Grilled Peaches

When peaches are in season—from May to September, peaking in July and August—truly nothing beats a ripe, sticky-sweet peach. While you can just bite right in, cooking with peaches is truly killer. Obviously you can bake with them (peach cobbler, peach pie, peach pound cake), but peaches are also great in savory dishes, like in our peach balsamic chicken and as a salsa with pork tacos. Whether we're using the fruit in sweet or savory recipes, one of our favorite ways to amplify (and enjoy) a peach's natural flavor is to grill it. You heard us right—read on for everything you need to know:

How To Make Grilled Peaches

INGREDIENTS

• Ripe Peaches: Before grilling, be sure to pick the best peaches you can find. Here are some tips: Take a peek at the top where the stem used to be; if it’s golden or white (not green) and starting to wrinkle, that peach is ready to be eaten. When you squeeze the peaches they should still be a little firm if you want to grill them, since softer peaches will caramelize too quickly on the grill and burn.
• Oil: To achieve those gorgeous, caramelized grill marks, we’ll be using the grill on medium-high heat. Use a high smoke point oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
• Vanilla Ice Cream, Honey and Sea Salt: For a sweet grilled peach treat, top with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle honey and complementary sprinkle of sea salt.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush the halved and pitted peaches with a high smoke point neutral oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil, on both sides.

Grill the peaches cut-side down to create those gorgeous grill marks.

After 4 to 5 minutes, the peaches should be soft, caramelized and ready to flip.

Using tongs, flip the peaches and grill the skin-side for 4 to 6 more minutes, or until they’re almost falling apart.

Serve over a big scoop of vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of sea salt. Or, add them to a summer salad.

Variations

Fruits are taking over the grill this summer. Try these grilled fruits next:

• Grilled Watermelon: Watermelon’s juicy, sweet flavor is only amplified and enhanced by the grill.
• Grilled Avocado: Grilling avocados not only gives them a charred and smoky flavor, but it makes them incredibly tender and extra creamy.
• Grilled Pineapple: Grilling brings out the fruit’s natural sweetness, and it’s a great way to serve it if it’s not entirely ripe yet.

Recipe Tips:

• Why should you grill your peaches? Putting your peach on the grill does wonders for the fruit: it amplifies the natural sweetness, makes it extra soft and juicy, and even caramelizes it slightly. Just like in our grilled pineapple and grilled avocado recipes, grilling is the best way to give a unique, smoky flavor to the classic sweet fruit.
• Should I remove the peach skin before grilling? No need to remove the skin before grilling! In fact, keeping the skin helps the peaches maintain their structure on the grill.
• How should I serve grilled peaches? Grilled peaches can be served solo, but a drizzle of honey, olive oil, and sea salt will really bring out their flavor. To kick things up a notch, add freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, mascarpone, or ricotta, and a handful of torn mint for a wow-worthy dessert. Alternatively, you can add them to your savory dishes, like our balsamic grilled steak salad.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, these will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can even throw them on the grill to reheat them!