10 Watermelon Salad Recipes We Come Back to Every Summer Juicy watermelon meets tangy cheese, fresh herbs, chile, and citrus in these crisp, colorful salads. By Ashley Day Ashley Day Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and contributed to The Food Institute, The Daily Meal, and the recipe app meez. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 24, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Cedric Angeles Make the most of peak-season watermelons with these cookout starters and sides, with recipes from Jacques Pépin, Tom Colicchio, and more. Juicy watermelon plays well with mint, feta, and more contrasting flavors and textures, including summer produce like cucumbers, radishes, and tomatoes. You can even add a bit of heat with cayenne pepper, chiles, or jalapeño. Dressed to crowd-pleasing perfection with drizzles of olive oil, quick dressings, and dip, these are our favorite watermelon salads to keep in rotation all summer. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 10 Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Istanbul-based chef Defne Koryürek adds a nutty, peppery flavor to her 30-minute salad, sprinkling crunchy nigella seeds over watermelon chunks and creamy fresh goat cheese. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 10 Peanut and Watermelon Chaat Cedric Angeles Mississippi chef Vishwesh Bhatt adds the crunchy, tangy, spicy elements of an Indian chaat to this peanut and watermelon salad, which also features cucumber, onion, radishes, and fresh herbs. The peanuts are pre-roasted with curry leaves and chaat masala, which along with cayenne and a serrano pepper lend a wonderful balance to all that juicy sweetness. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 10 Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Sesame-Miso Dressing Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless The juicy crunch of watermelons and the nutty crunch of pepitas, sesame seeds, and puffed rice cereal are a heavenly match in this surprising take on the traditional watermelon-tomato salad. Miso paste, soy sauce, and sea salt bring a savory contrast, while togarashi flakes add a hint of heat. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 10 Watermelon-Cucumber Salad Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Nutty aged goat cheese and crunchy sunflower kernels enhance the textures in this 20-minute summer salad from 2022 F&W Best New Chef Damarr Brown. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 10 Grilled Cobia Salad with Corn and Watermelon John Kernick Fish and watermelon might seem like a strange combination, but this salad by St. Louis–based chef Kevin Willmann will change your mind. Sweet, flaky cobia is seasoned simply and grilled with a poblano pepper and some corn, which lend a smoky, earthy sweetness to the watermelon. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 10 Watermelon Salad with Mint and Lime John Kernick North Carolina chef Matt Neal incorporates fresh lime juice, cayenne pepper, and mint leaves in this simple salad — and recommends adding a splash of rum. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 10 Watermelon Salad with Grilled Shrimp Richard Jung If you're planning on grilling shrimp this summer, 2002 F&W Best New Chef Grant Achatz's watermelon salad was pretty much made to complement its briny, smoky flavor. A mix of red and yellow watermelon gives it a distinctive look, and cucumber water (not pieces) ensures there's a delicious vegetal hint throughout the salad. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 10 Thai-Style Radish and Watermelon Salad Michael Turek Tom Colicchio adds texture, spice, and color to his salad with radishes, chiles, and a fish-sauce dressing. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 10 Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad with Mint Con Poulos The pea shoots in this watermelon salad recipe from F&W's Justin Chapple bring a vegetal balance to the juicy fruit. But the real highlight is the dressing — a mix of rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame seeds, and shallots. The result is savory, acidic, and slightly pungent. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 10 Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Spicy Feta Sauce Maura McEvoy Simply arrange watermelon and grape tomatoes with chopped basil and olive oil for this version. Chef Ana Sortun chars jalapeño to blend with feta and olive oil for a flavor-packed dipping sauce. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Ingredients Fruits Watermelon Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit