This refreshing watermelon salsa recipe is the perfect twist on salsa to make for for all your summer gatherings!
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!
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!
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?
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).
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.
- 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
- 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.
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:
What are some of your favorite dishes to beat the summer heat?
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I want a whole bowl to myself, absolutely no sharing this one!
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!
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!
Hi Phi, this salsa, looks and sounds so good, it’s nice to enjoy some good cold refreshing food in the summer. Pinned!
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 🙂
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!
Thank you so much! I love unique salsas in the summer and this one is one of my favorites!
What could be better?? It’s beautiful and more delicious than your average salsa!
Sues
Thank you so much, I think you’d love this watermelon salsa!
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
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 🙂
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!
I think you’ll love this salsa, and you’re so right, there are so many different ways to make it 🙂
Ooh girl I love this!! I need a bowl of it on this crazy hot day too!
Girl, you and me both! When it’s hot out – this is my go-to salsa, it’s so refreshing!