This Watermelon Salsa is light, refreshing, and so easy to make! It makes a great summer appetizer served as a dip with chips, but you can also add it to tacos, burritos, or serve it as a side with fish, seafood, rice bowls, and more! It's colorful, vegan, and so delicious!
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Why You'll Love This Watermelon Salsa
Sweet, spicy, and refreshing - Watermelon is not something you often see turned into a salsa, but the flavors work so well together, and it's perfect for those extra hot summer days! I kept it simple with the classic ingredients like lime, cilantro, and jalapenos, but also added a good sprinkle of Tajin to change it up! It adds flavor and a little bit of heat.
Simple and easy - You can have this salsa ready in just 15 minutes, and you only need 6 ingredients! It's quick, simple, and such a good summer staple when you have lots of watermelon and don't know what to make for a snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
- Watermelon - I recommend using a seedless watermelon because the seeds just aren't pleasant to bite into in a salsa, but any watermelon will work. You just don't want it to be overly ripe and soft because it won't hold its shape as well.
- Red onion - This is a classic in any salsa, and I find red onion goes with all the other flavors really the best. If you don't have it, you can use a white onion instead, but I really recommend a red one.
- Jalapeño pepper - Spicy jalapenos balance the sweetness of watermelon really well, but if you don't want too much heat, you can remove the seeds and the white parts to keep the salsa mild.
- Cilantro - This is a classic for any salsa, and it goes really well with the watermelon flavor. Always use fresh cilantro, not dried cilantro.
- Lime - I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor, not the one from a bottle.
- Tajin - Tajin spice is a mix of chili, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. I add it to my Mango Pico de Gallo, and it's perfect with watermelon too!
Variations and Substitutions
- Basil - While I think cilantro really works the best here, you can swap it for fresh basil. It obviously won't be as classic, but watermelon and basil go really well together. You'll have to skip the Tajin and just add salt instead.
- Add tomatoes and cucumber - This turns it more into a salad rather than a salsa, but diced tomatoes and cucumber go really well with all the other flavors. You can add it to tacos, rice bowls, or serve it with roasted salmon, shrimp, or chicken. You could even add crumbled feta to this, and it would be delicious with basil as well.
- Add more heat - You can add a finely chopped habanero pepper or a spicier Tajin if you want the salsa to be extra hot.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Dice the watermelon into small, bite-sized pieces and finely chop the red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the diced watermelon, red onion, jalapeno, and finely chopped fresh cilantro.
- Toss gently to mix well.
- Add the lime juice and Tajin, and toss again. Do this when you’re ready to serve the salsa.
- Serve it with tortilla chips, in tacos, rice bowls, or anything else. Enjoy!
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Serving Suggestions
- As an appetizer - The best and easiest way to serve this salsa is as an appetizer or a starter with tortilla chips. It's perfect for summer parties and BBQs, but it's easy enough to enjoy on a weeknight!
- As a side dish - Add it to rice bowls with roasted fish, seafood, chicken, or steak. Try it in this Shrimp Rice Bowl! You can serve it with grilled veggies, quinoa, and other dips like this 4-Ingredient Guacamole.
- Tacos - Add it to steak tacos or any fish or seafood tacos!
Storing
Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The watermelon does release a lot of water as it sits, which is normal due to its high water content.
If you want to make it ahead of time, I recommend mixing everything but the lime juice and Tajin. It's the salt in the Tajin and lime juice that softens the watermelon and turns the salsa watery. Once you mix those in, it's best to serve it right away.
Other Fresh Salsa Recipes
If you want to try other similar fruit salsas, I have a lot you can choose from! The strawberry one is my latest favorite, but the mango salsa is my go-to classic as well. Head over to Dips to see all the latest ones!
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Have you tried this Watermelon Salsa? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Watermelon Salsa
This Watermelon Salsa is light, refreshing, and so easy to make! It makes a great summer appetizer, but you can also add it to tacos, burritos, or serve it as a side with fish, seafood, rice bowls, and more! It's colorful, vegan, and so delicious!
- Total Time15 minutes
- Yield4 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced watermelon (small 0.5-1 cm pieces)
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced
- ½ cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp Tajin (or ½ tsp fine sea salt)
Instructions
- Dice the watermelon into small, bite-sized pieces and finely chop the red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the diced watermelon, red onion, jalapeno, and fresh cilantro.
- Toss gently to mix well.
- Add the lime juice and Tajin, and toss again. Do this when you’re ready to serve the salsa.
- Serve it with tortilla chips, in tacos, rice bowls, or anything else. Enjoy!
Notes
Since watermelon has a high water content, it will start releasing a lot of water after you add the lime juice and tajin. If you want to prep it ahead, I highly recommend mixing everything together but the tajin and lime juice. Add those as the last step before you’re ready to serve.
Storing: Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
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