Grilled Watermelon Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/1/23
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Grilled Watermelon on a platter with lime wedges, jalapeños and mint leaves

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 6 mins
Drain:: 20 mins
Total: 31 mins
Servings: 8 to 12 servings

Seriously, nothing can be any easier to grill than this super-quick and delicious French grilled watermelon recipe. Yes, you can grill this wonderful, refreshing fruit.

Grilled watermelon has a smoky quality and an intensified sweetness, all at the same time. A perfect melding of summer's flavors, the result is truly splendid. This grilled watermelon recipe is easy to prepare and lends its unique flavor to a variety of different dishes.

Enjoy it as is, straight from the grill, hot, smoky, and refreshing. Or put it into a traditional fruit salad and drizzle it with a sweet honey lemon sauce for dessert.

Alternatively, you can enjoy grilled watermelon as part of a savory dish. Combine it with different cheeses, vinaigrettes, and salad ingredients for an elegant twist on the summer staple.

Grilled Watermelon Recipe/Tester Image

"The watermelon turned out wonderfully dense and almost meaty in texture, with a hint of savory smoke from the grill. It's a completely different experience from fresh watermelon. It would be great added to salads, such as panzanella or a Greek-style salad with feta." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium seedless watermelon

  • Sea salt, to taste

  • 1/4 cup olive oil, more as needed

  • 1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced, for garnish

  • Mint leaves, for garnish

  • Lime wedges, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Grilled Watermelon ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Slice the melon into 1 1/4-inch thick slices. Trim off and discard the rind.

    Sliced watermelon on a wooden cutting board with a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Set a rack over a rimmed sheet tray. Put the wedges on the rack and sprinkle all over with salt. Let sit about 20 minutes.

    Rinse off the salt and pat the wedges very dry.

    Watermelon slices on a cooling rack over paper towels and a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Prepare a medium (350°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Brush the wedges all over with the oil. Grill, undisturbed, until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side (do not place on a too hot grill or the watermelon will simply scorch rather than heating through and taking on a smoked flavor).

    Watermelon slices on a grill

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Serve the grilled watermelon with the jalapeño slices, mint leaves, lime wedges, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

    Grilled Watermelon with lime wedges, mint leaves and jalapenos on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
56 Calories
5g Fat
4g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 56
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 52mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 12mg 60%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 84mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)