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A Peach Burrata Salad with Grilled Peaches and Aged Balsamic
If summer had a signature dish at my table, this peach burrata salad would be it. Grilled peaches with caramelized edges, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy torn burrata piled over peppery arugula, then finished with good olive oil and a slow drizzle of aged balsamic. It tastes like a South Carolina peach stand met the Amalfi Coast, and honestly, that is exactly the mood.
What makes this one special is the grill. Five minutes of heat transforms ripe peaches into something jammy and smoky, the way I first fell in love with them in my grilled peaches with yogurt and honey. And because burrata does all the work of a dressing, there is nothing to whisk and nothing to fuss over. I served this alongside my seafood charcuterie board for an Italian coastal evening, and it disappeared first.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe, my grilling tips, and the one step that makes this salad unforgettable.
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Peach Burrata Salad
- Total Time: 18
- Yield: 4 servings (scaler 1x, 2x, 3x) 1x
Description
This peach burrata salad layers smoky grilled peaches, sweet cherry tomatoes, and creamy torn burrata over peppery arugula, finished with good olive oil and aged balsamic. Sweet meets savory in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the peaches: 3 ripe but firm peaches, halved and pitted
- For grilling: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- For the salad: 5 ounces baby arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 2 balls fresh burrata (about 8 ounces), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- For finishing: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the good bottle
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Grill the peaches. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Pat the cut sides of the peaches dry, brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and grill cut side down for 3 to 4 minutes until charred and caramelized. Flip and grill 1 to 2 minutes more. Cool slightly, then slice into wedges.
- Build the base. Spread the arugula in a wide, shallow serving bowl. Scatter the grilled peach wedges and cherry tomatoes over the greens.
- Add the burrata. Nestle the burrata in the center. Tear it open just before serving so the creamy inside spills over the peaches.
- Dress and finish. Tuck the basil throughout. Drizzle with the good olive oil and the aged balsamic. Finish with flaky salt and cracked pepper. Serve immediately with grilled bread.
Notes
- Bring the burrata to room temperature 30 minutes before serving so the center spills when torn.
- Choose peaches that are ripe but still firm. Very soft peaches turn mushy on the grill.
- Aged balsamic vinegar is naturally thick and syrupy. Balsamic glaze is a fine substitute.
- Assemble at the last minute so the arugula stays crisp and the basil does not wilt.
- Vegetarian as written. For a heartier salad, add torn prosciutto or grilled shrimp.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
- Calories: 314
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
The Story Behind This Peach Burrata Salad
I will tell you a secret: I never liked tomato salads. My palate has always leaned sweet, and tomatoes just did not do it for me. I did not even like the texture, that little gush when you bite into one. So a caprese was never going to win me over on its own.
Then one day my mother decided to grill peaches. Growing up in South Carolina, Georgia peaches were simply the thing. We had a big peach tree in our backyard, and when the fruit was just right, peaches would drop into our swimming pool. I would watch them bob across the water, then jump in and grab a few to snack on, still warm from the sun.
Adding grilled peaches to a salad changed everything for me. Suddenly the tomatoes made sense. The sweetness balanced them, the burrata smoothed everything over, and I finally understood what all the fuss was about. This peach burrata salad is summer with a little twist: sweet meets savory, and both sides win.
Why This Peach Burrata Salad Works
- Grilled peaches bring caramelized, smoky sweetness that raw peaches simply cannot match.
- Burrata acts as the dressing. When torn, the cream coats every leaf, so there is nothing to whisk.
- Cherry tomatoes add a bright, juicy pop that balances the richness.
- Peppery arugula keeps every bite fresh and grounded.
- Aged balsamic ties sweet and savory together with one slow drizzle.
Quality and restraint are the whole game here. A handful of beautiful ingredients, treated simply, always outperforms a crowded bowl.
How to Grill Peaches So They Stay Juicy and Never Stick
Grilled peaches are simple, but a few tricks separate jammy, caramelized wedges from a sticky mess on the grates. Here is everything I have learned standing over a hot grill with a basket of Southern peaches.
Choose peaches that are ripe but still firm. Very soft peaches turn mushy on the grill and can lose their skins. If a peach dents when you look at it, save it for a smoothie. Freestone varieties release the pit cleanly, which makes halving painless.
Leave the skin on. The skin holds each half together over the heat and slips off easily afterward if you prefer it removed. Peeled peaches fall apart on the grates.
Start with clean, hot, oiled grates. Sticking almost always comes from a dirty or cold grill. Scrape the grates, heat to medium high, and wipe them with an oiled paper towel right before the peaches go on.
Dry the fruit, then oil the fruit. Pat the cut sides with a paper towel and brush lightly with olive oil. Dry, oiled fruit sears and caramelizes. Wet fruit steams and sticks.
Place cut side down and do not touch. Give the peaches 3 to 4 minutes of undisturbed contact. Moving them early is what tears the flesh. When the sugars caramelize, the peach releases from the grate on its own. If it resists, it is not ready.
Skip the sugar and honey before grilling. Added sugars burn before the peach caramelizes. The natural fruit sugar is all the heat needs. If you want honey, drizzle it after.
Pull them at grill marks, not at soft. You want deep golden char lines and a peach that still holds its shape. A brief kiss on the skin side, 1 to 2 minutes, finishes the job. Rest a minute, then slice into wedges.
Bring the burrata to room temperature. Pull it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Cold burrata is firm and shy. Room temperature burrata spills.
Tear, never slice. Nestle the whole ball in the center and tear it open at the table just before serving. That creamy spill is the hero moment, and yes, it is the moment to film.
No Grill? Use a Grill Pan or Broiler
A cast iron grill pan over medium high heat gives you the same char marks indoors: 3 to 4 minutes cut side down, then a quick flip. No grill pan? Set peach halves cut side up on a sheet pan and broil for 4 to 5 minutes until the edges caramelize. You lose a little smoke but keep all the jammy sweetness.
The Aged Balsamic Difference
The bottle I used for this salad came home with me from Rome: a 25 year aged balsamic, and it is a completely different ingredient from the balsamic on most grocery shelves. Age changes everything about balsamic vinegar, and once you taste the difference, there is no going back.
Texture. Young commercial balsamic pours like wine, thin and quick. A true aged balsamic has spent decades concentrating in a succession of wooden barrels, and it moves like warm syrup. My 25 year bottle coats a spoon and falls in a slow ribbon, which is exactly why it drizzles so beautifully over burrata with no glaze or reduction needed.
Color. Age deepens balsamic from a translucent reddish brown to a glossy, opaque mahogany that is nearly black. Hold the bottle to the light: if you can see through it easily, it is young.
Sweetness. Long barrel aging concentrates the grape must and mellows the sharp acidity, so an aged balsamic tastes rounder and naturally sweeter, with notes of fig, cherry, and molasses. There is no added sugar, just time. Younger vinegars lean bright and tangy, which is why recipes often reduce them or reach for glaze.
Price, honestly. Real aged balsamic is an investment. Traditional bottles aged 12 years often run 40 to 80 dollars, and 25 year bottles like mine can reach 100 dollars or more for a small flask. The good news: a few drops finish a dish, so one bottle lasts a very long time. For this salad, a quality balsamic glaze or a mid range condimento balsamic gets you most of the way there for far less, and I have written the recipe so either works.
One rule with the good bottle: never cook it. Heat destroys what those decades built. Drizzle it at the very end, straight over the torn burrata.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Grill the peaches up to 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before assembling.
- Wash and dry the arugula and halve the tomatoes up to 1 day ahead. Store separately.
- Assemble at the last minute. Once dressed, this salad is best within the hour.
- Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 1 day, though the arugula will soften. The peaches and burrata are still wonderful over grilled bread the next morning.
Serving and Pairing Ideas
This is the salad I bring out for warm evenings on the patio, alongside grilled bread for catching every bit of burrata cream. It was made for an Italian coastal spread: set it next to my seafood charcuterie board with grilled shrimp and crusty bread, and dinner becomes an occasion. For the glass, my Peach Blossom cocktail doubles down on peach season in the prettiest way. It also holds its own beside anything off the grill, from chicken to steak to a simple piece of fish. For something heartier to round out the spread, add my make ahead Lemon Orzo Salad with feta, cucumber, and fresh herbs. It is the bowl that quietly carries any summer gathering.
What You’ll Need (Tools and Equipment)
A few pieces make this salad effortless. A cast iron grill pan for indoor grilling, a wide shallow serving bowl so the burrata can spill in the center, carved wooden salad servers for serving at the table, and a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar worth drizzling. You can browse everything I use in my kitchen in one place: Shop the Kitchen Edit.
More Peach Recipes to Love
- Peach Blossom Cocktail: a sparkling summer sip that celebrates peach season in a coupe.
- Grilled Peaches with Yogurt and Honey: the simple dessert that started my grilled peach love affair.
- Brown Butter Peach Cobbler: nutty, golden, and everything a Southern cobbler should be.
- Compound Butter Recipes: including a brown butter peach compound butter made for warm biscuits.
For more recipes rooted in memory and connection, explore my cookbook Welcome to My Table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to grill the peaches for peach burrata salad?
No. Ripe fresh peaches are lovely as is. Grilling adds a smoky caramelized edge that plays beautifully against the creamy burrata, so I recommend it when you have five extra minutes. Choose peaches that are ripe but still firm so they hold their shape on the grill.
Should burrata be served cold or at room temperature?
Room temperature. Take the burrata out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. The cream inside softens and spills properly when torn, which is exactly the moment this salad is built around.
Can I make peach burrata salad ahead of time?
Prep the components ahead, but assemble at the last minute. Grill the peaches up to a day in advance and refrigerate, wash the arugula, and halve the tomatoes. Wait to add the burrata and dressing until just before serving so the greens stay crisp and the burrata stays luscious.
What can I substitute for burrata?
Fresh mozzarella is the closest swap, either one large ball torn into pieces or small ciliegine scattered throughout. Burrata is simply a mozzarella shell filled with cream and curds, so mozzarella gives you the same milky flavor with a firmer bite.
Is aged balsamic vinegar better than balsamic glaze for this salad?
I use aged balsamic vinegar because it is naturally thick and syrupy with a deeper, more complex sweetness. Balsamic glaze works too and is easier to find. Whichever you use, drizzle it just before serving.
What should I serve with peach burrata salad?
Grilled bread is essential for catching the creamy burrata and peach juices. This salad also shines alongside grilled shrimp, a seafood spread, or anything coming off the summer grill. It works as a starter, a light lunch, or the prettiest side on the table.
More Recipes, More Moments
Welcome to My Table is my cookbook filled with recipes rooted in connection, flavor, and elevated everyday moments. From weeknight dinners to gatherings worth remembering.
For more of my kitchen favorites, browse the Shop My Kitchen Edit.
Every tool, board, knife, ingredient brand, and beautiful thing I keep on rotation. The pieces that make Sunday dinners feel like an event and weeknight cooking feel intentional.
