Got melon? Here’s a fun way to use it: in watermelon salsa! Throw cubes of this juicy summer fruit together with lime, jalapeño, and cilantro, and it’s an unexpected spin on the classic Mexican dip. Spoon in mouthfuls with tortilla chips, or it’s great for serving with grilled fish, chicken or tacos. It’s perfect for parties, and this bowl always disappears very quickly at our house!
Ingredients in watermelon salsa
Salsa simply means “sauce” in Spanish, and refers to a wide variety of sauces in Mexican cuisine that can be made with or without tomatoes. The most popular salsa is with red tomatoes, but there are dozens of popular variations like corn salsa, peach salsa, mango salsa, and more. This watermelon salsa uses the same concept as a fresh tomato salsa but uses cubed watermelon instead! We like cutting the cubes pretty small to make it an integrated texture, but you can also leave them in bigger cubes for a larger, chunky look. The ingredients for watermelon salsa are:
Ripe watermelon Tomato Red onion Jalapeño pepper Cilantro Lime juice Granulated sugar Salt
Best way to cut a watermelon into cubes
Often we used to feel daunted when making watermelon recipes because this melon is notoriously tricky to cut. But here’s a method for how to cut a watermelon that makes it quick, simple and painless: For more, go to How to Cut a Watermelon.
Tips for making watermelon salsa
Watermelon salsa is like any fresh salsa: the only time consuming part is chopping all the fruits and vegetables! But there are a few things to note about adjusting the flavors. Here are a few notes on the method:
Adjust the heat level to taste. This watermelon salsa recipe comes out mild since we’ve called for removing the jalapeño seeds. But if you like spicy salsas, use some of the seeds: or you can even use the entire pepper. Add sugar or salt to taste. Depending on the ripeness of your melon, you may want to add additional sugar to the salsa. It also may need a pinch or two more salt: make sure to taste and adjust as necessary!
Storage info
This watermelon salsa tastes best the day it is made. However, it stores up to 2 days refrigerated. It will gather liquid during refrigeration so you may need to drain or use a slotted spoon for serving. We prefer eating it day of, though: with lots of extra tortilla chips!
How to serve it
The best way to serve watermelon salsa? Add a big bag of tortilla chips and you’re in business! It also works great with plantain chips or your favorite dipper of choice. But don’t stop there: it’s a zingy sauce to serve with grilled fish and more. Here are some ideas for serving:
Tortilla chips or plantain chips Fish like Easy Grilled Salmon, Mahi Mahi, or Grilled Halibut Shrimp like Shrimp Skewers or Sauteed Shrimp Chicken like grilled chicken Tacos like Cod Fish Tacos, Tuna Tacos, Salmon Tacos or Easy Vegan Tacos
More watermelon recipes
When it’s watermelon season, you’ve got to take advantage! Here are a few watermelon recipes to try:
Go for Watermelon Feta Salad Try a Watermelon Slushie, Watermelon Water, Watermelon Lemonade, or Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie Mix up Watermelon Sorbet Preserve it with Pickled Watermelon Rind
This watermelon salsa recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 5 from 1 review
