Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Subscribe
Recipe Collections

20 Cool And Refreshing Watermelon Recipes

From fresh to frozen, sliced, diced, and puréed—you'll be surprised how easy it is to use up that whole melon you committed to at the store.
20 Cool And Refreshing Watermelon Recipes

Watermelon kimchi. (Recipes by Melanie Kwan. Produced by Sun Ngo. Photographed by Christie Vuong. Food Styling by Ashley Denton. Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon)

There are few things more satisfying than a slice of watermelon in hot weather. Try some in this slate of summer watermelon recipes to take it to the next level.

How to pick a perfect watermelon

A seedless watermelon cut in half on a white background to show how to pick a perfect watermelon for watermelon recipes
  • Look for a creamy yellow spot (known as the sun spot) on your watermelon. This is where it sat on the ground while soaking up the sun. If the spot’s white or light green, the melon was picked too soon.
  • The rind should be dark green and free from large bruises or blemishes.  
  • Watermelons are 92 percent water, so choose one that’s relatively heavy for its size.
  • Use leftover watermelon in fruit salads or freeze chunks in a plastic bag up to 1 month for delicious blender drinks.

Watermelon Kimchi

A quick, high-summer recipe that should be eaten as soon as it’s made, this salad makes a great side dish for a barbecue. Ice-cold watermelon is tossed with gochugaru (Korean dried chili flakes), fish sauce, garlic, scallions, ginger and lime juice for an instant sweet, sour, savoury and umami kimchi—no fermentation required. Get our watermelon kimchi recipe.

Watermelon Caesar

This unconventional take on the Canadian classic was created for Chatelaine by Christine Sismondo. It uses fresh watermelon and a vegan Caesar mix instead of tomato clam cocktail. All the other products are sourced from Canadian companies with women at the helm. Get our watermelon caesar cocktail recipe.

Chatelaine caesar in clear glass, in front of a pink, purple, and red background.Produced by Sun Ngo. Photography by Christie Vuong. Food Styling by Ashley Denton. Prop Styling by Catherine Doherty.

Shrimp Aguachile With Cucumber-Watermelon Salad

"Aguachile couldn’t be a more straightforward name for this coastal Mexican dish: it translates to “chili water” and is a spicier cousin of citrus ceviche. This version isn’t strictly traditional—aguachile is usually served in a nearly raw, less-cured state—but it’s a great option if you don’t have access to ultra-high-quality freshly caught shrimp." Get Chantal Braganza's shrimp aguachile with cucumber-watermelon salad recipe.

Advertisement
Shrimp aguachile with cucumber-watermelon salad served on a plate with lime wedgesProduced by Aimee Nishitoba, Photo by Christie Vuong, Food Styling by Eshun Mott, Prop Styling by Christine Hanlon.

Lime-Chili Salted Watermelon

Salty, tangy, spicy and sweet—this snack has it all. Get this lime-chili salted watermelon recipe.

Watermelon topped with lime-chili and saltPhoto, Ashley Capp.

Spiced Melon Salad Recipe

One of the freshest, juiciest salad recipes we have. Ripe cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon are sprinkled with cilantro, chili and lime for a spicy-sweet finish. Get our spiced melon salad recipe.

Spiced melon salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and fresh cilantro leaves sprinkled with chili powder on a white platter with green edgesPhoto, Erik Putz.

Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind

Don't let that rind go to waste! Get our quick pickled watermelon rind recipe.

Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind in a jar

Watermelon Granita

Watermelon granita is a perfect, light summer dessert. Serve it up at your next barbecue to wow your guests. Get this watermelon granita recipe.

Advertisement
20 Cool And Refreshing Watermelon Recipes

Cornmeal Pickerel With Watermelon-Peach Salad

With both watermelons and peaches in season, this side salad steals the spotlight. (To make it a meal, we pair it with crunchy pickerel for an easy and delicious dinner.) Get our cornmeal pickerel with watermelon-peach salad recipe.

cornmeal pickerel with watermelon-peach salad

Watermelon Tequila Punch

It's hot out, and everyone deserves a refreshing drink. Kick back with our tequila watermelon punch, and enjoy the lazy-hazy days of late summer. Get our watermelon tequila punch recipe.

Tequila watermelon cocktailPhoto, Erik Putz.

Salsa Verde Pork Burgers With Watermelon Jicama Salad

The sweet watermelon and jicama salad adds a nice balance to the pork burger, which is topped with green salsa. Get this salsa verde pork burgers with watermelon jicama salad recipe.

Salsa verde pork burgers with watermelon and jicama salad on a rectangular white plate

Crisp Melon And Tomato Salad

Take the season’s ripest, juiciest fruit to tasty new heights with this fragrant salad course. Get this crisp melon and tomato salad recipe.

Advertisement
Crisp melon and tomato salad recipe on a plate.Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Watermelon adds a refreshing twist to this classic cooling dish. Get this watermelon gazpacho recipe.

20 Cool And Refreshing Watermelon RecipesAndreas Trauttmansdorff

Watermelon Limoncello Lemonade Cocktail

As simple as whirling watermelon, limoncello and lemon juice in a blender, once you’ve tried this fresh take on lemonade it will be gracing the patio table all summer long. Get this watermelon limoncello lemonade cocktail recipe.

Two glasses of pink watermelon limoncello lemonade cocktail garnished with slices of lemon next to a serving jug of watermelon lemonade and a bowl of sliced watermelon

Watermelon, Feta And Pistachio Salad

This watermelon, feta and pistachio salad is a nice combination of sweet and salty. It'll be a great crowd-pleaser at your next picnic. Let this watermelon, feta and pistachio salad recipe.

Watermelon, Feta And Pistachio Salad sprinkled with kalamata olives, fresh basil and drizzled with sherry vinegar and olive oil

Watermelon Sangria

What fruit can’t be turned into a sangria? This is one of the most refreshing versions we’ve tried. Get this watermelon sangria recipe.

Advertisement
A glass of watermelon sangria with chopped watermelon and fresh raspberries and a gold toothpick adorning it garnished with a cube of watermelon, a raspberry and fresh mint for a post on the tastiest watermelon sangria recipe(Photo: Roberto Caruso)

Chilled Watermelon Soup

This chilled soup is a great refresher or after-dinner treat. Get this chilled watermelon soup recipe.

Chilled watermelon soup recipe with blueberries and watermelon balls and mint leaves in a glass bowl with a spoon

Shrimp And Watermelon Tostadas

Watermelon adds a nice fresh crunch to this zesty tostada. Get this shrimp and watermelon tostadas recipe.

Shrimp And Watermelon Tostadas on a grey plate with a grey charger plate topped with fresh cilantro, watermelon, shrimp, mango, avocado, lime slices, bell pepper, red onion and corn tortillas

Strawberry-Watermelon Limoncello Ice Pops

Savour summer with one of our boozy ice pops—they’ll make the perfect welcome “cocktail” for your next backyard barbecue. Get this strawberry-watermelon limoncello ice pops recipe and our watermelon limoncello ice pops recipe.

A pink watermelon, limoncello and strawberry ice pop on a white background

Watermelon-Limoncello Ice Pops

Remember sitting on a hot sidewalk with your besties, slurping up the icy sweetness of Popsicles without a care in the world? Bring back that feeling with these decidedly adult versions. They'll make the perfect welcome "cocktail" for your next backyard barbecue. Get our watermelon-limoncello ice pops recipe.

Advertisement
Pink Watermelon limoncello ice pops on crushed ice in a white bowl next to sliced limes, strawberries and fresh mint

Rosé Sangria

If you like a little more variety in your sangrias, this version uses peaches, strawberries, raspberries and watermelon. Get this rosé sangria recipe.

Rosé sangria in a glass pitcher next to two glasses of sangria and Gorgonzola-walnut toasts. The sangria is filled with cut strawberries, raspberries, halved peaches and chopped watermelon for a post on the most delicious rosé sangria recipe(Photo: Michael Graydon)

The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Copy link
The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.