ByCheryl Avrich Updated on
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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.
Ingredients – tailored 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 calorieamount 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 or maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom. Or a drizzle of maple balsamic dressing or honey hot sauce.
- Garnish with chopped mint leaves if you like.
Step by step instructions
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. Avoidpeaches 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.
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.
How 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 aThai Quinoa Salad
- Appetizer: Top crostini with ricotta and grilled peach slices, sprinkled with basil (or slivers of prosciutto) for a great appetizer; Or try ourPesto Ricotta Crostiniappetizers.
- Easy side dish: Cut up grilled peaches into small chunks and toss them intoGrilled Vegetable Orzo; or as a simple side for juicy pork chops, marinated chicken, maple glazed pork tenderloin. homemade peri peri chicken (grilled or baked), pan-fried gnocchi with lemon ricotta and herbsorflank steak.
- Main dish: Use grilled peaches instead of fresh peaches in thisMaple Ginger Salmon with Peach Salsa
- Salad:Make a spinach salad with grilled peaches and avocado. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette or the dressing used inQuinoa Sweet Potato Salad
More delicious peach recipes
If you love peaches, here are a few other peach recipes to try.
- peach crumble with oats
- panzanella salad recipe with peaches
- no-cook peach compote (5 minute prep)
- maple salmon with peach salsa
- savory peach sauce
- peach marmalade
Want more? Check out these other seasonal peach recipes.
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Grilled Peaches Recipe
This grilled peaches recipe will transform summer peaches into a bit of magic in less than 10 minutes. The true taste of summer!
Prep Time3 minutes mins
Cook Time6 minutes mins
Total Time9 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: Cheryl Avrich
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.
Recipe Notes
Variations
- 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 calorieamount 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. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Nutrition values are estimates and will depend on size of peaches and whether or not you use butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
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