Published: Jun 23, 2026 · by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · 46 Comments

Watermelon Pico de Gallo (salsa)

Watermelon Pico de Gallo is a sweet, spicy, & juicy salsa that will be your new summer favorite. It is amazing with tortilla chips but even better on fish tacos. There is no limit to how many ways you can enjoy this homemade fruit salsa.

watermelon pico de gallo in a bowl with chips on the side.

Why this Watermelon Pico de Gallo Recipe is Amazing: this quick & easy recipe for fresh chopped salsa is fresh, crunchy, healthy, & colorful.

If you are like my family, we always have a ton of watermelon at our house in summer. Those giant ones from the grocery store or Costco are just so yummy & irresistible. Inspiration for this recipe came when I had a huge watermelon we wanted to use up before going on vacation.

Like my recipe for Fruit Salad with Cool Whip on this site, it's light & refreshing. It pairs well with any Mexican or Cal-Mex food, especially my vegetarian recipe for Potato Cheese Enchiladas. Ok, now let's get chopping!

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Ingredients
How to Make Watermelon Pico de Gallo
Serving Suggestions
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Watermelon Pico de Gallo (salsa)
More Watermelon Recipes

Ingredients

Here are the 6 simple ingredients needed to make this homemade salsa recipe. The key is to have fresh produce for best taste and texture. Bonus, all items are nutritious; vegan, low-calorie, gluten-free, & fat-free.

You will notice that this salsa has no tomatoes in it but is still pretty & red. Watermelon is a much loved common fruit in Mexico and is the star in this recipe.

Ingredients for Watermelon Pico del Gallo (salsa)

Here are the ingredients needed to make fresh watermelon salsa:

Watermelon - a seedless variety works best & makes prepping easy.
Onion - use red, white, or yellow for that pungent bite.
Jalapeno Peppers - for spiciness.
Sweet Bell Peppers - color & crunch.
Cilantro - the classic fresh herb for pico de gallo & salsas.
Citrus juice (lemons or limes)
Salt & Pepper - taste

See the recipe card for quantities & substitutions/variations.

How to Make Watermelon Pico de Gallo

In just 15 minutes this fresh salsa comes together. No cooking needed, just chopping & tossing it all together. I mean come on, what better snack, appetizer, or condiment for when the weather heats up.

Here are the easy steps for making this recipe:

Dice the Produce
Combine the Ingredients
Season

See the recipe card for full instructions.

1 - Dice the Produce

Cut the seedless watermelon into small dice. Make sure they are smaller than bite-sized. Makes it easy to scoop on chips or top tacos.

Also, dice the onions and sweet bell peppers.

For medium heat, seed and remove the membranes for one of the jalapeños but leave them in place for the other one. For mild, remove it on both and for spicy, leave them all in.

TIP: DON'T FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS REALLY GOOD AFTER HANDLING AND DICING THE JALAPENO PEPPERS -- the last thing you want to accidentally do is touch your eyes after that. OUCH!

2 - Combine the Ingredients

To a medium bowl, add the diced produce. Juice the citrus & add to the bowl. Toss gently to coat. Finely chop the fresh cilantro leaves and sprinkled that on top.

watermelon salsa with onions and peppers in a bowl on top of a plate circled with tortilla chip.s

3 - Season

Season with salt & pepper to taste. Optional, a sprinkle of Tajin or cumin if you have that to your liking.

The great thing about making this at home versus store-bought salsa, you can experiment and make it your own. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh on the same day it is made.

Store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Any leftover watermelon can be frozen to use later, but I don't recommend freezing the salsa.

Serving Suggestions

This watermelon salsa has wonderful fresh spring & summer flavors. Besides as an appetizer, it is a great healthy topping for grilled seafood, chicken, or pork. Serve this fruit condiment at any picnic, BBQ, potluck, or party.

What to Serve with Watermelon Salsa: This goes great with crowd-pleasers like ahi poke nachos, carnitas burritos, or teriyaki chicken skewers.

Watermelon Pico del Gallo (salsa) in a bowl next to corn tortilla chips.

Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes

Here is my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, funny stories or bloopers, and more.

#1 Tip - Wash your handles after handling the jalapenos!
You can use precut watermelon from the store to save time. It is usually in large chunks so you will still need to chop it into smaller pieces.
I love this simple hand juicer that strains the seeds.
Don't like cilantro; you are not alone - it is a polarizing ingredient. I am married to one of those "it tastes like soap" people so I add it at the end after he grabs his share.
Did you know that watermelon is one of the most common fruits without seeds?
Substitution the watermelon for other fruit, try mango or pineapple.
What will you put watermelon salsa on?

Two photos of fresh watermelon fruit salsa with onion, sweet colorful bell peppers, & spicy jalapenos served with chips.

RECIPE NOTE: this recipe was originally published July 2020. It has been updated to include product recommendations, updated storing timeline, new photos, and tips for republishing in 2026.