Have you ever tried to make a savory salsa with watermelon? If not, you need to give this delicious watermelon salsa or watermelon Pico de Gallo a try. One of the easiest recipe ever to make with watermelon and I guarantee that you will not miss your tomatoes in this.
Watermelon, what can I say about this gorgeous fruit. We almost have a love-hate relationship with it.
Ok, hold on! Not the kind of disliking hate, but the kind where we run out of ideas to use the entire fruit we just bought. In our case it was even more hard because I had to figure out ways to use the watermelons we harvested.
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You heard that right! We planted couple of watermelon plants this year and have been blessed abundantly from these two plants. We harvested watermelons back to back week after week. There was plenty to eat, share with our neighbors and still had more.
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Then I started making drinks with the watermelon like this Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade and Spicy Watermelon juice. And that is when we had one large watermelon that we harvested which looked perfect but lacked the sweetness.
This is when I thought I am going to use it to make something savory. I had a bag of tortilla chips in the pantry waiting to be used up with Tomato Salsa. That is now the different story about having a lot of tomatoes to be used up and we will come to that later.
Focusing on the watermelon, I thought why not use this watermelon instead of tomatoes and make a spicy salsa.
Watermelon Salsa or Pico de Gallo?
Salsa to me is blended kind of dip. I would call this more as Watermelon Pico de Gallo but somehow naming it this way was not too much in rhythm. So I would call it watermelon salsa. A kind of chunky salsa where all the fresh ingredients are tossed together.
Why make this recipe?
- We all need a good dip for our chips right? This is just the right kind that you won't be able to stop with few.
- Excessive watermelon in hand. We all have that problem when we buy the whole fruit from store? This watermelon salsa is the perfect solution for that situation.
- Kids to adults, everyone will be taking bowl after bowl of this delicious salsa.
- And you won't even need chips to eat this watermelon salsa. You can eat a bowlful of this as a savory fruit salad and then feel good about eating healthy!
- This watermelon salsa works with sweet watermelon or also the not so sweet watermelon. Yes, this recipe is perfect to make with the watermelon that is not so sweet or bland.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipe.
- Watermelon - We will be using about 4 cups of finely chopped watermelon pieces. It needs to be chopped fine enough to be able to scoop on to a chip.
- Onion - I would absolutely recommend using red onion for Pico de Gallo as it adds the best flavor.
- Jalapeno - I use seeded and finely chopped jalapeno in my Watermelon salsa as we like spicy salsa. But if you want to keep it mild, substitute with finely chopped red or orange bell pepper.
- Cilantro - I need a good amount of cilantro in my watermelon Pico de Gallo. I love cilantro in everything and tend to use it a little excessive. Feel free to use based on your liking.
- Lime or lemon juice
- Salt and chat masala - I add a little bit of Indian chat masala in my watermelon salsa as it adds a lovely flavor. It is totally optional.
How to make Watermelon salsa?
- Watermelon that we planted is a seeded one. If using a seeded watermelon, remove the seeds, skin and rind and chop it into fine pieces. Chop the watermelon into tiny pieces so that we can scoop it onto a chip.
- Place the chopped fruit in a large bowl.
- Also chop onion, jalapeno and cilantro and place it in the same bowl as the watermelon.
- Add salt needed and squeeze the lime juice and toss everything together.
- Chill the salsa for couple of hours before serving as it helps enhance the flavors.
Expert tips
- Make sure to chop the watermelon in small pieces. It helps when scooping on to a chip.
- Use red onions for the best flavor.
- Add more vegetables like cucumber, bell pepper as per your preference.
- Chill the watermelon salsa for couple of hours for best flavors.
Frequently asked questions
I have kept this salsa for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and it worked well. It does start giving out more liquid, so be prepared for that.
This watermelon salsa tastes great with corn chips / tortilla chips. My friends loved it over their fish and meat. I also loved eating it as a fruit salad.
Yes, we can add cucumbers, bell peppers, corn or any of our favorite vegetable that will work in a salsa. I also love adding some kind of beans to make it as a complete salad.
More salsa and salad
Recipe Card
Spicy Watermelon Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 4 cups Watermelon finely chopped
- ¾ cup Red onion
- 2 Jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Lime juice
- to taste Salt
- 1 teaspoon Indian chat masala optional
Instructions
- If using a seeded watermelon, remove the seeds, skin and rind and chop it into fine pieces. Chop the watermelon into tiny pieces so that we can scoop it onto a chip.
- Place the chopped fruit in a large bowl.
- Also chop onion, jalapeno and cilantro and place it in the same bowl as the watermelon.
- Add salt needed and squeeze the lime juice and toss everything together.
- Chill the salsa for couple of hours before serving as it helps enhance the flavors.
Notes
- Make sure to chop the watermelon in small pieces. It helps when scooping on to a chip.
- Use red onions for the best flavor.
- Add more vegetables like cucumber, bell pepper as per your preference.
- Chill the watermelon salsa for couple of hours for best flavors.
Cathleen says
This is so unique!! I have never tried watermelon salsa before, but I am so excited to give it a go soon 🙂
Liz says
What a great idea of mixing spicy and sweet together! This would be a great summer salsa too! I saved the recipe so I can make soon!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Harini Rupanagudi says
Lovely idea. Shall keep it in mind for the summer months.
Suma Gandlur says
I usually make it with tomato or avocado. This is a simple recipe to try when we have those extra slices of watermelon lying around the home during summer.
Radha says
This is a great one for summer and we often make it during the season. You recipe sounds excellent!
Seema Sriram says
I am heading into the hot season, so the watermelon salsa will be such a happy treat. I will make some for the brunch upcoming as well.
Mayuri Patel says
I'm a huge fan of watermelon and yes do make watermelon salsa often. It tastes so refreshing and delicious. I've even tried it as a topping with enchilada and it tastes so good. Like the idea of adding chat masala.
Lata Lala says
I loved your recipe as Watermelon salsa is brilliant idea. What a refreshing change and something I’ve never tried. Moreover, this looks so delicious.
I can’t wait to try this soon.
Srivalli says
I am sure this salsa must have made those nachos sinfully tasty! wonderful recipe Sandhya..
Marinela says
I love watermelon so much but I didn't know I can use it to make a savory plant-based dish with it. This spicy watermelon salsa changed my perspective, it's super easy to make and so refreshing. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Natalie says
What an interesting Pico de gallo. I never used watermelon before. I have to make this. Looks delicious.
Meryl says
Such an interesting twist! This recipe turned out fantastic!
nancy says
never thought of making watermelon with spices. this is an interesting recipe! thanks
Emily says
This savory salsa with watermelon is brilliant! I can eat this right out of the bowl, I love how it's refreshing and spicy at the same time.
Julie says
This is the perfect watermelon salsa recipe! I love how you gave it a bit of a kick. This perfect for when you have a bunch of extra watermelon to use.
Melanie says
What a refreshing salsa! I usually make this with tomatoes so I love the twists with watermelon!
Daniela says
I love anything with watermelon and this was spot on! Thank you for sharing this recipe for Spicy Watermelon Salsa
Julia says
What a lovely recipe. I've bookmarked it so that I can enjoy this salad when watermelons are available here in the summer. I can't wait to try it.
Swathi says
This spicy watermelon salsa looks delicious perfect.
Anaiah says
Wow! This spicy watermelon salsa was so perfect! I've never tried making salsa with watermelon before but it turned out to be a delicious combination of flavors!
Shilpa says
I love this recipe. Watermelon salsa is something I’ve never tried but this looks so delicious. I can’t wait to make it
Chris says
What a refreshing recipe! I love the combination of watermelon and jalapenos! I wish I found this recipe sooner! Thank you!
Kayla DiMaggio says
This spicy watermelon salsa recipe is so easy and delicious! I love the sweetness and the heat!
Vaishali says
We love fruit salsas! Watermelon makes an excellent salsa and I can have bowls of this, even without the chips , seriously! Your salsa bowl is tempting me to dig in right away.