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.
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
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 vegan, low-calorie, & 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.
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.
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 5 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 topping for grilled seafood, chicken, or pork. Serve this 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.
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?
Watermelon Pico de Gallo (salsa)
Ingredients
- 3 cup watermelon small dice
- ½ cup yellow or orange bell peppers finely diced
- ⅓ cup onion finely diced
- 2 small jalapenos finely diced, (seeds and membranes removed optional)
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Chop and dice the first 3 ingredients as listed.3 cup watermelon, ½ cup yellow or orange bell peppers, ⅓ cup onion
- For Medium Heat: Remove the seeds and membranes from one jalapeno before dicing both of them. Remove the seeds & membranes from both if you want a mild salsa.2 small jalapenos
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the ingredients and gently stir to combine.
- Juice the citrus and pour over the bowl of ingredients.3 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- Add cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix gently to combine.½ cup cilantro, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Serve immediately with chips or use it to top seafood tacos.
Notes
- Omit the cilantro if desired.
- Add more or less jalapeno to control the heat level.
- Try using multiple fruits and add mango or pineapple.
- Store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Drain any excess liquid that may come from the watermelon as it sits.
Nutrition
More Watermelon Recipes
If you love the summer fruit, you will enjoy these other ideas here on the blog:
Myrka says
Never would have thought about this! Sounds delicious! Especially since I usually already put spicy seasoning on my watermelon, this will probably taste similar.
Angela says
Oh me too! I do sprinkle some tajin on this when I put it on tacos! Wow, so much flavor for a fruit salsa.
Beth Shields says
This looks amazing. I love new and refreshing picos and salsas. I bet this would be great with fish. But the chips will do just fine! Thanks so much for this. Pinning this recipe for sure!
Angela says
It is so amazing with shrimp tacos. The recipe is actually coming soon to the blog so keep your eyes out so you don't miss it!
Angella Jensen says
YUM! I am going to make that next weekend. It looks delicious
Angela says
Let me know what you think and would love to hear what you serve it with.
Eva Keller says
What a great concept for a salsa! My husband would love this. I would eat it without the cilantro and jalapeno. I can't do anything spicy and I can't eat cilantro.
Angela says
One of the great things about this recipe is how you can alter it a bit to your liking and still have a great bowl of pico de Gallo with sweet watermelon and tons of other flavors.
Sabrina DeWalt says
I pinned this one. Sounds delicious! Can't wait to make it.
Angela says
Thank you for saving to Pinterest.
Beth says
What a delicious mix of sweet, savory and spicy this salsa would be. I'm on the lookout for a watermelon on my next shopping trip - I have everything else on the list.
Angela says
Enjoy the watermelon salsa recipe and let me know what you pair it with, thanks.
Heather says
Ooh I love this! My son loves watermelon and I love salsa, and this recipe might be the perfect thing to bring it all together and finally get him on board with eating Mexican!
Angela says
Great, maybe make a mother-son date night and indulge in some Mexican cuisine with this Watermelon Salsa!
Roselyn Franke says
Pinned it and going to try it as well!
Angela says
Thanks for adding the watermelon pico de gallo to your Pinterest boards!
Alexis Farmer says
I’m not a big fan of regular Pico but I would definitely try this!
Angela says
Trying a new salsa or pico de gallo recipe is always a great thing to do
Sarah Camp says
Yum! What a great take on a traditional pico de gallo - I'll definitely have to try this!
Angela says
If you don't eat it all immediately, get this watermelon salsa on some grilled fish or shrimp tacos for an amazing summer idea.
Jennifer L Markell says
Perfect timing! I was wondering what to do with this huge watermelon when there is only two of us in the house! Thanks!
Angela says
Great, we have that HUGE watermelon problem sometimes - which is a great problem to have in summer!
Emily says
Looks delish! Thanks for sharing!
Angela says
You are welcome.
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 13, open June 1 to 26. All party entries shared if social media buttons installed.
Sara says
What an awesome take on pico. I also love watermelon so will definitely have to give this a try!
Judean says
Honestly, I am not a huge watermelon fan. However, I think I may be able to get behind this! I think used as a salsa with a little heat may be what I need. Thanks for sharing!
Angela says
You never know what may change your mind about watermelon and this could be it.
Carrie Beaton says
I've never thought of putting watermelon in a salsa before. I bet the sweet and salty contrast is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Angela says
Watermelon salsa is a great combo of sweet and spicy.
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
OMG. This sounds incredible. Pinned x
#BloggersPitStop
Annette says
What a fabulous idea!! Who would have thought about watermelon for salsa. This will be a great holiday summer treat this weekend.
Angela says
Enjoy! I hope this fruit salsa is a great addition to your Independence day holiday menu!
Tara says
This sounds absolutely delicious! I love watermelon and jalapeños togethers...so why not a salsa?!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 14, open July 1 to 26. All entries shared if social media buttons are installed.
Angela says
Wonderful, thanks so much Dee!
Liz says
Yummm, cilantro and watermelon.
Anindya Sundar Basu says
We made watermelon salad with tomato few days ago and this is on the same lines. Love the salsa.
Ai says
YUM! I love the combination of sweet, tangy, salty, and spicy so this salsa's got my name all over it!
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
Looks so good! I prefer watermelon to tomato!
Angela says
My boys eat so much watermelon that they prefer it too in a salsa.
Alpa says
This looks like an easy to make side dish and kids will love it too.
Angela says
My kids love watermelon salsa and I think yours will too.
Lathiya says
I love watermelon and this pica de gallo with it sounds interesting.
Cathy says
Really good and shared this recipe a few times already with friends. It is not too spicy so it is just right for us but if you like spicy add extra jalapeno and keep the seeds or something. You cannot go wrong with this if you love fruit salsa.
Angela says
Thanks for the comment and for sharing.