Watermelon Salsa

Make the best Watermelon Salsa with juicy watermelon, cherry tomatoes, mint and cilantro. It’s refreshing, flavorful and guaranteed to be the hit recipe of the summer! Serve it with tortilla chips for a delicious snack, or serve it over chicken, fish, or tacos for a tasty meal.

I first introduced this watermelon salsa recipe on the blog in 2015, and it’s been one of the biggest hits with my friends and family every since that summer! I’m asked to make this recipe for every bbq, picnic and beach day. It’s so incredibly refreshing, it’s sweet, but with a hint of spice from serrano peppers.

Today the post is getting an update with new images, some great tips and a video showing how to make this delicious recipe. But don’t worry, the original recipe itself isn’t changing, and never will! This recipe is absolutely perfect and I know I’ll be making it over and over again for years to come.

My best tip when it comes to this recipe is double it! People gobble up this salsa like it’s going out of style, so I always recommend doubling the recipe if you’re making it for 4 or more people. It’s always the first thing to go at my annual 4th of July party!

I’m seriously not joking when I say that people go crazy for this recipe. Myself included!

It’s light, fresh and flavorful served as a side dish with tortilla chips. But it’s also incredible served over grilled chicken or baked salmon, and on top of chorizo tostadas or mahi mahi fish tacos!

Needless to say, I’ve found every possible way to eat this watermelon salsa every week of the summer and I highly recommend you do the same!

Ingredients

• Watermelon – pick out a ripe watermelon by tapping on the melon. If the melon has a deep sound, as opposed to a hollow sound, when you tap it, that means it’s ripe. Also, the heavier the watermelon and more dull in appearance, means it’s ripe. A shiny watermelon indicates that it’s not ripe yet.
• Cherry tomatoes – summer is the peak time for sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes. Quarter them up to use in this salsa. You can also dice up roma tomatoes for this salsa, if you prefer.
• Red onion – I recommend red onions in this salsa because they have a sharper, spicier flavor than yellow or white onions. They’re also delicious served raw. If you would like a more mellow flavor, I recommend using white onion. This type of onion is traditionally used in Mexican salsas and Pico De Gallo.
• Serrano peppers – this spicy little Mexican pepper adds some heat and lots of flavor to this salsa. Because the seeds are removed before mincing the pepper and adding it to the salsa, this removes some of the spice from the pepper. If you’d like a spicier salsa, leave the seeds in the peppers. If you’d like a more mild salsa, only use one serrano pepper or leave the peppers out altogether.
• Fresh mint – I absolutely love the pairing of watermelon and mint in a salad. So I decided to add this fresh, sweet herb to the salsa, for a delicious cooling effect and flavor addition.
• Fresh cilantro – this herb has a distinct flavor that’s found in almost all salsa recipes. If you have an aversion to cilantro, feel free to leave it out.
• Lime – both the juice and zest of the lime will be used in this recipe. So be sure to pick fresh, bright green limes with no blemishes on the outside.
• Salt + black pepper – to season the salsa.

Instructions

For the full detailed recipe instructions, step-by-step video and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Add the watermelon, tomatoes, onion and serrano peppers to a large bowl.
2. Toss in the mint, cilantro and lime zest.
3. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pro tips

• This salsa will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container so that it stays fresh longer.
• To reduce the spice in the salsa, either replace the two serrano peppers with one jalapeno pepper, or omit the peppers altogether. You can also replace the peppers with 1/4 cup bell peppers, which have no spice, but will add flavor and crunch to the salsa.
• To make this salsa spicier, leave the seeds and membranes in the serrano peppers when mincing them and adding them to the salsa.
• This salsa recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
• To double this recipe, simply hit the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts will automatically update to make a double batch of the salsa.
• For a twist on this recipe, add 1 cup of diced cucumber or 1 cup of diced pineapple.

Ways to serve it

My favorite way to serve this salsa is simply with a side of tortilla chips for dipping. But, I’ve come to love this recipe so much, that I also add it to tacos, fish and tostadas. Try each of these delicious ways to serve it, and enjoy the fresh taste of watermelon salsa all summer!

• Chorizo Tostadas – heat up some chorizo, or soyrizo, and place it on top of tostada shells. Sprinkle on some watermelon salsa, cotija cheese and creamy avocado salsa!
• Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos – ditch the slaw on these blackened mahi mahi tacos, and instead top them with this watermelon salsa. The combination of spice from the blackened fish and sweetness of the salsa is a match made in foodie heaven!
• Balsamic Salmon – use this salmon recipe, then top it with this watermelon salsa. It’s the perfect light, refreshing meal for summer!
• Grilled chicken – sprinkle some of my famous chicken seasoning on chicken breasts or thighs. Toss them on the grill, then serve the chicken topped with this refreshing salsa.
• Chipotle Honey Glazed Salmon Tacos – I traditionally serve these tacos topped with mango salsa, but they’re also really delicious topped with this watermelon salsa!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.