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50 Watermelon Recipes to Make (and Eat) All Summer

It’s no mystery how watermelon became summer’s unofficial mascot. There’s nothing like sinking your teeth into a cold wedge on a hot day. It’s refreshing, it’s sweet and you can even get your kids to eat it. But there’s a lot you can do with this pretty-in-pink fruit besides cutting it up. Here, 50 watermelon recipes that are sure to be a hit at your next barbecue.

How to Cut a Watermelon in 5 Easy Steps


1. Grilled Watermelon Steaks

Tell beef to take a seat. These smoky, seasoned slices hold up beautifully on a hot grill. Serve over a green salad spritzed with lemon.

2. Watermelon Salad With Almonds And Dill

It only takes eight ingredients and 15 minutes to make this impressive appetizer. Crumbled feta and sliced radishes add salt and crunch, creating a snack so addictive that you'll have a second bowl before you even touch all those burgers and dogs.

3. Watermelon Poke Bowls

Stand back, tuna: This main is totally vegetarian. With scallions, cucumber slices and sprouts, this crunchy gem will be the lunch envy of the office. Oh, and the soy-sesame dressing? You’ll want to put it on everything.

4. Grilled Watermelon Feta Skewers

Salad’s always better on a stick. Here’s what we like to call a twist on a traditional Caprese, using sweet watermelon and tangy feta in place of tomatoes and mozzarella. Not only is it simple to make, but the char marks will make you feel like a total grill master.

5. One-ingredient Watermelon Sorbet

In the summer, we try to chill as much as possible. Luckily, this sweet fits right into our schedule since it’s made of nothing but twice-frozen watermelon.

6. Strawberry Watermelon Wine Slushies

Sorry kids, this one’s for grown-ups. All you need is a bottle of white, fruit and a blender. Serve it in a hulled watermelon rind to blow your guests away.

7. Spicy Grilled Watermelon With Crème Fraîche

This sweet fruit comes alive with smoky grill marks, lots of chili powder and fresh lime juice. Stay fancy with a fork and knife or dig in sans cutlery. Either way, we support you.

8. Cucumber, Basil And Watermelon Salad

You’re going to fall hard for the zingy soy-ginger dressing spiked with garlic, lime and serrano pepper. Ahh, we feel more refreshed already.

9. Watermelon Salad With Mint

This dish is packed with watermelon, sliced grapes and grape tomatoes. Toss it all in a simple vinaigrette with fresh herbs and your work is done.

10. Watermelon Raspberry Slushies

The kids can sip the fruit-and-agave version all day long, but we give you permission to add a splash of raspberry-pomegranate vodka to yours.

11. Watermelon Gazpacho

This dish stars our other favorite seasonal fruit, tomatoes. Blended with cucumber, red onion and bell pepper, it’s a great way to cool off and get your vitamins for the day. (Bonus points for homemade croutons.)

12. Watermelon Salsa

Grilled chicken. Fish tacos. Tortilla chips. There are a million things to put a scoop of this stuff on. And with six simple ingredients, it’s a cinch to put together too.

13. Jalapeño Watermelon Margaritas

It’s fiesta time. Spicy margs are always a treat, but with fresh watermelon juice? Keep ’em coming, bartender.

14. Grilled Chicken With Watermelon Mango Salsa

Meet the cookout’s guest of honor. Bust out of your chicken rut with this fresh, easy recipe that leaves you with minimal cleanup. Keep the salsa for up to five days in the fridge. (We’re having it with chips.)

15. Watermelon Pizza With Cream Cheese Icing

Surprise the kids with a breakfast they’ll beg for over and over again. This pie has berries and a light drizzle of icing, but feel free to let them run wild with decorating.

watermelon recipes easiest lemonade
Yellow Bliss Road

16. Watermelon Lemonade

Regular ice cubes? Yawn. Frozen watermelon ice cubes, on the other hand, are just what your picnic needs.

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watermelon recipes spinach and watermelon salad
Yellow Bliss Road

17. Spinach And Watermelon Salad

Greens loaded with Cotija cheese, sweet onions and glazed walnuts? Now this is a salad we can get behind. We’ll meet you on the patio with extra red-wine vinaigrette.

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18. Patriotic Flag Fruit Platter

Consider your July 4th table centerpiece taken care of. Think blackberries, grapes, apples, cherries or whatever else you can work into the platter design. Serve with a cheese board or yogurt dip.

19. Watermelon Agua Fresca

Forget about hopping a flight to Puerto Vallarta. This drink will take you there in ten minutes.

20. Grilled Watermelon And Balsamic Chicken

Meet us on the porch. Store-bought balsamic reduction is just fine, but you can totally handle making it on your own.

21. Moroccan Watermelon Cucumber Salad With Pistachio

The only way this salad—loaded with mint, Italian parsley, feta and toasted nuts—could be any better? Serve it with juicy grilled steak.

22. The Best Watermelon Margarita

Does it get any easier than a three-ingredient cocktail? Didn’t think so. We’ll take ours with extra salt.

23. Watermelon Boba Slushie

Bubble tea fans, this one's for you. Sip your way to the bottom of this honey-watermelon drink to reach all those black tapioca pearls.

24. Grilled Gochujang Pork Chops With Watermelon Mint Salad

Your grill will be so psyched to meet Korean gochujang, a sweet-and-spicy fermented red chili paste. Better yet, you’ll get to feed everyone in just half an hour. Serve it over cauliflower or jasmine rice.

25. Watermelon Coconut Lime Popsicles

Take four ingredients for a spin in the blender, freeze and voila. You’ll never want store-bought pops again.

26. Watermelon Peach Cooler

Make the most of your farmers market haul with this blended beauty. We’re already planning to add a dash of coconut rum.

27. Strawberry Watermelon Agua Fresca Popsicles

Sometimes shouting at the kids to come inside isn’t enough. These four-ingredient pops will get their attention.

28. Watermelon Water

Staying hydrated is priority one when the temperatures rise, but water can feel plain when we’re craving something sweet. Skip the soda and opt for this one-ingredient refresher, made with nothing but watermelon and water. Add agave or honey for extra sweetness.

29. Red, White And Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad

No one’s ignoring this looker at the dessert table, featuring watermelon mixed with cubed jicama, mint and feta, all dusted with chili powder.

30. Shrimp And Watermelon Ceviche

Aren’t you fancy? Ceviche always impresses, but this take is actually a breeze to put together. Just boil and chill the shrimp, combine with the produce and top with salt, mint and cilantro. Serve with yucca chips.

31. Coconut Rice And Watermelon Salad Bowls

A dish that’s totally vegan, gluten-free and extremely delicious. Warning: The coconut cream and honey may ruin plain rice for you forever.

32. 3-ingredient Watermelon Raspberry Popsicles

You’ll be host of the year once these hit the table. Don’t look now, but we’re drizzling ours with dark chocolate.

33. Watermelon-kiwi Ice Pops

Three ingredients + paper cups + popsicle sticks = the easiest summer treat you've ever made. The only hard part? Waiting for them to freeze before digging in.

34. Coconut-lime Mahi Mahi Tacos With Tequila-soaked Watermelon Salsa

Like a taco and a margarita had a sweet-and-spicy baby. If mahi mahi isn't your speed, feel free to swap it with tilapia, red snapper or even salmon.

35. Pistachio Feta Watermelon Salad

Crunchy, fresh, salty, sweet—this mélange of fresh herbs, nuts, fruit and cheese hits all the right notes. Don't even get us started on the pomegranate-balsamic dressing.

36. Melon Basil Burrata Salad With Crispy Prosciutto

Melon and cherry tomatoes, a match made in summer heaven. Feel free to use watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or a mix of all three. (After all, the balsamic-fig vinaigrette will taste good on just about anything.)

37. Grilled Fruit Kabobs

Just a few minutes on the grill turn fruit into dessert, since the hot grates caramelize its natural sugars. Use a mix of berries, banana, pineapple and melon, then serve it with sweet yogurt dip, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

38. Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho

The classic ingredients are upgraded with watermelon, minced serrano chiles and ginger, so each spoonful packs a punch of fresh, complex heat.

39. End Of Summer Fruit Salad

Peppery arugula is the perfect green to pair with sweet blueberries, juicy peaches and refreshing watermelon. The lemon vinaigrette will brighten the arugula's bitterness just enough.

40. Cedar Plank Salmon With Watermelon Feta Salsa

Cook any piece of fish on a cedar plank and it's bound to be delicious. Soak the plank in orange juice overnight and it'll be even tastier, as it will impart a subtle citrusy flavor to the fillet.

41. Watermelon, Tomato, And Feta Farro Salad

Quinoa, it was fun while it lasted. We've moved on to farro, a nutritious whole grain that can work in everything from salad to soup to casserole.

42. Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles With Charred Corn And Lime Watermelon

Ready for the most decadent peanut sauce that you'll want to drizzle over everything from noodles to tofu to pork? All it takes is easy canned coconut milk, creamy PB and Thai red curry paste.

43. Watermelon Cucumber Salad

The season's most refreshing fruits have united for a crisp salad that will cool you off on even the hottest summer days. It's a must for every picnic you attend this year, trust.

44. Chicken Gyro Salad With Homemade Pita Chips, Watermelon And Feta

Proof that every salad should be crowned with freshly baked pita chips tossed in garlic-herb olive oil.

45. Spicy Grilled Watermelon With Honey Yogurt

We've seen plenty of charred watermelon steaks in our day. But French fry-inspired watermelon batons that make dipping a breeze? Now, that's plain genius.

46. Caribbean Jerk Salmon With Curried Pineapple Goat Cheese Salad And Fruit Salad

You're only 30 minutes away from this tropical flavor bomb. The salmon is perfectly balanced, thanks to a sticky, spicy sauce made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, molasses, curry powder and other spices.

47. Baked Watermelon Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

The marinade is equal parts smoky and sweet, since it stars watermelon, chipotle peppers in adobo and a few pantry staples. Instead of serving them with ranch dressing, try citrusy blue cheese yogurt dip instead.

48. Watermelon Kimchi

PSA: Save your watermelon rinds. You can peel them into paper-thin slices, then season them with gochujang, scallions, ginger and fish sauce. Once it has marinated for at least a day, you can use the "kimchi" on sandwiches, rice bowls and beyond.

49. Garlic Butter Scallops With Watermelon Salsa

Scallops don't need much more than salt, pepper and butter to taste straight-up divine. But the refreshing watermelon salsa certainly doesn't hurt.

50. Watermelon Ice Cream Floats

As long as you have a blender or juicer, this recipe will take you a grand total of five minutes to pull together. We'll be sipping ours by the pool, thank you very much.


For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.


taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...