Henry James famously said, ““Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” I’d be inclined to agree, with the caveat that come mid-summer, the words “grilled peaches” might be a close second. Can you think of any other 1-ingredient recipe that’s so mind-blowingly delicious? Okay, 4-ingredient if you include olive oil, salt, and honey, but those pantry staples almost don’t count. And then you could up the ante by dousing this easy grilled peaches recipe in a scoop of oozing vanilla ice cream… but that’s purely a personal decision.
The point is, if you’ve never grilled peaches before, now’s the time. And if you don’t own a grill, then yes: you most certainly can get a similar effect by popping these babies under the broiler for a minute or two. Just stock up on the peaches (or nectarines, or apricots) that speak to you at the market, then scroll on for an easy grilled peaches recipe that’ll teach you exactly what to do with them.
The best peaches for grilling
Sources say that the best peaches for grilling are Freestone Peaches—their sturdiness will maintain their firmness and not fall apart on the grill. However, don’t sweat it if you have a different kind—I generally grill whatever stone fruit I happen to have laying around my kitchen, and although some peaches may not grill up quite as pretty aesthetically, they all taste really freaking good. The important thing is that they’re firm enough to hold up on the grill, yet ripe enough to release the pit when you cut them open.
How to grill peaches
This easy grilled peaches recipe comes together in 10 minutes—here’s how:
Heat the grill to medium
You want to get your grill hot enough to give the peaches a good char, but not so hot that they go up in flames or, just as bad, become mush. If you’re grilling peaches after you’ve grilled savory food, be sure to give the grill a good scrub in between (we’re not going for hot dog aromatics here, my friend.)
Prep your peaches
As mentioned above, your peaches should be firm but ripe. Take a paring knife and cut the peaches along their seams, all the way around. Then twist the halves off their pits, using your paring knife as needed to remove the pit completely.
Brush it all with EVOO
This is a key step that will keep the peaches from sticking to the grill, especially since they release their natural sugars as they cook. I love to add a sprinkle of salt at this step too—that bit of extra saltiness makes the end result so flavorful.
Toss them on the grill
Place the peaches on the grill skin side up. Resist the urge to move them around—you want to let them get a good sear (about 3 – 4 minutes) so that they’ll release somewhat cleanly when you go to flip them. After another couple minutes on the other side, they’re ready to roll. I tend to err on the side of undercooking, since I’d prefer them to be a touch al dente rather than mushy. If the peach skin falls off, no sweat. Mainly, you just want some solid grill marks that show you gave them time to develop that smoky flavor.
At this point, you can give your grilled peaches a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of fresh basil or mint, if you so desire.
Serve this easy grilled peaches recipe with ice cream—or nothing at all
My favorite way to end a summer dinner party? Bring a plate of grilled peach halves to the table with a pint of vanilla ice cream, and let everyone dig in. It’s messy, it’s delicious, it doesn’t get more summery than that.
Scroll on for the easy grilled peaches recipe, and be sure to tag us at @camillestyles so we can see if you give them at try!