Natural form

Whole pink grapefruit showing size, color, and smooth rind texture.

Shows the source fruit so readers recognize what grapefruit juice comes from before processing.

Beverages

Grapefruit Juice

Tart-bitter juice for palomas, greyhounds, and breakfast

Tangy with a pleasant bitter edge, grapefruit juice is the heart of a paloma and greyhound and a bracing breakfast pour. Keep it cold and use within a week.

Grapefruit juice is the pressed juice of grapefruit — bright, tart, and distinctively bittersweet, with a refreshing edge no other citrus quite matches. Pink and ruby varieties are sweeter and rosier; white grapefruit is sharper and more bitter. That bitter-tart complexity makes it a sophisticated cooking acid: it brightens marinades and dressings, glazes fish and poultry, cuts through rich and fatty dishes, and lends an adult bittersweet note to sorbets, cocktails (the Paloma, the Greyhound), and citrus desserts. Its slight bitterness is a feature — use it where you want refreshment with backbone.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 7 days

Find it in

Beverages

Types & varieties

Pink/ruby

Sweeter, rosier — desserts and drinks

White

Sharper, more bitter — savory bite

Fresh-squeezed

Brightest, most aromatic

How to use in cooking

Use grapefruit juice where you want citrus brightness plus a grown-up bitter edge. It marinates and glazes fish, shrimp, and chicken; brightens avocado and seafood salads; and balances rich, fatty foods like pork belly or duck. Reduced with a little sugar it makes a bittersweet glaze or a striking sorbet. It's the soul of the Paloma. Add fresh zest or segments alongside the juice for fuller flavor, and balance its bitterness with honey or sugar where needed.

How to choose

Pink/ruby grapefruit juice is sweeter and rosier — friendlier in desserts and drinks; white grapefruit is sharper and more bitter — better where you want bite. Freshly squeezed is brightest. Use 100% juice for cooking, and balance the bitterness with a touch of sweetness for most dishes.

Common uses

Marinate fish, shrimp, or chickenBrighten avocado and seafood saladsGlaze duck or porkMake grapefruit sorbet or granitaMix a Paloma or GreyhoundBalance a rich braiseDress a citrus salad

Tips & pitfalls

Balance its bitterness with a touch of honey or sugar.
Pink/ruby is sweeter; white grapefruit is sharper.
Add zest or segments for fuller flavor.
Cuts beautifully through rich, fatty foods.

Nutrition

39kcal

Energy

163 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 5%Carbs 93%Fat 2%

Protein

0.5g

1% DV

Carbs

9.2g

3% DV

Fat

0.1g

0% DV

Sodium

1mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin C42% DV

Thiamin (B1)3% DV

Vitamin B63% DV

Folate3% DV

Magnesium3% DV

Potassium3% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Grapefruit juice, pink, raw

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Grapefruit
350 g · Mercadona
€0.68
Grapefruit 1 unit
Bonpreu
€1.09

Good to know

Flavor: Tart, bittersweet, refreshing, citrusy
Use in cooking: Marinades, glazes, dressings, sorbets, cocktails
Alcohol?: No
Substitute base: Orange + lemon juice, or pomelo juice
How to store: Refrigerate after opening; use within ~3–5 days

Substitutes

Orange + lemon juice — Approximates the sweet-tart balance
Pomelo juice — Milder, less bitter cousin
Blood orange juice — Sweeter, less bitter, ruby color

Pairs with

Avocado Shrimp Tequila Honey Mint Fennel Salmon Rosemary

Also called

grapefruit juice · zumo de pomelo

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Light, clean rum for mojitos, daiquiris, and piña coladas

Dark Rum

Rich, molasses-deep rum for tiki drinks and sipping

Tequila

Bright agave spirit for margaritas, palomas, and shots

Mezcal

Smoky agave spirit for sipping and smoldering cocktails

Vodka

Clean, neutral spirit for mixing into almost any cocktail

Gin

Botanical, juniper-forward spirit for G&Ts and martinis

Whisky

Warm, oak-aged spirit for sipping and classic cocktails

Brandy

Rich, fruity grape spirit for sipping, sauces, and flambé