Juicy watermelon replaces tomatoes in this salsa that's simultaneously cool and spicy hot -- perfect for a summer barbeque. Serve it with tortilla chips, or use it as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.
Was the hit of the office potluck. One thing I found so as to not have it become too watery, is to let the chopped watermelon drain in a colander for a while; otherwise this has replaced my grilled veggies as the "you have to bring this to the bbq" item
Read Moreoh my i guess i did not know what to expect. But this was not good!!
Read MoreWas the hit of the office potluck. One thing I found so as to not have it become too watery, is to let the chopped watermelon drain in a colander for a while; otherwise this has replaced my grilled veggies as the "you have to bring this to the bbq" item
I made this for a party last night and everyone liked it. I used the watermelon halves as bowls and served it with Hint of Lime tortilla chips. I didn't adhere to the stated measurements, but used whatever I bought. I hollowed out the entire watermelon, used an entire bunch of green onions, two bell peppers, 3 limes, 1 bunch of cilantro and 3 fresh jalapenos. I drained the watermelon and used the juice for watermelon martinis. P.S. Everyone probably knows this, but I didn't. Use gloves when you chop and seed fresh jalapenos. I didn't and my hands burned like fire throughout the entire night.
who knew something this simple could be so good! I had almost a half a seedless watermelon that was a little too ripe for eating. I doubled the recipe. Only changes I made were to add 1 extra tbsp. of onion(only had red onion), and used fresh garlic (1 large clove for the double recipe) and added salt to taste. I did only use 2 tbsp. of lime juice but grated the zest of some of the lime rind. This allowed the lime flavor to come through without the extra liquid. Just drain it in a colander after dicing and it gets alot of the liquid out. This was such a refreshing salsa, I ate it plain for a salad. This would also make a great summer side dish. Unbelievable blend of flavor and the textures. The sweetness mixed with the other basic salsa flavors was outstanding. I loved the crunch of it also. A wonderful salsa/sidedish that would also make a great conversation piece at a gathering; no one would expect watermelon to be used in something like this. Just look at the calorie/carb count also! Another great plus.
THIS SALSA WAS AMAAAAAAZING!!! WOW!!! You have GOT to try this stuff! The juices of lime and watermelon mix together sooo well! the jalapenos make it spicy, and the watermelon adds a burst of sweetness! i made this in 10 minutes, and it was gone in 20! i will DEFINITELY make this again!!!
Man, was this great! I made this for a bunch of friends, and when we ran out of chips, people started eating it straight with a spoon. I added a few dashes of a couple kinds of hot sauce to spice it up. It's best served very, very, cold. Thanks for this interesting and delicious alternative salsa!
This is a great recipe! The combo is a little strange and I just had to try it. The watermelon is a great filler because it essentially has little taste and adds a nice clean and refreshing note to the peppers and spices. I also added more jalepeno and garlic salt, but adjust to your taste. Very good with taco chips. All the skeptics in my family loved it.
I made this tonight for a family birthday get together. Everyone loved it except my husband, but he doesen't like hardly any food. I had to tell them it was watermelon. I didn't follow the recipe exact. I used what I had. I know I put in extra lime juice. And also drained the melon. The kids took all the left overs home. Thanks for the recipe.
Very, very good! Just like the salsa used with grilled foods in expensive restaurants! I added a chopped mango the second time. I drain the salsa in a colander just before serving. It will continue to weep--just keep draining. YUM!
This recipe was great. I drained the watermelon and tried to keep out as much liquid as possible, but the bottom of the bowl was still pretty much all liquid. My husband and my sister both said that was their favorite part and asked me not to drain it so much next time. Made it for a family bbq and all who tried it loved it.
This is a huge hit wherever I take it, and I have memorized the recipe since I am asked for it so much. ALL SKEPTICS HAVE LOVED THIS!
my daughter took 1st place at the 2003 Iowa State Fair in intermediate division (11-17 years old)salsa class with this recipe - they really liked it - it's a fun combination of flavors and textures - thanks for the recipe
I haven't made this yet but it looks like an upscale version of my own Watermelon Salsa and a good companion to some grilled swordfish
Very refreshing salsa with a little bite (spiced it up a bit more than the recipe suggested). A neat salsa recipe to "show off" with.
LOVED this! Draining it is key (thanks for the suggestion via reviews!) - I was amazed at how long I was able to drain it (an hour?) Kind of eyeballed the measurements - just short of a whole (small'ish) watermelon, a whole jalapeno, hence more cilantro, lime juice and onion. Loved the "hint of lime" tortilla chips with this as someone suggested, and can't wait to try this on top of grilled chicken (as yet ANOTHER person suggested!) Such an intriguging taste combination!
this was amazing! it was a big hit at my pool party. so refreshing on a hot summer day in Florida. i highly recommend chopping this the night before, draining it the next day, and THEN add the other ingredients. i drained as i chopped, added the ingredients, and thought it would be fine, but had watermelon soup the next morning (it is WATERmelon, after all). by the time i drained it, i feel it diluted the flavors, so definitely let sit overnight, drain, and then add other ingredients. if possible, let that sit for a few hours in the fridge so that the ingredients can meld well before serving. it was fun to serve this in the watermelon bowl as well. i added in quite a bit of garlic and garlic powder.
A five star hit at the neighborhood bbq! I should have doubled the recipe. In order to keep it from getting too watery mix the garlic salt with the chopped watermelon prior to mixing with the remaining ingredients. It will help draw out some of the moisture when straining the watermelon.
quite good. I used red onion instead of green, and added mango for fun. I even tricked my brother - he thought it was tomato salsa.
My family absolutely loved this recipe. My daughter and I are not tomato fans and found this to be an excellant alternative. Am going to try it with more jalapeno next time.
I tried this for a summer gathering of some gal friends. I used the watermelon as the bowl for the salsa. Everyone was surprised at how much they liked it. Even some that didn't want to even attempt a fruit salsa were surprised they liked it. Served with light corn tortillas, but several just ate it like it is without the chips.
Cool and refreshing, with a bite! This recipe took first place at my block party recently! I skipped the garlic and doubled the onion, cilantro and jalapeno. My suggestions: mix a few hours ahead of time, drain the liquid and add salt JUST before serving (the salt draws out the moisture and "ages" the melon but is necessary to the flavor.) Next time I will look for a dish that allows me to serve the salsa on ice to keep it cold longer.
This is equally good without the garlic salt, if you are sensative to it!
Wonderful! I did not use any bell pepper...family preference. I did add fresh garlic and more green onion and lime juice and zest than called for. You do have to drain before serving. My 10 year old loved this with grilled swordfish. I served with regular tortillas and the hint of lime and everyone liked them equally. Thanks for the recipe!
great! i was suprised, but wasn't awhole lot different than tomatoes. a little sweeter.
This was a big hit at numerous picnics. Doubling the lime juice, using hint of lime tortilla chips and draining were good tips I used from reviews I read. Some people didn't know it was watermelon and thought it was tomatoes.
Yum! Good recipe, easy to prepare also. I followed another reviewer's advice and drained this several times prior to serving. I think it is better if you let it chill for awhile before eating it, the flavors meld much better together. This is a fun snack to share and people are so surprised with the watermelon. Thanks for sharing such an interesting recipe.
Really good with modifications! Needs more salt, lime, cilantro. Followed others' suggestions and drained the watermelon in a colander. With my changes, it's a 5 star!
Good way to use up left over watermelon. I also allowed the melon to sit overnight (cubed small) in fridge, then drained and added the other ingredients early in the day. I didn't have cilantro so I used fresh ground coriander (seed from cilantro plant). I added both minced vidalia and green onion. I only had red pepper so used that. I did add a bit more salt as it lacked something until I re-salted. Added a couple sprinkles of Cumin too. I really liked this even though it seems kinda strange.
YOU MUST LET IT SET!! I tried this right after making it and I wasn't a fan, but by that night I couldn't stay out of it. Hubby couldn't get pass salsa without tomatoes, but I brought it to work to share and we all rave about it. Even passed the recipe on. It's a definite summer salsa, refreshing with a bite.
This was so great! The watermelon I chose was not fully "ripe" because I read that many people had a salsa that was a little too watery. I think this was a great choice. It was still sweet, but not so watery. The flavors really do contrast so well. This was an absolute hit. I will make it again and again. Thank you!!!!
I've been making this salsa for several years now and every time I'm asked for the recipe. Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day I better not show up without this salsa or I never hear the end of it. It's so refreshing. I double or triple the recipe each time I make it cause I could (and sometimes do) eat one batch all by myself. Serve with Tostito Scoops - you definitely want to get some of the juice with each bite and the Scoops work perfectly. Hint - put your "patience hat" on and dice the watermelon & green pepper into 1/4" dice and the Jalapeno into a very fine dice for best results. Enjoy!!!!
OH. MY. GOSH. This was fantastic! Definitely let the watermelon sit in a strainer for a few minutes after cutting it to get some of the extra liquid out. And if you can let the salsa sit for a couple of hours before serving it gets even better. Yum Yum Yum.
I have made this salsa on several occassions for several different groups of people and each time everyone raves!!!! The sweet of the watermelon is complemented with the spicy!! What a great combination and it is even better after it sits overnight. I ususally serve with the hint of lime tortilla chips - it enhances the flavor even more.
THIS STUFF ROCKS!! Best salsa ever! I added habanero peppers and a tomato or two just to fool people. It's also alot less work chopping if you just take everything in chunks and stick it in a food processor and pulse it a few times! (Not the watermelon) I make a ton of this and cold pack it in mason jars, that way I can eat it even when watermelon isn't in season. As far as the taste, nobody can put their finger on the non-tomato flavor until they happen to find a missed watermelon seed and then they wonder where it came from? "Pace" or the other jarred salsa's have nothing on this!
This is really good! I suspected it to be too liquidy from some other reviews, so as I chopped the watermelon I put it in a strainer until I was ready to mix everything together. This seemed to work well, it was still a little liquidy but no salsa I've ever had hasn't had any liquid :) Thanks Dawn!
I can see where this recipe has potential. However, I do not recommend making this on for an outside event. By the time we ate, the salsa was watering and lacked all flavor.
This salsa is fantastic for a change. It is also very simple to prepare...took only minutes! I made last night and everyone loved it so much, I'm making another batch up today!
Maybe I ruined the recipe by adding an extra jalapeno and another fresh hot pepper from my friend's garden, but it was way too spicy and strange-tasting, and I love spicy food. No one really got into it at our fourth of July get together. I think it might have been better, however, on fish or chicken than with chips. (And really it's my fault for making it too spicy.)
I made this for our company lunch. Used 1/2 of a med. size watermelon and tripled the recipe using the same ingredients. Used a whole lime, more cilantro, 1 seeded jalapeno, 1 clove of minced garlic and salt. Good idea on straining the watermelon. Made it the night before and kept the greens in a different container. In the morning, I still had to drain the watermelon again and then mixed the green ingredients together and put it in a hollowed out watermelon shell. When it was time to serve, there was quite a bit of juice that developed and more juice the longer it sits. There was barely a hotness to the salsa. They thought it was very different and enjoyed it with hint of lime chips. A few wanted the recipe. This could be a good salsa base for other types of fruits instead of watermelon.
Really liked the contrast of the cool watermelon with the jalapeno. I changed it up a bit and added Italian parsley (not a big cilantrophile) and omitted the green pepper (not on hand). Just a really nice refreshing salsa on a hot muggy day! Thanks!
My friends didn't like this all that much. Not spicy enough and I don't think they liked the sweetness of it. I thought it was just ok.
Yummy. I added extra green onions, fresh minced garlic and extra cilantro also. And salt which it definitely needed. It was good and I'll make again.
Wonderful, Refreshing and a Great change from tomatoes. I was skeptic until I tasted and WoW! All who have tried the salsa have loved it! Yummy!
This was wonderful. One comment was - "I never want regular salsa again". In fact by the time I got to try it, it was almost gone.
I tripled the recipe for a party and it ALL disappeared with only 10 people at the party! I omitted green pepper (personal preference) and tripled the lime juice as well as adding the zest of all three limes. Serving it with the 'hint of lime' tortilla chips really was the trick though. !Thanks to the other reviewers!) Some of the guests thought it was made with tomatoes!
Fantastic! A rare treat. Be sure to use the watermelon as the bowl. People love that! Also, don't scrimp on the cilantro. It's key.
Everyone seemed to enjoy this. I too think it needed more of a kick. I thought even if the watermelon was more flavorful it would have added more to the salsa. I would make this again but add more jalapeno as others suggested.
Absolutley amazing..I do agree with others you MUST let the watermelon drain. Once you do this salsa is second to none, the fresh, clean taste will blow you away!
Very good, looks like tomato salsa but tates sweeter, I will add more garlic next time
really good and a pleasant new twist from regular salsa. i love the combo of flavors that watermelon and bell peppers make. I did not use a whole jalepeno b/c I was afraid it would be too hot. so of course it wasn't hot enough. will use the recommended amount next tiem.
My family all loves salsa, and they loved this recipe. I did drain the watermelon well after chopping, and because we are big garlic eaters, I substituted the garlic salt for fresh garlic. Very, very good!!!
Yum! It was a big hit. I added a few dashes of balsamic vinegar as per another recipe and it was soo tasty!
Made this for the holiday weekend and it was pretty good, and fun to watch people try it. The only thing is the recipe does not call for enough jalapeno so I added more...it still wasn't hot enough (for me). If you like a sweet and refreshing salsa this recipe is for you.
Personally, after reading all these good reviews I was excited, but I really hated this salsa. Wasn't hot or spicy and it just tasted like watermelon. Maybe I did something wrong, but it's just a bunch of chopped up stuff in a bowl, so don't know. :(
This was a great change from the traditional salsa recipes. I doubled the recipe and added three times the amount of lime and jalapenos and cilantro. I did as others suggested and drained the watermelon for about 2 hours before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. I drained it again prior to serving. It was great with chips and the next day as just a salad. Definitely a keeper.
Yum! One son made this and chilled it, then made a pot of brown rice. Another son peeled the melon rind. I sliced some red onion and allowed it to sit in white vinegar with a touch of stevia. Next, I made a rub of paprika, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, & salt, and used as rub on pollock. Allowed that to sit while straightening up kitchen & setting the table. I minced & sauteed the watermelon rind while slicing one onion (long thin slices), added it when sliced. While these were cooking, I diced some green onions and avocado, prepped a little bowl of queso fresco & cleaned a green salad. Just before adding the fish, I threw in a couple cloves of garlic for a minute. After the pollock was cooked, I added a couple tablespoons of lime juice to the onion and fish, and rearranged the onions onto the top of the fish for serving family style in the kitchen. At serving time, each serving of fish was nestled into a bed of brown rice which had been allowed to sit for a few minutes with another good dash of lime and topped with cumin. All was topped with: the avocados, green onions, the queso fresco, and your salsa (I didn't have a jalapeno *sigh*). To the side was a large bed of Romaine, tossed first with a touch of oil, then topped with its own good helping of marinated red onion. Fabulous dinner. Thanks for the recipe. I really wanted to show it off, which got the creative juices going. We'll make this often! (BTW son may have added too much salt- I added more melon)
Excellent recipie! Great taste! It looks like regular salsa, but when you take a bite you're in for a wonderful surprise. Definately that hot/cold sensation. My only recomendation is to use a seedless watermellon; picking those seeds out took way too much of my time!
We love this recipe, it's a great summertime salsa. Makes your taste buds come alive.
I made this for a family picnic and after they got over the surprise it wasn't tomato salsa, they loved it! We're going to two more picnics soon I'm making this. I agree with another review, the watermelon needs to be drained. It's even better the next day with more flavor from the cilantro.
Wow! This was so good!! I doubled all the ingredients because I had a ton of watermelon to use up. I could eat this with a spoon!
I was a little nervous about making this salsa as it seemed so strange. I am only giving it 4 stars as of now because personally I think the recipe needs a little more kick, whether it be more jalapeno or maybe more garlic. I'm sure once I read through more of the reviews I will be able to successfully modify it to suit my tastes... but overall, this was a great dish. The watermelon adds an interesting coolness. :)
Surprisingly good. Sweet and Spicy. I always prefer to make and rate recipes how the author intended them to be. I would make this again, however, I would use fresh garlic and skip the garlic salt. Not enough garlic flavor. But other than that...very good.
Super Star Salsa, I doubled lime juice,fresh squeezed, and added 2 Tbls. fresh chopped mint. Great with any thing !!
I have already made this five times this summer and not one time did it turn out bad. The quality of the watermelon does make a difference so try and pick a good one. I do double this recipe and use Toritlla Scoops so you can scoop a lot into your mouth! This recipe just screams "SUMMER"!
Made this for tailgating and it held up very well in the heat! The flavors were perfect together and great for a hot day in the sun. Served it with Scoops so you could catch all the juice and not drip. Next time I will make it the night before and strain more of the juice off...but either way it wasn't too "wet". Everyone enjoyed it because it was something different.
Yum! Used regular white onion instead of green onion because that's what I had. This is fresh and unusual; the perfect use for summer's bounty of melon. Will make again.
I've been searching for a good tomato-less salsa recipe for my father (he's allergic) and this is it! Wonderful!! I've made this 3 times now and I would suggest just a few minor tweaks: I actually double the cilantro and green onion AND we eat the red, sweet "heart" of the watermelon and use the rest for salsa. I like a little of the whiter melon (the part you generally don't eat) to add a little textural variety to the salsa. Double or triple the recipe -- it goes FAST. WONDERFUL!!
Fabulous! Big hit at a party. I used a smidge more lime, jalepeno and garlic salt then recipe called for as it needed a little kick.
I've got a very similar recipe that gets great reviews but a few additions are finely diced cantalope and red onion instead of the green onions. Such a refreshing summer salsa served with lime seasoned corn chips!!!!
This salsa is AMAZING! It's true that while the watermelon looks like tomatoes, it sure doesn't taste like them. Very light and refreshing! I made my double batch two days in advance (in hindsight, not the best idea...I think one day in advance would have been sufficient), and took it out of the refrigerator to drain in a colander a couple of times per day. The lime tortilla chips suggested did enhance the flavor. The only substitution I made was adding Rose's Lime juice (which is sweetened) in place of regular lime juice (I already had it in the house). I think it actually helped flavor an otherwise-not-so-flavorful watermelon. Thank you Dawn for the really great recipe!
I stumbled upon this recipe a few years ago when I needed to use up some watermelon before it went bad. I tend to just "eyeball" the ingredients, and it always turns out amazing. Friends now request this every summer. One friend called it "watermelon crack" because he couldn't stop eating it!
What a unique and wonderful flavor. Like others, I let the watermelon drain for a few min. Used kosher salt and a fresh clove of garlic instead of garlic salt; vidalia onion instead of green onion. I didn't measure anything but I would guess that I used alot more that 2T of cilantro. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and all of the flavors blend together to create something truly unique. I served it over broiled tilapia, but could have just eaten it as a salad.
Yummy for sure!!!! I also added a tad bit more lime zest and juice. It was awsome only a 1/2 hour after mixing. The next day the watermelon was not a good, but still great!
Amazing!! I used fresh garlic grounded down like a paste and maybe more lime, it was sooo good!
Great Recipe, I'll pass this off to my friends and family. Thanks. J
I love the flavors in salsa but not a fan of tomatos so this recipe is great! Even my husband loved it! Have made 3 times, even good on grilled chicken. Must try!
When I told my friends that I was going to try out this recipe, several of them doubted that it'd be tasty. I made it yesterday though and man, was it good. I didn't follow the exact measurements.. less jalapeno, more cilantro and green onion. Still real good though, I highly recommend it.
I LOVE THIS! Personally, im not huge on jalapenos so i took those out and i added a little bit of fresh mint. It was delicious!!! A great summer appetizer!
Followed this receipe - lots of work and no favor. Can't believe the ratings and reviews it received.
This was such an interesting recipe and conversation piece! I had everyone trying to guess what it was made with. It had a nice, refreshing taste. I added regular onions to the mix, so yummy!!! I can't wait to trick more people on its secret ingredient! Thanks!!
Great salsa alternative for a little change. Everyone enjoyed it. Very refreshing.
We loved this salsa!Put the chopped watermelon in a strainer to drain while you chop the other ingredients. allow the flavors to combine for a few hours before serving and I always add way more cilantro(just big fans!) and usually use yellow and orange bell pepper for a prettier presentation. Kids and adults alike love this salsa!!
This is a huge hit every time I make it. It's cool and spicy -- I must admit that I usually use a whole green pepper, 2 jalapenos, and a whole bunch of green onions. I find that it helps to drain the watermelon a bit before mixing everything together. My favourite All Recipes recipe!
Different, but not as different tasting as you'd think. It truly is hot and cool at the same time. What a great alternative for people with tomato allergies! Very good!
This recipes is so awesome!!! The only thing I changed was that I used two cloves of garlic instead of the garlic salt.
I made this recipe exactly like it says for a bridal shower (the colors were pink). It got rave reviews and several people asked me the recipe.
I made this for my grandmother's 90th birthday party. It went over well. Some of my family didn't believe that it was watermelon at all. Several people asked for the recipie. I was not prepared for that. The only thing that I changed was I couldn't find green onions. I used white. no one seemed to mind.
My kids just sampled this at the Farmer's Market and begged me to buy it. I paid $5 for a 250 mL container! Then I came home and checked Allrecipes. I can't believe I paid that much for something so easy! The ingredients are exactly the same but of course I don't know what quantities they used so I can't comment on this particular recipe but I think I would be inclined to use the whole amount of lime juice if not extra. It's a great flavor.
Someone brought this in to work and I could have eaten the whole bowl. It was wonderful!!!
This was so refreshing. Worked nicely with a spicy main dish. It worked better as a salad than a salsa. I would recommend extra peppers and smaller pieces of watermelon. I will definitely be making this one again.
