31 Watermelon Recipes for When a Crisp, Cool Slice Isn’t Enough
Is there such a thing as too much watermelon? No. Again, the answer is no—but if you doubt us, take a look at these watermelon recipes. They prove you (yes, you) can do a zillion different things with this summer fruit: You can juice it (and add some tequila, if you want), pickle it to serve alongside grilled meats, cube it for salads, blitz it into a smoothie or gazpacho, and more. You can take it in directions both sweet and savory. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner...
Are you picking up what we’re putting down? This melon is versatile.
Now, go and have some juicy, ripe summer fun with our best recipes for watermelon.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Molly Baz, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen1/31Salted Watermelon Margarita
Naturally, watermelon recipes include summer drinks. The watermelon cocktail cannon is vast—there are riffs aplenty on sangria and mojitos, lots of punch variations, and more—but let’s start with a no-sugar-added, naturally sweet watermelon margarita.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk2/31Watermelon, Endive, and Fig Salad
Take a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, oil, and honey; drizzle it over fresh watermelon slices, halved figs, and endive leaves; and that’s it. You’re going to want to keep serving this sweet and salty (and simple) combo all summer long.
Photograph by Shawn Michael Jones, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Micah Morton3/31Watermelon Cucumber Slushy
Cold, smooth, and tangy-sweet, this slushy is a celebration of bright red watermelon as a symbol of Juneteenth tradition—but feel free to enjoy it on any hot summer day.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge4/31Red Snapper, Shrimp, and Watermelon Ceviche
It will take you longer to boil the water than it will to poach the shrimp for this ceviche, which is just 45 seconds. As for the red snapper in this dish, there’s no cooking at all.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Kat Boystova, Prop Styling by Allie Wist5/31Kimchi-Melon Gazpacho
All kinds of veggies can get the kimchi treatment, but for this summer soup, we prefer the classic Napa cabbage kimchi, which is full of sharp aromatics and funk to balance the melon’s sweetness.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene6/31Watermelon With Lime Dressing and Peanuts
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca8/31Spicy Watermelon Onigiri
This playful vegan take on spicy tuna onigiri swaps out the fish for slightly dehydrated watermelon dressed in mayonnaise, soy sauce, sriracha, miso, and sesame oil.
Alex Lau10/31Heat-to-Heat Punch
This basil-infused puréed watermelon punch will go fast, trust us. For an even more aromatic kick in this punch recipe, swap regular basil for the Thai variety.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime12/31Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad
You will surprise and delight dinner party guests with this side dish. Have you ever tried watermelon with Taiwanese black vinegar, chile crisp, fish sauce, and fried shallots before? They probably haven’t, either—but they’ll thank you for introducing them to the combo.
13/31Watermelon Limeade
Watermelon lemonade is great, but we prefer to pair juicy-sweet watermelon with the tropical, almost floral notes of limes. We’re calling it: It’s gonna be a watermelon limeade summer.
Alex Lau15/31Watermelon and Prosciutto With Mint and Toasted Almonds
Watermelon and prosciutto may seem like an unlikely pair, but the salty-sweet mix will make this your new go-to fruit salad recipe—and it takes just 15 minutes to assemble.
Gentl & Hyers16/31Pickled Watermelon Rind
It’s grilling season, and this Southern pickle is the perfect tart, summery accompaniment to those pork chops you’ve got planned for your next cookout. So save those watermelon rinds.
Alex Lau17/31Watermelon Margarita
Out of tequila? Never fear. You might not be able to call it a margarita, but using vodka in this watermelon recipe works too. (Ditto, rum.)
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk18/31Tomato-Watermelon Salad With Turmeric Oil
Christopher Testani19/31Watermelon–Ancho Chile Salsa
The only cooking involved in this recipe is boiling water to rehydrate the ancho chiles. After that, this watermelon salsa just about chopping and blitzing in a blender.
Christina Holmes21/31Watermelon, Lime, and Tequila Frozen Cocktail
Now might be a good time to discuss how to cut watermelon, whether you’re going for wedges, cubes, or sticks. Get your melon game on point with this step-by-step guide.
Gentl & Hyers23/31Vietnamese Pork Chops With Pickled Watermelon
Just one of a few examples of the beautiful companionship between grilled pork and crunchy slabs of watermelon on this list, this particular recipe is a bold mix of salty, sweet, and acidic components.
25/31Watermelon Soda Float
We only need to describe this summer drink to sell you on it: You’ll buy vanilla frozen yogurt and mix in some lime juice and zest. You’ll juice a watermelon. You’ll mix those with bubbly seltzer. Bonus: You’ll also get to break out your melon baller.
27/31Watermelon & Grapefruit Agua Fresca
To make a big batch of this fresh juice—just what a hot summer day spent poolside calls for—all you need is one big melon, just over a cup of grapefruit juice, a blender, and a fine-mesh sieve.
30/31Tomato-Watermelon Salad With Feta and Toasted Almonds
A tomato and feta salad is great. A tomato and watermelon feta salad is magical, especially when it’s got a healthy dose of fresh arugula leaves and lightly toasted almonds for a crunchy garnish. (You know we love that textural contrast.)
