Sometimes You Need To Put Away The Oil When Grilling Fruit

Remember when people first started talking about grilling watermelons and it was all the rage? No, we're not talking about the viral TikToks showing how to grill the watery summer fruit. As bizarre as it might sound, grilled watermelons — and watermelon steaks — have been around for a while. The recipe made us wonder why people go through the hassle of grilling fruits when they taste amazing when eaten as mother nature intended for them to be — raw, juicy, and fresh.

As it turns out, grilling fruit accentuates its flavors, per Have A Plant. Fruits contain natural sugars that are caramelized when heated, so the result is sweeter fruit with a pleasant smokey kick. Fruits can be used in a bunch of delicious grilled dessert recipes like peach Melba and cobbler, and in case you have always wondered what heaven tastes like, try grilled pineapples with whipped cream or grilled banana split.

Grilling fruit is fairly simple, per Betty Crocker — cut big slices or skewer them, thinly coat them with oil or butter, place them on the grill at low temperature, try not to burn them, and voila. Fruits are as easy to burn as they are to cook, so Martha Stewart recommends brushing them with neutral oil for that armor effect against high heat, but you don't necessarily need it.

Oiling keeps your fruit from sticking to the grill grates, but in some cases, it's just practical to avoid them altogether. If you're grilling fruits to use in desserts or cocktails, All Recipes suggests it's best not to use oil for a non-sticky finish. There is no specific reason for it, but cocktails sans the grease definitely sound better. The outlet also mentions that some fruits get better grill marks when not oiled.

Peaches, cantaloupes, pears, pineapples, and bananas are some of the best fruits to grill. Martha Stewart recommends using fruits that are moderately ripe and chopping them into big pieces so the structure remains intact while cooking and they won't fall between the grill grates. Patience is key, so keep an eye on the fruits to avoid overcooking, and let them sit on the hot grill for a few minutes to get those nice grill marks.