19 Ways to Serve Grapefruit All Winter Long

Brighten salads, seafood, cocktails, and more dishes and drinks with the pink winter citrus.

Grapefruit Vodka Soda cocktail
Photo: Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

Winter is peak grapefruit season and we have plenty of ways to incorporate the citrus fruit into savory dishes, drinks, and desserts. Balance flavor with grapefruit's signature tartness and slight bitterness, and add vibrant color with the pink to red flesh of the fruit in this array of salads, cocktails, sides, and main courses. Bring juiciness to an avocado and spinach salad, tang to a pan sauce for scallops, and a hint of tangy sweetness to a Gin & Tonic with grapefruit. From candied peel to grapefruit zest, here's how to incorporate the ingredient into winter entertaining.

01 of 19

Spinach, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

Spinach, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Juicy grapefruit anchors this simple and stunning salad that will brighten any spread.

02 of 19

Tandoori Octopus with Yogurt, Cauliflower, and Grapefruit

ludo-octopus-recipe-0419.jpg
Chloe Crespi Photography

Chef Ludo Lefebvre imparts deep, smoky flavor into octopus with an overnight marinade in tandoori paste and a quick few minutes on the grill. It's served with a yogurt sauce, pink grapefruit cubes, and cauliflower slices for a range of flavors and textures.

03 of 19

Grapefruit Vodka Soda

Grapefruit Vodka Soda cocktail
Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

Serve a delicious, bone-dry cocktail by letting vodka steep with grapefruit segments for a juicy, fresh infusion that retains the fruit's vibrant flavor and needs nothing more than club soda and ice. 

04 of 19

Roasted Beet, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Warm Honey Salad

Roasted Beet, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Warm Honey Salad
Christopher Testani

Roast beets to serve with tart grapefruit in this bright winter salad from chef Alex Roberts of Alma in Minneapolis.

05 of 19

New York–Style Cheesecake with Pink Grapefruit and Marmalade

New York-Style Cheesecake with Pink Grapefruit and Marmalade
Charissa Fay

Pink grapefruit is the perfect topping for chef Alex Guarnaschelli's silky cheesecake with orange marmalade.

06 of 19

Pink-Grapefruit-and-Avocado Salad

Pink-Grapefruit-and-Avocado Salad
© Quentin Bacon

Ruby grapefruits shine in this winter side from Alice Waters, the iconic chef and owner of California's Chez Panisse.

07 of 19

Chocolate Tartlets with Candied Grapefruit Peel

Chocolate Tartlets with Candied Grapefruit Peel

© from Chez Jacques (Stewart, Tabori Chan)

Candied grapefruit peel adds a balancing bitterness to Jacques Pépin's dark chocolate pastry sprinkled with confectioners sugar.

08 of 19

Grapefruit Spritz

Grapefruit Spritz
Eva Kolenko

Balance tart and bitter grapefruit juice and Campari with floral crème de framboise and raspberries, for this colorful cocktail perfect for toasts from winter to spring.

09 of 19

Scallops with Grapefruit and Bacon

Scallops with Grapefruit and Bacon
© Lucy Schaeffer

Serve sweet sea scallops with pan sauce and a tangy, buttery white wine and grapefruit pan sauce and top with bacon matchsticks for savory texture.

10 of 19

Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake

Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake
© Con Poulos

Infuse this cake with grated grapefruit zest and fresh grapefruit juice, then finish it with a poppy-seed glaze that's also made with grapefruit juice.

11 of 19

Fennel-and-Grapefruit-Rubbed Snapper

Fennel-and-Grapefruit-Rubbed Snapper
© John Kernick

Mix crushed fennel seeds and grapefruit zest to rub onto snapper before baking it on a bed of sweet roasted fennel in this recipe from Justin Chapple.

12 of 19

The Big Texan Bourbon and Grapefruit Cocktail

The Big Texan Bourbon-and-Grapefruit Cocktail
© Jody Horton

This refreshing riff on a Greyhound made with bourbon combines fresh grapefruit juice, simple syrup, a cherry garnish, and a hint of basil.

13 of 19

Chilled Grapefruit-Caramel Meringue Pie

Grapefruit-Caramel Meringue Pie

© Tina Rupp

Layer pink grapefruit curd in a crunchy graham-cracker crust with caramel sauce and serve with fluffy meringue in this recipe from Deborah Snyder and Lisa Ritter.

14 of 19

Grapefruit Gin & Tonic

Used Grapefruit Gin & Tonic
© Gentl & Hyers

Replace tonic with the sweet tang of grapefruit syrup for a refreshing and natural variation on the classic G&T.

15 of 19

Endive and Grapefruit Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette

Endive-and-Grapefruit Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette
© Christina Holmes

Chives, parsley, and tarragon bring out the bright grapefruit flavors in this juicy, crunchy salad from chef Hugh Acheson.

16 of 19

Crab Balls with Grapefruit Salad

Crab Balls with Grapefruit Salad
© Tina Rupp

Legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten adds a kick to his grapefruit salad with Thai chile. It's paired with crab balls rolled in panko and sesame seeds.

17 of 19

Grapefruit Granité with Mangoes and White Rum Mojito

Grapefruit Granité with Mangoes and White Rum Mojito
© John Kernick

Jacques Pépin makes his granité with fresh pink grapefruit juice, then softens the frozen block to serve like a slushy with a tropical sauce that's reminiscent of a mojito.

18 of 19

Scallops in Yellow Curry with Spicy Grapefruit Salad

Scallops in Yellow Curry with Spicy Grapefruit Salad
© Con Poulos

Chef Andrea Reusing enhances sweet sea scallops with a rich curry sauce and refreshing mint-and-grapefruit salad for a flavorful, one-hour dish.

19 of 19

Chilled Fennel-Grapefruit Velouté with Lemon Olive Oil

Chilled Fennel-Grapefruit Velouté with Lemon Olive Oil
© Con Poulos

Chef Hiroki Yoshitake cleverly uses grapefruit oil to boost the flavor in his chilled four-ingredient soup that's on the table in an hour.

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