How to Make Deliciously Smokey And Sweet Grilled Peaches

Peaches are delicious and succulent snacks in their own right, but if you want to elevate them into the realm of the spectacular, all you need is a grill!

Grilling peaches brings all the natural sugars to the surface and makes every bite so much juicier and sweeter.

Grilled peaches make for a delicious appetizer, alongside grilled tomatoes and grilled corn.

If you’re grilling meat, the natural sweetness of grilled peaches makes the perfect foil for either savory steaks or a light chicken dinner.

With just a little bit of heat and some simple salt and pepper, you can transform ripe peaches from a perfectly acceptable snack to a knock-out appetizer.

How To Pick Out Ripe Peaches

Here are some pointers on how to pick fresh, ripe peaches:

1. Go local, as much as possible. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where peaches are being grown locally (hello, lovely Georgians!), visiting your local farmers is the BEST way to get ripe peaches. These farmers would be more than happy to help you pick ripe peaches, especially if you tell them that you’re going to use them for grilling.
2. Look at the skin. The skin should be firm, unbroken, and with little to no blemishes. The color should be bright and vibrant as well. Peaches with pale-colored or green-tinged skin should be avoided.
3. Squeeze the peach gently. For grilling, you want peaches that are slightly underripe (firm with a little give) or perfectly ripe. As you squeeze, you should also get a burst of that sweet, floral scent that you love so much with peaches!

What Kind Of Peaches Are Best For Grilling?

For grilling, there are ​two types of peaches that you can use. You can use either yellow peaches or white peaches.

Yellow peaches are the most common type of peaches grown in the USA.

You can distinguish them by their gorgeous deep reddish-orange skin and golden flesh.

They’re a good balance of sweet and tangy, and they stand up well to grilling because of their firm texture.

White peaches, on the other hand, have pale pink skin and pale-yellow flesh. They have a milder, sweeter, and less acidic taste compared to yellow peaches.

They also tend to be a bit softer when ripe, so if you plan to grill them, they will cook a lot quicker compared to yellow peaches.

Do Peaches Need To Be Ripe To Grill?

Peaches do not need to be exactly ripe for grilling.

You can use ripe peaches, but you can use slightly unripe peaches as well!

In fact, grilling slightly unripe peaches makes them softer and brings out their natural sweetness so you can eat them immediately!

If you’re using yellow peaches, you can use either ripe or slightly underripe peaches, but if you’re using white peaches, it might be better to use underripe peaches so that they don’t get overcooked too quickly.

How Do You Wash Peaches?

As with any fruit that you will eat with the skin on, it’s always a good idea to wash peaches before using them.

Washing peaches not only removes the dust and grime from the surface of the peaches, it also removes any residual pesticides.

To wash a peach, hold the peach under clean, running water and scrub it gently with a vegetable brush. 

Our Cookingchew Cooking Tips:

1. Always cook with a fresh, clean grill.  
   
   Cooking with a clean grill allows the heat to transfer properly to the food.
   
   Plus, you don’t want burnt bits of old food sticking to whatever you’re grilling!
   
   If you have a dirty grill, you should deep clean your grill before using it.
2. Leave the skin on.
   
   Peach skins are high in fiber and antioxidants and they protect the flesh during the grilling process.
   
   You can always remove the skin before eating it if you don’t like the fuzzy texture of peach skins.

Quick And Easy Grilled Peaches

With just a quick grill, you can intensify the natural sweetness and juiciness to a whole new level!

This recipe gives you grilled peaches that’s a great appetizer.

You can also cut up these grilled peaches and mix them with arugula and a light balsamic dressing for an easy sweet-and-spicy salad.

Don’t Put Out The Grill Just Yet!

If you’re done grilling your peaches, don’t put out the heat just yet!

You can use the residual heat to grill other ingredients, such as pineapples, figs, or watermelons

They’re Not Just For Appetizers

You can transform grilled peaches from appetizers to desserts by switching out the toppings!

Cream together 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.

After the peaches have been grilled, garnish the tops of the peaches with the butter mixture.

The residual heat from cooking will melt the butter into the peach!

This recipe creates 8 delicious peach halves that are sweet, golden-brown, and perfectly caramelized.

You can eat them on their own, topped with ice cream or other sweet toppings as a dessert, or as a side for roasted pork (because everyone knows peaches and pork go so well together!)