Peach Halves On The Grill
Peach halves on the grill will transform summer peaches into a bit of magic in less than 10 minutes. The true taste of summer!
At the peak of peach season, grilled peach halves are a perfect pairing with, well, almost anything – chicken, pork, fish – and of course as a delicious dessert. They are fantastic served warm or at room temperature.
I figure about 1 smaller peach per person or 1/2 a large one (I make a few extras for the typically high demand).
You will know when peach season comes around because the prices go way down for a few weeks and you just want to inhale the fragrance, letting their juices drip down your chin.
Never mind… just make these. Hands down, my favorite way to serve summer sweet peaches. They’re so good, so easy and they just take a few minutes.
How to tell if a peach is ripe
You can’t tell a ripe peach by its color. A red blushed peach is not necessarily ripe. The best ways to tell are by touch and smell. Avoid peaches that are wrinkly and bruised, hard as a rock or too squishy/mushy.
Ripe peaches have:
- a fragrant sweet smell.
- slight ‘give’ or softness when gently squeezed.
- slight wrinkling around the stem.
- color around the stem that is deeper yellow, not pale or green.
How to ripen peaches quickly:
- Unless the peaches are really hard, a day or two on the counter will do it. Near a window is best. Don’t put them in the fridge unless they are already ripe and you don’t want them to ripen any more.
- To hasten ripening, place peaches in a paper bag. For even quicker ripening, place a banana or apple in the bag with the peaches.
Best peaches to buy
Peaches are a stone fruit and there are two types – freestone peaches and clingstone peaches (and now a new hybrid of the two).
The flesh of clingstone peaches “clings” to the pit and is harder to remove, but they are a bit sweeter and juicier and smaller. I prefer freestone for this recipe as they are easier to separate the halves and remove the pit. Both types will work fine though. Don’t use overripe peaches as they will become mushy.
How to make peach halves on the grill
Tailor To Your Taste
- For this grilled peaches recipe, it is not absolutely necessary to add the butter and sugar as peaches have natural sugars, but I highly recommend it. The extra calorie amount is tiny and the added flavor is well worth it in my opinion. You can skip the butter if you want though.
- Instead of butter and sugar, you can add a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom.
- Garnish with chopped mint leaves if you like.
Make Ahead
- This recipe can be made a couple of hours ahead. Serve at room temperature or, if desired, warm the peaches in the microwave for 45 seconds. I do this as prefer warm peaches.
Ways to use Grilled Peaches
Grilled peaches are a star on their own, but here’s a couple of other ways to use them:
- Dessert: Make a perfect summer dessert, served in small bowls, with grilled peaches and a scoop of ice cream or Greek yogurt on top (for some decadence, drizzle on some caramel sauce);
- Salad: Cut up the grilled peaches into small chunks and toss them into a Thai Quinoa Salad
- Appetizer: Top crostini with ricotta and grilled peach slices, sprinkled with basil (or slivers of prosciutto) for a great appetizer; Or try our Pesto Ricotta Crostini appetizers.
- Easy side dish: Cut up grilled peaches into small chunks and toss them into Grilled Vegetable Orzo; or as a simple side for juicy pork chops, marinated chicken, maple glazed pork tenderloin or flank steak.
- Main dish: Use grilled peaches instead of fresh peaches in this Maple Ginger Salmon with Peach Salsa
- Salad: Make a spinach salad with grilled peaches and avocado. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette or the dressing used in Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad
Other Peach Recipes
If you love peaches, here are a few other peach recipes to try.
Grilled Peaches Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ripe peaches
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup (brown sugar or white is fine)
- pinch ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom (optional)
Instructions
- HEAT GRILL to medium-high temperature, about 450F/232C.
- PREPARED PEACHES AND SEASONING: Wash the peaches, slice around the middle with a paring knife, separate the halves and remove the pits. To cut halves, I slice around the seam, twist each half in the opposite direction to separate. Microwave butter and sugar in a small microwavable dish. Stir to blend. Set aside.
- GRILL PEACHES: Spray or brush grill and flesh side of the peaches with oil. Place peaches on grill grates, cut sides of the peaches, close lid and grill for about 2-3 minutes (check to see if you have some grill marks. Turn over using a spatula or tongs, brush with butter-sugar mixture and continue to heat another 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the peach. Peaches should still hold their shape well. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For this grilled peaches recipe, it is not absolutely necessary to add the butter and sugar as peaches have natural sugars, but I highly recommend it. The extra calorie amount is tiny and the added flavor is well worth it in my opinion. You can skip the butter if you want though.
- Instead of butter and sugar, you can add a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom.
- Garnish with chopped mint leaves if you like.
Love the peach recipes
Grilled peaches easy and delicious
Love those grilled peaches too!Thanks for leaving a comment!