Grilled Pears

How to Grill Pears (Recipe and Variations)

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 8 servings

Grilled pears are great alongside grilled pork or sausages, but they're even better when served with ice cream, whipped cream, or frozen yogurt for dessert. The smokiness of the grill highlights pears' natural sweetness to fabulous effect.

Depending on how you're going to serve them, plan on cooking one pear per person. However, half a pear can suffice, too, especially if you're going to serve them for dessert with ice cream after a big meal.

“I am now in love with pears. Before I liked them but now we are talking love. The grilling brings out the natural sweetness and the brown sugar is a must ingredient in my opinion for the added yumminess. We enjoyed them as our meal accompaniment and will use the remaining with ice cream later.” —Mary Jo Romano 

How to Grill Pears (Recipe and Variations)/Tester Image
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Ingredients

  • 4 medium pears

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil, or another neutral-flavored oil, more for the grill

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    grilled pairs ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the pear halves with oil and use a pastry brush to spread it over the pear flesh.

    brush pears with oil

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Prepare a medium (350°F to 375°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Clean and oil the grill grates.

    Put the pears, cut-side down, on the grill. Cover and cook until grill marks appear and the fruit is tender, about 10 minutes.

    Flip the pears and continue cooking for even more tender fruit.

    pear cooking on a grill

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. If using the sugar, sprinkle it on the the cut side of the pear and let the sugar melt. Remove from the grill and finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt before serving.

    grilled pears on a grill

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Tips

  • Any variety of pear works just fine on the grill, even notoriously juicy Bartletts. However, choose one that's still firm and not overly soft and ripe.
  • Instead of using oil, drizzle the pears with melted butter before grilling.
  • Serve the grilled pears hot or warm as a side dish or with ice cream or whipped cream for dessert. Let the pears cool slightly so the ice cream doesn't melt quickly. You may also want to consider serving these lovelies with some homemade buttermilk ice cream
  • Instead of halving the pears, you can also slice them into 1 1/2-inch rounds. If you slice them too thinly, the pears will get mushy. Grill each side of the round for approximately 2 minutes each.
  • Make sure the cooking grate on the grill is clean and well-oiled.

Recipe Variations

  • Kick them up: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the pears while they cook. A dusting of ground cardamom or even garam masala, a warm spice mix, can also be a delicious addition.
  • Make them nutty: Top grilled pears with some chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.
  • Add some spice: Mix 1/8 teaspoon cayenne into the oil or butter before brushing it on the pears.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
66 Calories
2g Fat
14g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 66
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 103mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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