Tex-Mex flavors are the flavors of summer, and this Watermelon Salsa is the salsa of summer, the coolest, the juiciest, the most refreshing and surprising.
I know, another thing to dunk tortilla chips in – I can’t help myself. Tortilla chips are my desert-island food. I’ll happily eat them plain, but give me something to dip them in (like this queso, or this restaurant-style tomato salsa) and you can forget the rest of dinner, I’ve got everything I need.
I’ve adapted this Watermelon Salsa from a recipe of the same name developed by Trisha Yearwood for the Food Network. The first time I tried her recipe I brought it to a friend’s house as my contribution to a cookout. A salsa based on watermelon instead of tomatoes piqued everyone’s interest, and once they tried it people went crazy for it. The contrast between the sweet, thirst-quenching juiciness of the fruit, the tart lime dressing and the crunchy, salty chips is downright addictive.
Since that first cookout I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit, including some adjustments to the proportions. I cut down on the amount of fruit – the original recipe made a huge amount – but kept the dressing quantity the same, so it’s extra saucy. I also stuck with the original amount of jalapeño pepper, to give the salsa a little more kick.
So we’ve established how amazing this salsa is with chips, but Watermelon Salsa also makes a beautiful, fresh and flavorful topping for grilled chicken or fish.
Prep tips, making this ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
- The salsa, completely assembled with the dressing and the minced basil, will last for a few hours in the fridge. If you want to make it much earlier in the day or the night before, you can assemble everything but leave out the basil and add that closer to serving.
- If you want to make this salsa last longer, cut all the fruit and vegetables and mix them together. Mix the dressing. Store the fruit/vegetable mixture and the dressing separately, and toss them together with the basil within a few hours of serving. Stored without the dressing, the fruit mixture will keep well for up to 3 days.
Adapted from Watermelon Salsa by Trisha Yearwood via the Food Network.
Watermelon Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or ¼ teaspoon Morton’s
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups ¼-inch diced seedless watermelon
- 6-inch length of an English hothouse cucumber (about 1/3 of the cucumber), peeled, seeded and ¼-inch diced
- 1 mango, peeled and ¼-inch diced
- Half a small red onion, ¼-inch diced
- One medium jalapeño pepper, cored, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- Tortilla chips for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Combine the lime zest, juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set the mixture aside while dicing and mincing the remaining ingredients.
- Step 2 Combine the watermelon, cucumber, mango, red onion and jalapeño in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing, making sure the sugar is dissolved, then pour it over the watermelon mixture and toss everything to combine. Stir in the basil.
- Step 3 Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
