Watermelon Salad with Mint

This watermelon mint salad needs just 3 ingredients and 10 minutes: ripe melon, fresh lime, and a handful of torn mint! It’s the most refreshing summer side dish you’ll make all season.

Here’s the most deliciously refreshing salad for the summer: watermelon salad! There are lots of variations on this concept, but this one might be my new favorite. It comes together in minutes with just 3 ingredients: and it truly transforms this juicy fruit into a masterpiece!

Zingy lime makes magic with the sweet melon, and fresh mint adds a cooling essence on the finish. When I first served this to friends at a summer cookout, they exclaimed, “What’s in this?” I’ve been making it on repeat in the summer ever since.

Why This Watermelon Salad Works

I’ll just say it: I like this better than Watermelon Feta Salad. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good pairing of salty, savory cheese with sweet melon. But honestly, I prefer this recipe and you don’t need to buy feta (money savings, right there!). It’s even simpler and more refreshing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

There are only three, so each one has to be quality:

Ripe watermelon: An underripe melon cannot be saved, so you’ve got to have the best ripe summer melon here. Seedless is easiest to work with.
Fresh lime juice: Squeeze it yourself. Bottled tastes flat, so always grab a fresh lime.
Fresh mint: Spearmint is the standard grocery-store variety — I personally always grow my own herbs in the summer.

All you’ve got to do? Chop up the melon, chop up the mint, and add the lime juice. Simple as that!

How to Cut a Watermelon Into Cubes

When you’re faced with a massive watermelon and a huge Chef’s knife, what to do? We’ve been there, and I know it’s daunting. What’s the best way to cut this massive fruit? There are lots of methods, but here’s the best way I’ve found to cut a watermelon:

Slice the watermelon in half around the middle. Don’t do it lengthwise!
Lay it on the flat side, and cut slices.
Use a paring knife to cut off the rind. A smaller knife helps you have more control.
Make a grid pattern to cut it into cubes. That’s it!

How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon

The best advice for any watermelon recipe? Grab a ripe watermelon! It’s essential to getting the beautifully sweet flavor: no amount of added sugar can save it. Here’s how to get the best ripe watermelon:

Shop in watermelon season. If it’s out of season, it’s much more likely to be unripe.
Look for a yellow field spot. Most watermelons should have a patch on the bottom, which is where they were resting on the ground before being picked. If the patch is yellow, the watermelon is ripe (if it’s white, it’s unripe).

Variations and Add-Ins

A summery watermelon salad has many variations and adders! I’ve made a few different variations that we love. Here are a few adders:

Sea salt: Top with flaky sea salt.
Feta cheese: The classic Watermelon Feta Salad is a revelation
Cucumber: Pair this cooling veggie in Watermelon Cucumber Salad
Red onion or shallot: Top with onion for a spicy kick
Basil: Use basil instead of mint
Lemon or lime zest: Add another citrus twist

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

A whole watermelon lasts for up to 10 days at room temperature. But chopping up the watermelon decreases its shelf life. Once you’ve cut it into cubes, a watermelon lasts about 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. It also gives off a lot of liquid, so we recommend eating it as close to the time you cut it as possible.

You can store this watermelon salad for up to 2 days refrigerated, but it’s best when it’s fresh! It gives off quite a bit of liquid as it chills, so try to eat it as soon as possible.

Dietary Notes

This watermelon salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.