stainless Steel
• Comfort Grip
• Easy Care

Food Processor Method

1. Cut the tomatoes with a knife into pieces that will fit into the bowl of the food processor. You can also cut the tomatoes into halves and seed tomatoes before putting them in the processor.
2. Use the regular blade that came with the appliance, and do not overload the bowl with tomato pieces.
3. Press the pulse button to cycle the blade for two or three seconds.
4. Empty the bowl once you have diced the tomatoes to the desired size.
5. Repeat the process with a new batch.

Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor

Use this versatile machine to prepare ingredients for all your favorite recipes easily. The Big Mouth feed tube reduces pre-cutting to save you time prep work in the kitchen.

This large food processor comes with a 12 cup sealed bowl with a pour spout to eliminate leaks and prevent spills when pouring ingredients.

A handy cord storage area hides the cord when not used to reduce countertop clutter.

Features:

• Powerful 450-watt motor
• Easy stack
• Big Mouth feed tube

Dicer Method

1. Choose the dicer with a suitably sized blade frame and secure it in place.
2. Cut the tomato half crosswise.
3. Seed the tomatoes before dicing them.
4. Place the tomato on the blade frame and press the lever down.
5. Empty the preservation box when it is complete before dicing another piece.

Fullstar Vegetable Chopper

Four interchangeable blades let you julienne, chop and slice vegetables with ease. Built-in chop lid allows you to cut foods directly into the 1.2L collection tray without the mess of a knife and cutting board.

Storage container lets you hold prepared vegetables in the Fullstar Vegetable Cutter until you are ready to begin cooking.

This 7-piece set is destined to become the favorite among all your home kitchen tools.

Features:

• Stainless Steel
• Plastic
• Manual

How to Dice a Tomato Additional Tips

• If you feel that seeding tomatoes with a spoon can be messy, you can cut off the sides of the tomatoes, leaving the core.
• Do not use overripe or raw tomatoes for making tomato cubes. Overripe tomatoes are too soft and squishy for dicing, while raw tomatoes would not taste good.
• If you do not want the tomato juice, you can strain the diced tomatoes in a colander or strainer.
• Using the pulse function of the processor for longer will give you finer tomato cubes. But, overdoing it can turn the tomatoes into puree.
• Roma tomatoes are very small and delicate. They tend to have fewer seeds, and the seeds can be difficult to remove without damaging the tomatoes. It’s usually okay to leave the seeds of Roma tomatoes intact.