Best Sun Dried Tomatoes to Buy (Julienned, Halved, and in Oil)

What are the best sun dried tomatoes? I’m so glad you asked. Because I tried 13 different brands of sun dried tomatoes and it can’t have been for nothing. 

Sun dried tomatoes had their time in the sun (pun most definitely intended) in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, when chefs simply could not stop themselves from showering them onto everything from salads to pizzas to pastas and everywhere in between. Folks most certainly got burnt out on the little guys and sun dried tomatoes became a bit of a punchline for a decade or so. But now, they’re back—at least, no one will scoff at you for including them in a dish. And I think that’s great. 

I love sun dried tomatoes. I like to snack on them. I have to stop myself from eating a whole bag of them. Why can’t I eat the whole bag? Let’s just say nightshades aren’t the greatest foods to eat in bulk if you are interested in preserving your gastrointestinal comfort. 

Anyway, that’s all to say I was psyched for this taste test. I gathered every type of sun dried tomato I could find—sun dried tomato in oil, julienned sun dried tomatoes, sun dried tomato halves, you get the point. And I tasted them all. I looked for deep, rich tomato flavor. I looked for thin, delicate skins that won’t have you spitting them out. I looked for freshness. You dry tomatoes in order to preserve them—so let’s see that preserved flavor, right?

Here are the best sun dried tomatoes out there, according to our taste test. 

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Cara Mia Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Style in Oil

Best Julienned in Oil

Cara Mia Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Style in Oil

Packed with herbs in a blend of sunflower oil and olive oil, these julienned sun dried tomatoes essentially just taste like pizza, which naturally makes them the best sun dried tomatoes in oil for pizza.  Since they already bring that pizza flavor, they’ll just amp up your pie even more! Of course, you could (and should) also throw them into a pasta salad or chop them up finely to add to a sauce or dip. The strips are rich with a deep, sweet tomato flavor. And while they are a bit on the tougher side, that pizza flavor is too good to pass up. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes Halves

Best Tomato Halves

Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes Halves

These sun dried tomato halves are super rich and super sweet and they aren’t tough at all. For me, they’re the best sun dried tomatoes for snacking. You can easily bite into one without too much resistance from the skin or the flesh. (Who knew writing about the best sun dried tomatoes could also sound like cannibalism?) I realize not everyone eats sun dried tomatoes as snacks, though. So, for you folks, these are the best sun dried tomato halves to keep in the pantry, ready to be chopped into pasta or sliced into a wrap. Seriously, though, just try one on its own.

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Delallo Sun Dried Tomatoes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Best Halves in Oil

Delallo Sun Dried Tomatoes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Even the olive oil in this jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil is good. That alone would be worth a purchase. It’s bright and zippy and zingy. It would be so good drizzled onto some ciabatta or added to a salad dressing. But the sun dried tomato halves are tasty, too. The tomato is tender and so silky thanks to its time spent bathing in delicious oil. And the skins are firm, but not tough, making these some of the best sun dried tomatoes to cook with, since they won’t fall apart immediately. Bake them onto homemade focaccia or add them to a stewy chicken dish. Or puree them and their oil into an umami bomb of a sauce base.

Credit: Merc / Kroger

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

California Sun Dry Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut

Best of the Best

California Sun Dry Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut

I gotta say, I am shocked that julienned sun dried tomatoes made the number one spot on our best sun dried tomatoes list. I was sure I’d find a bagged, snackable sun dried tomato that I liked more. But California Sun Dry knows what they’re doing. The strips have a darker flavor than any of the other sun dried tomatoes I tried. And the flesh is thick, even though the strips are thin. These sun dried tomato strips are sweet and tangy and tender. They’re so good. And they’re great for cooking. You can toss them right onto a salad or a pizza or into pasta, and then close up the bag and pop it right back in the pantry. I’m a julienned sun dried tomatoes convert because of these.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other sun dried tomato brands we tried: Alessi Sun Dried Tomatoes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Melissa’s Dried Tomatoes, Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut, Mezzetta Sun Ripened Dried Tomatoes, California Sun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut with Herbs, California Sun Sun Dried Tomato Halves with Herbs, Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Julienne Cut Tomatoes with Italian Herbs, Signature Select Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Herbs in Oil Julienne, Good & Gather Signature Sun Dried Tomato Halves in Sunflower Oil and Hand-Chopped Basil


About the Author

Justine Sterling

Justine Sterling is the editor-in-chief of Sporked. She has been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and is an avid at-home cook and snacker. Don’t worry, she’s not a food snob. Sure, she loves a fresh-shucked oyster. But she also will leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and loves a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.

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