Flavours That Go With Grapefruit: 60+ Combinations To Try

The unique flavour of grapefruit

Grapefruit has a really unique flavour among citrus. This slightly tart taste is a combination of sweet and sour with a hint of bitterness. The flavour – and the beautiful coloured flesh – make it a favourite ingredient for sweet and savoury food and drink recipes.

Like other citrus types, grapefruits come in many different varieties and colours. Popular grapefruits are white (such as Oro Blanco or Duncan), yellow (including Marsh), pink and red (like Ruby Red, Flame and Star Ruby).

Whichever grapefruit you choose, the distinctive fresh grapefruit flavour goes beautifully with a wide range of different ingredients. We’ve put together a huge list of flavours that go with grapefruit for you to try.

Herbs that go with grapefruit

I love cooking with fresh herbs to enhance the flavour of all types of dishes. There are quite a few stronger flavoured herbs that go beautifully with the depth of flavour of grapefruit. Use grapefruit and herbs together in everything from marinades and dressings, to salads and even drinks and desserts.

• Basil – red grapefruit and basil are the perfect pairing for summer drinks and cocktails, from martinis to margaritas.
• Coriander (Cilantro) – coriander (cilantro) may not be everyone’s favourite herb, but for those that love it, it it goes very well with tart grapefruit in everything from salads and fish dishes, to cocktails and flavour infused water.
• Dill – dill and grapefruit are both strong flavours that go well together in salads, like our prawn and red grapefruit salad
• Mint – mint is another herb that pairs really well with grapefruit in salads. Mint is also a great addition to grapefruit drinks and desserts.
• Rosemary – the woody flavour of rosemary is a lovely match with tart grapefruit in sweet and savoury dishes. It’s lovely with everything from roast chicken to baked sweets like cakes and cookies. Rosemary and grapefruit are also delicious together to flavour sparkling water or a cocktail.
• Tarragon – try fresh tarragon with grapefruit in a tangy vinaigrette dressing or even a refreshing icy granita
• Thyme – grapefruit and thyme are another beautiful drink combination, but also work well together to flavour roasted vegetables or poultry. Try this combination in baking too for a unique flavour, or in a sweet treat like our grapefruit granita with vanilla and thyme.

Spices that go with grapefruit

Spices add wonderful flavour to cooking, and many of them work really well with grapefruit. Some of our favourite spices to use with grapefruit are:

• Cardamom – a subtle spice to use with grapefruit in citrus fruit salad, gin cocktails or delicious cakes .
• Cinnamon – cinnamon is delicious with grapefruit in sweets and biscuits, or to flavour delicious baked grapefruit with brown sugar.
• Cayenne pepper or chili – spicy cayenne pepper or chilli (chili) peppers work beautifully with the sweet tart flavour of grapefruit. Add some spice to baked grapefruit, a citrus salad or even a mocktail or cocktail.
• Cloves – cloves can be used with grapefruit in everything from cocktails to cookies, desserts and marmalades and preserves.
• Ginger – this is a favourite flavour combination for marmalades and preserves, but ginger and grapefruit can also work in everything from juicing to sweet desserts.
• Mustard – try a mustard dressing over grapefruit salad, or use Dijon or seeded mustard in a grapefruit juice vinaigrette dressing for a delicious combination.
• Pepper – freshly cracked black pepper tastes delicious with grapefruit. Try a marinade of grapefruit juice, olive oil and black pepper with fish or poultry, or add ground pepper to grilled grapefruit halves.
• Star Anise – this spice adds a wonderful depth to sweet grapefruit flavoured dishes. This combination is wonderful in a granita or dessert, a glaze for sweet baked grapefruits and in marmalades and preserves.
• Turmeric – like other citrus fruits, grapefruit will combine well with turmeric in marinades, salad dressings and even drinks, especially with ginger added as well.
• Vanilla – grapefruit and vanilla is another lovely combination for sweet dishes and desserts. Try this flavour combination our citrus fruit salad with vanilla cardamom syrup or our grapefruit granita with vanilla.

Fruit and vegetables with grapefruit

Grapefruit doesn’t just go well with other citrus fruits, it also works well with many other fruits in drinks, salads and baking. Use grapefruit to add flavour to beautiful salads and roasted or steamed vegetables too.

These are some of the fruits and vegetables that go well with grapefruit:

• Arugula/Rocket – this peppery green leaf vegetable goes beautifully in grapefruit salads.
• Avocado – rich creamy avocado and grapefruit are a delicious combination for all kinds of interesting salads, or your breakfast toast.
• Beetroot – roasted beetroots are amazing with grapefruit in salad, especially with some crumbled feta and nuts. Or combine grapefruit and beetroot juices for a vitamin packed juice full of colour.
• Carrots – carrot and grapefruit are popular ingredients to use in juicing, especially with apple or ginger. Or glaze baked carrots with grapefruit and honey.
• Cherries – another favourite for cocktails and spritzers, cherry and grapefruit add beautiful colour and flavour to drinks. Or use cherry juice to glaze grilled (broiled) grapefruit.
• Cucumber – cool cucumber slices work well with tart grapefruit juice or slices in delicious salads, like our prawn and red grapefruit salad.
• Fennel – slices of fennel bulb are delicious with grapefruit slices in a salad.
• Figs – sweet, fragrant figs go well with tart grapefruit in cocktails, or tossed in a salad with rocket/arugula and a honey balsamic dressing.
• Garlic – combine grapefruit and garlic with honey in a delicious marinade for fish, poultry or vegetables, or use together in a vinaigrette salad dressing.
• Grapes – sweet green or red grapes combine well with grapefruit in both sweet and savoury salad recipes.
• Lemon – the sweet acidic taste of lemon works very well with tart grapefruit. Use them together for grapefruit lemonade and citrus desserts, like slices, puddings and cakes.
• Lime – citrus flavours are easy to combine, and lime and grapefruit work especially well together in everything from drinks to sorbets.
• Mango – use mango and grapefruit pieces together in a salad, or drizzle mango with a sweet grapefruit flavoured syrup for a delicious dessert.
• Olives – salty olives work beautifully with tart grapefruit in salads, or seafood dishes.
• Onion – sliced red onion in particular is delicious with tart grapefruit pieces in salads.
• Orange/mandarin orange – grapefruit and orange are a perfect citrus pair, going well in everything from juices to jams and preserves, and in delicious citrus fruit salads.
• Potato – grapefruit is a great way to add interesting flavour to potatoes, especially in a salad. Try a grapefruit flavoured dressing on a potato salad or combine grapefruit and potato pieces in a salad with leafy greens and asparagus.
• Pineapple – pineapple and grapefruit are a lovely combination for juices, smoothies and desserts, or simply sprinkle fresh pineapple and grapefruit slices with sugar and mint.
• Spinach – baby spinach leaves – and all kinds of leafy salad greens – are ideal for combining with grapefruit pieces in a salad.
• Sweet potato/yam – much like standard white potatoes, sweet potato and grapefruit flavours go together well too,

Grapefruit with meat, poultry, fish, cheese and other proteins

Whether you eat meat, or are vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian, you’re sure to find a way to use grapefruit with your preferred choice of protein for delicious flavours

• Bacon – Salty bacon and tart grapefruit go together well. Try grapefruit with bacon and avocado in breakfast dishes, or combine bacon and grapefruit flavours with shellfish dishes.
• Brie and other soft cheeses – Create a decadent dish with baked brie flavoured with grapefruit and nuts, or combine grapefruit pieces with cheese in a salad.
• Chicken – use grapefruit instead of orange to glaze chicken and other poultry, or even a from Chinese style citrus chicken dish.
• Duck – instead of using traditional orange, serve duck breast with a lovely grapefruit flavoured sauce.
• Feta – salty crumbled feta is another ideal cheese to top a grapefruit salad.
• Fish – grapefruit is delicious with many types of fish, including salmon and white flesh fish. Use grapefruit juice to make a delicious ceviche.
• Goat’s Cheese – just like feta, a creamy goats cheese goes beautifully with grapefruit flavours.
• Haloumi – salty pan fried haloumi tastes wonderful with a squeeze of grapefruit juice and pepper while cooking, or add haloumi slices to a grapefruit and avocado salad.
• Ham – try glazing your festive ham with grapefruit juice and brown sugar, and add some spice with star anise or cloves.
• Mascarpone – this creamy Italian cheese goes beautifully with grapefruit flavoured cakes, tarts and desserts.
• Prawns (Shrimp) – the slightly sweet flavour of prawns (shrimp) goes well with grapefruit in salads, like our prawn and red grapefruit salad, and Thai inspired dishes.
• Pork – a simple grapefruit juice and brown sugar glaze is prefect for pork chops or pork roasts.
• Prosciutto – try slices of salty prosciutto and grapefruit segments in a salad, especially with avocado.
• Tofu – pan fried tofu is delicious with grapefruit and avocado, or create a stir fry with with crispy tofu with flavours of grapefruit, garlic and ginger.