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Watermelon Salsa Recipe

Jul 13, 2015 · 29 Comments

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This refreshing watermelon salsa recipe is the perfect twist on salsa to make for for all your summer gatherings!

Watermelon salsa recipe from @sweetphi this image

With the temperatures soaring, sometimes it’s nice to take a break from cooking and have some cold and refreshing dishes, and what better to enjoy than watermelon salsa? This is one twist on salsa or pico de gallo that has become a favorite of mine!

[Tweet “Beat the heat with this watermelon salsa from @sweetphi”]

Watermelon salsa ingredients

Watermelon is one of those foods that is synonymous with summer. If you were to be asked to name a summer fruit, I’m pretty sure watermelon would top everyone’s list. But I really do hate cutting and removing the skin of watermelons – it truly makes a mess – so what I like to do is buy peeled and diced watermelon, makes using it as an ingredient so much easier!

Watermelon-salsa-recipe

Made up of mostly water and natural sugar, watermelon is a sweet and refreshing fruit. Although watermelon is a great fruit to enjoy all by itself in the summer, have you ever tried adding a little salt to it or perhaps including it in a savory dish?

Watermelon salsa recipe from @sweetphi

The first time I had watermelon with a little salt on it I was wowed by the intense favor. I was skeptical before first bite, thinking it was going to be a revolting flavor combination, but it wasn’t. It was in fact a shocking realization that salt on watermelon seemed to bring out the sweetness. The science behind this is that when you add salt to anything, it draws out the moisture, so drawing out a watermelon’s water content makes the flavor more dense and intense. Knowing that the salty sweet combination of watermelon and salt is a great one, I’ve started adding watermelon to my summer salsa and it has quickly become a favorite. The sweetness from the watermelon is complimented by the tomatoes and jalapenos (which one can use to make the salsa as spicy as desired).

Easy watermelon salsa recipe from @sweetphi

Speaking of jalapenos, did you know that eating spicy foods in the summer can actually cool you down? That is because spicy foods increase your blood circulation which makes you sweat, which in turn helps regulate your body temperature and helps you cool down faster. So adding those few extra jalapeno seeds might make all the difference in keeping you cool.

Watermelon Salsa Recipe

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Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 3 cups salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups finely diced seedless watermelon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large tomatoes finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced (for more heat, include some seeds)
  • ½ red onion finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime 1 to 2 tablespoons
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Place watermelon in a bowl, sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit 5 minutes. Drain watermelon juice from bowl.
  • Add tomatoes, jalapeño and red onion. Stir, then add cilantro, lime juice and a pinch more salt. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator and then serve.

Besides watermelon salsa, another dish I like to make in the summer is my Mexican street corn salad. This dish can be made using fresh or frozen corn, and can be eaten with chips just like a salsa. It has flavors of fresh corn, spice from the jalapenos and seasoning and then has a cool and creamy finish because of the cheese used to bring the dish together.

Watermelon salsa recipe from @sweetphi

This watermelon salsa recipe along with a few other dishes (including my Mexican street corn salad and strawberry icebox pie) were featured in an article I wrote about Cold Foods Perfect for Hot Summer Days for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I will be sharing the remaining recipes over the next few days – here is a picture of the whole spread:

Cold dishes to beat the heat - from @SweetPhi

What are some of your favorite dishes to beat the summer heat?

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Appetizers/Sides, Blog Posts, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Recipes, Snacks, Summer Favorites, Whole30 bbq side dishes, cold dishes for summer, cold dishes to beat the heat, easy fruit salsa, fruit salsa, summer salsa recipe, twists on salsa, unique salsa recipes, watermelon pico de gallo, watermelon salsa, watermelon salsa recipe, what to bring to a bbq, whole 30 recipe for a party, whole30 appetizer, whole30 party food, whole30 party recipe, whole30 recipe

Did you make this recipe? Hashtag with us! Be sure to follow/tag @sweetphiblog and hashtag #sweetphiblog – we love to see what you’re cooking up!”

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn Lovejoy says

    July 15, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    Ooh girl I love this!! I need a bowl of it on this crazy hot day too!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 7:12 am

      Girl, you and me both! When it’s hot out – this is my go-to salsa, it’s so refreshing!

      Reply
  2. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    July 15, 2015 at 4:32 am

    One of the many things I love about salsa is that there is SO many different ways to make it. This is definitely going to be the next way that I make it. Yum!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 7:11 am

      I think you’ll love this salsa, and you’re so right, there are so many different ways to make it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Little Cooking Tips says

    July 15, 2015 at 12:01 am

    Wonderful salsa Phi! And what a wonderful table that was in the final photo! Kudos!!!
    We often use watermelon in a savory dish here; we cut it in cubes and serve it with salty feta. Real feta is made with sheep’s milk (we’re sure you know all about it) so the flavor is strong and it’s perfectly combined with the sweetness of the watermelon.
    That being said, we KNOW we will love this salsa and it’s a perfect idea for those hot summer nights.
    Thank you for another beautiful idea!
    Panos and Mirella
    xoxoxo

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 7:11 am

      I have tried to make a watermelon and feta salad once – it was absolutely delicious…but I brought it to a party and it must have been super hot out because it ended up becoming a watery mess haha, I’ll definitely need to work on that though, because I do love watermelon in savory dishes! thanks for the comment 🙂

      Reply
  4. wearenotmartha says

    July 14, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    What could be better?? It’s beautiful and more delicious than your average salsa!

    Sues

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 7:05 am

      Thank you so much, I think you’d love this watermelon salsa!

      Reply
  5. Ashley says

    July 14, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    Yesssss to all the watermelon! I will take a huge bowl of this salsa please! And that spread looks fantastic – looking forward to seeing all the recipes!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 6:56 am

      Thank you so much! I love unique salsas in the summer and this one is one of my favorites!

      Reply
  6. cheri says

    July 14, 2015 at 8:34 am

    Hi Phi, this salsa, looks and sounds so good, it’s nice to enjoy some good cold refreshing food in the summer. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 6:55 am

      Thank you so much Cheri, I always like some cold dishes in the summer, and this watermelon salsa is a favorite – it’s so refreshing! Thank you for the pin 🙂

      Reply
  7. Shawnna says

    July 14, 2015 at 7:33 am

    Hey girl- This sounds really good!! I’ve never had watermelon salsa! I just love fried green tomatoes in the Summer!! Yummy for my tummy!! I know it’s not to beat the heat but they are so tasty!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 16, 2015 at 6:55 am

      I love fried green tomatoes too – this year I’m growing a bunch of really cool heirloom tomatoes so I’m definitely going to have to try frying them at home – thanks for the idea!! And you know what? This salsa would be amazing with the tomatoes, or by itself 🙂 Thanks for the comment girl!

      Reply
  8. Suné Moolman says

    July 14, 2015 at 4:37 am

    I want a whole bowl to myself, absolutely no sharing this one!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Best Summer Recipes - Sweetphi says:
    November 4, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    […] Watermelon salsa – summery and fresh, so addicting! […]

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  2. Catching Up With The Kelnhofers-47 - Sweetphi says:
    July 4, 2020 at 9:26 am

    […] to pick a watermelon – with your perfect watermelon, might I suggest this watermelon salsa? Totally craving […]

    Reply
  3. My Favorite 4th of July Recipes - Sweetphi says:
    July 1, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    […] Watermelon Salsa – a suuupppper easy side dish to whip up for any party if you’re short on time. […]

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  4. Family Essentials - Summer Edition - Sweetphi says:
    June 17, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    […] Watermelon salsa – summery and fresh, so addicting! […]

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  5. Summer Melon Salad - Sweetphi says:
    May 31, 2020 at 11:39 am

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  6. Recipes To Make This Summer - Sweetphi says:
    June 24, 2019 at 10:15 am

    […] Watermelon salsa – summery and fresh, so addicting! […]

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  7. Quick and Easy Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa - Sweetphi says:
    June 7, 2019 at 6:56 am

    […] had some fresh pineapple and was craving a good fruit salsa (I love this watermelon salsa in the summertime) and this recipe came together. I’ve made it numerous times now and just […]

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  8. Faves & Life Lately -8 - Sweetphi says:
    May 29, 2018 at 6:01 am

    […] Watermelon salsa – refreshing and a great summer fruit salsa […]

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    July 5, 2017 at 3:57 am

    […] Watermelon Salsa […]

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  10. 10 Ways to Use Fresh Tomatoes - Sweetphi says:
    October 29, 2015 at 5:58 am

    […] chips and create delicious salsa’s or pico’s with fresh tomatoes. I love making this watermelon salsa,  or how about this rainbow salsa from Gimme Some Oven, and this Mexican hash brown stack with […]

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  11. Cool Watermelon Salsa says:
    August 19, 2015 at 7:00 am

    […] Chill out with an easy sweet and salty watermelon salsa that is similar to a pico de gallo, complete with a touch of spicy jalapeños. By Philia Kelnhofer […]

    Reply
  12. Three Bean and Steak Salad | My WordPress Website says:
    July 17, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    […] for another day. No one will complain when your refreshment-focused menu includes the likes of watermelon salsa with chips, Mexican street corn salad, this three-bean and steak salad and a strawberries and cream icebox […]

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  13. Basil Lemonade | My WordPress Website says:
    July 17, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    […] for a menu of cold foods perfect for hot summer days? How about this basil lemonade along with watermelon salsa, Mexican street corn salad, three bean and steak salad and strawberries and cream icebox […]

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  14. Three Bean and Steak Salad - Sweetphi says:
    July 15, 2015 at 4:46 am

    […] for another day. No one will complain when your refreshment-focused menu includes the likes of watermelon salsa with chips, Mexican street corn salad, this three-bean and steak salad and a strawberries and cream icebox […]

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