15 Watermelon Dishes You'll Want to Enjoy All Summer Long
Summertime is overflowing with seasonal produce. There are tomatoes, berries, peaches, cucumbers, and so much more. But, by far the most summery fruit out there is the watermelon. And, while it’s great on its own, it’s more fun to celebrate summer with a mixture of straight-up slices, and creative watermelon dishes.
The great thing is, it’s easy to work watermelon into any meal, snack, or drink. You can eat it on a parfait for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a big old quinoa bowl for dinner, then blend it into a nightcap to finish things off. It’s great as an appetizer on cheese skewers, with prosciutto, or even sliced into “fries.” And, there’s no need to choose just one recipe—most watermelons are so big that you’ll actually need to make more than one thing in order to use it all up.
Whether you’re planning a big summer party for next week or next month, get ahead of the game by choosing one or two of the following watermelon recipes to fancy-up your menu.
Watermelon jalapeño margaritas
Spice things up while you get the party going with these jalapeño margaritas.
Watermelon, strawberry, and granola breakfast bowls
If you have overnight guests this summer, these watermelon breakfast bowls are an easy way to impress them with minimal effort.
Spiced watermelon and halloumi skewers
Forget grilled cheese sandwiches. This summer, go for grilled cheese and watermelon.
Dairy-free watermelon ice cream
No ice cream maker necessary for this coconut milk-based watermelon ice cream.
Watermelon ice slices
These creamy watermelon slices are great for a kids party, but adults love ’em too.
Creamy watermelon-coconut milkshake
Check out the ingredients for this watermelon-coconut milkshake, and you’ll realize that you can totally get away with eating it as a smoothie for breakfast.
Strawberry and watermelon popsicles
Why buy syrupy grocery store popsicles when it’s so easy to make your own.
Watermelon fries with coconut-lime dip
No one’s saying you need to quit chips and dip, but next time try putting out a bowl of watermelon fries and dip out alongside them.
Watermelon cucumber cooler
Try trading in plain old lemonade for a pitcher of this watermelon cucumber cooler. No one will be disappointed.
Watermelon salad with feta and fresh basil
If you’re a pro at prepping grain bowls, make this watermelon salad bowl your go-to summer lunch.
Watermelon, strawberry, and basil salad
If you make this watermelon salad for a party, you’re going to want to make enough for lunch leftovers.
Watermelon caprese skewers
Tomatoes are great, but watermelon caprese might be the new hotness.
Watermelon, feta, and mint skewers
There’s no better last-minute summer appetizer than feta and watermelon skewers.
Watermelon, strawberry, and cucumber salad
Crisp and refreshing, this watermelon salad will hold up for a picnic.
Watermelon pizza
No, this watermelon pizza isn’t a substitute for the real thing. Yes, you should make it anyway.