Salad with Watermelon- a Tajín twist!

this recipe!

Around the world for thousands of years we’ve been enjoying the cool refreshment of juicy, thirst-quenching watermelons! Everyone has their favorite way to devour them, but if you’ve not ventured beyond the simple watermelon slice, there’s a whole world of flavors waiting for you. Start your taste adventure with this Watermelon Salad with a Tajin twist.

Why will you love this fresh watermelon recipe?

Sweet, spicy, tart, crunchy, and so refreshing- this Watermelon Salad with Tajín recipe checks all the boxes of a great summer salad. Perfect to enjoy on hot summer days, it comes together in a snap with a few summer staple ingredients and everyone’s favorite seasoning: Tajín! 

It’s amazing how well the sweet, spicy and salty flavors combine in this refreshing watermelon salad. Plus, it’s low in saturated fat and has no added sugars, so it checks some of the healthy boxes, too. If you like my other Watermelon Salad recipe that features feta, fresh basil, fresh mint, and balsamic, shake things up with this Mexican-inspired Watermelon Salad! So much flavor.

Watermelon Salad with Tajín Ingredients Needed

Once they begin appearing in the grocery store, our family starts digging into the juicy watermelon and we continue all summer long! This recipe is one of our favorite ways to spice it up. My husband and I like this recipe on a bed of greens, arugula, or baby spinach, but my kids prefer the taste of it straight out of the bowl! Here’s what you will need:

• Watermelon
• Cilantro
• Green Onions
• Jalapeño pepper- if you want it spicier, try a sliced serrano!
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)- I prefer roasted and salted for this recipe, but plain will work, too.
• Tajín – lime and chili seasoning blend widely available in grocery stores.
• Red wine vinegar
• Olive oil

Prepare the ingredients for Watermelon Salad with Tajin

Most of my recipes are simple. I like to let the true taste of the foods shine through so I tend to stay away from fussy sauces and too many garnishes. This simple watermelon salad recipe has just a few flavorful ingredients that really shine together. It’s a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds! No fancy equipment needed, just a cutting board, a whisk, and a good knife. Get ready for your next addiction!

1. First, cut up your watermelon. I like to cut it into large bite-sized chunks for this recipe. It’s so good, you won’t want to stop to cut it once you begin eating:). I recommend placing the watermelon in the refrigerator a few hours or the day before you plan to make the salad for  a crisp, cool, salad. 
2. Next, mix up the dressing by combining the Tajín, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. That’s it! No additional seasonings needed. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, lime juice would work, too.
3. Slice up your jalapeño pepper, green onions, and cilantro. If you don’t have green onions, slivered red onions are a great alternative and adds a nice color to the dish. You can use whichever you have on hand.
4. Lastly, drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with pepitas. If you are feeling zesty, you can zest a little lime over the salad, too. So bright and delicious.
5. You could certainly add some Cotija cheese or feta crumbles, but I don’t think they are necessary. The flavor combinations can stand alone here. Grab a fork and enjoy the juicy, delicious, spicy, savory goodness of this watermelon salad! 

What to serve with this Mexican-Inspired Watermelon Salad?

To kick off watermelon season, I made this refreshing watermelon salad with Tajin with my carnitas tacos and it was a beautiful pairing. It makes a great complement to any Tex-Mex dish, or grilled dishes.

It’s also perfect for picnics like Memorial Day and 4th of July because it has no dairy or meat to worry about in summer temperatures. I’ve even made this as an appetizer and served it with toothpicks for a refreshing, healthy, bite-sized finger food. The cubed watermelon, drizzled with the dressing and topped with the Jalapeño and cilantro was a big hit at our cocktail party!

Serve with a mezcal margarita, mojito, cold beer or chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc. YUM!

Below are some of our favorite dishes to accompany the Watermelon Salad with Tajín:

• Southwest Fish Tacos

• Corn Salad Recipe

• Grilled Pork Ribs

• Perfect Broiled Salmon

• Royal Burger

How is this salad different from other Watermelon Salad recipes?

There are so many ways to enjoy watermelon when summer rolls around. Some of them appear on my recipe pages, but even without a step-by-step guide, you can play with all kinds of flavors! Most involve mixing up the herbs and type of acid you use (swapping lemon for balsamic vinegar, for example). Below are a few combinations you will absolutely love!

• Cut watermelon + crumbled feta cheese + fresh basil leaves + fresh mint leaves + balsamic glaze + pine nuts. This is a traditional, but perfect watermelon salad with feta. If you are just venturing into playing with flavors, start with this recipe.

• Watermelon cubes + cucumbers + red onion slices + basil leaves + fresh mint leaves + lemon vinaigrette + pine nuts. This is such a delicious combination!

• Watermelon + pickled red onion + diced jicama + cilantro + lime vinaigrette+ toasted pepitas. I’m currently craving this one! The crunchy jicama with the tart pickled onions make an awesome contrast to the sweet juicy watermelon. I’ll be making it soon!

How to pick a good watermelon

There’s nothing more disappointing than cutting into a huge 15 pound watermelon on a hot summer day and finding it mealy or unripe. Thankfully there are two tricks to help you choose a a sweet, ripe, juicy watermelon.

#1 Look for a visible field spot on one side of the watermelon-a creamy, yellowish spot where the watermelon was lying on the ground. If it has brownish crusty areas that look like dirt, that’s even better; it indicates the melon was ripening in the field longer.

#2 Avoid melons that are perfectly striped and bright, shiny green on all sides. They will be unripe. A ripe melon with the best taste will be more pale green and have a duller color. Don’t be fooled by a pretty exterior! Time equals sweetness.

Many people claim to be able to thump the watermelon with their knuckles to determine its ripeness, but I’ve never had the knack. However, I have had great success by using a watermelon’s visual ripeness cues.

History of Watermelon

You probably didn’t come looking for a history lesson, but I can’t help myself here. I find the history of foods fascinating and this fruit has a long, thirst-quenching history.

Humans have been enjoying watermelon for 1000s of years! The indigenous people of the Kalahari Desert relied on the drought-tolerant ancestors of watermelon and it’s water storing abilities to survive the desert heat.

Egyptian tombs from 4000 years ago have pictures of watermelon and the ancient Greeks and Romans valued it for its medicinal properties. A cool watermelon rind held against your head to reduce heatstroke? Yep. Hippocrates wrote about that one!

Watermelon made its way to India by the 7th century, China by the 10th century and was recorded growing in Florida by 1576. These sweet, crisp fruit get me through the summer, so I’m glad they made their way to the States!

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