15 Easy Watermelon Recipes for Hot Days: Top Summer Picks 2026

These 15 easy watermelon recipes for hot days are built for the weeks when the thermostat climbs and nobody wants to turn on the oven. Three of them take under ten minutes, ten need no cooking at all, and every one of them is written out in full, with quantities, times and yields, so you are not jumping to another site halfway through. Watermelon is about 92% water, which is exactly why it works: it cools you down while it tastes like a treat.

The list runs from chilled drinks and savory salads to frozen pops and baked chips, and it is built for real households. I cook from these pages in a small kitchen with a single blender and one sheet pan, so nothing here needs a juicer, an ice cream maker or a candy thermometer. The last time I made the grilled watermelon steaks for a cookout, they were the first thing to run out, which surprised everyone including me.

15 Easy Watermelon Recipes for Hot Days at a Glance

Recipe	Time	Difficulty	Best for
Classic Chilled Watermelon Lemonade	10 min	Easy	A big pitcher for the afternoon
Watermelon Mint Cooler	5 min	Easy	A cooling drink on a hot afternoon
Spicy Watermelon Basil Mocktail	8 min	Easy	Adults and older kids at a cookout
Easy Watermelon Fruit Salad	15 min	Easy	Kids, brunch, picnics
Watermelon Cucumber Herb Salad	15 min	Easy	A side dish that will not go soggy
Watermelon Feta Basil Skewers	20 min	Easy	Appetizers, party trays
Grilled Watermelon with Lime and Sea Salt	20 min	Medium	Cookout plates and savory fans
Fresh Watermelon Salsa	20 min	Easy	With chips, tacos, grilled fish
Watermelon Avocado Toast	10 min	Easy	A ten-minute lunch
Creamy Watermelon Smoothie	5 min	Easy	Breakfast on a warm morning
No-Cook Watermelon Lime Frozen Pops	10 min plus freezing	Easy	Kids, a freezer stocked ahead
Four-Ingredient Watermelon Sorbet	30 min plus churning	Easy	A dairy-free dessert
Watermelon Granita	15 min plus freezing	Easy	The easiest frozen treat here
Watermelon Chia Pudding Cups	10 min plus chilling	Easy	Make-ahead breakfasts
Crispy Baked Watermelon Chips	55 min	Medium	Crunchy snacking, big batches

1. Classic Chilled Watermelon Lemonade

This is the drink I make when the temperature hits the nineties and nobody wants to chew. Blended watermelon strained smooth and sharpened with fresh lemon, it tastes like summer and costs about what a grocery store lemonade costs.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 min · Total: 10 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon, about 1/4 of a small melon
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, roughly 4 lemons
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups cold water, plus more for serving
• Ice and lemon slices, for serving
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes, then take it off the heat.
3. Blend the watermelon with the remaining 2 cups of water until smooth, 30 seconds.
4. Strain the watermelon puree through a fine sieve into a large pitcher, pressing on the pulp.
5. Pour in the lemon juice and stir in the cooled simple syrup.
6. Taste and add more lemon if it needs more lift.
7. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour.
8. Serve over ice with lemon slices and a few mint leaves.

Tip: Strain the puree properly. Loose pulp settles at the bottom of the glass and makes it look cloudy, which is the one thing that separates homemade lemonade from the watery kind.

Swap it: Use lime instead of lemon for a sharper, more tropical glass, or blend in a handful of mint leaves with the watermelon for a mint lemonade.

Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. The simple syrup alone keeps a week in the fridge, so you can make it ahead and just blend fresh melon on the day. This also works for no-cook dinners on hot days alongside the main dishes.

2. Watermelon Mint Cooler

Five minutes, one blender, no ice to crush ahead of time because the blender does it. This is the drink I hand to people who say they do not like mint, then watch them drink the whole glass.

Yield: 2 large servings · Prep: 5 min · Total: 5 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed watermelon
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few for garnish
• 1 cup cold water or coconut water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 cup ice
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional

Instructions

1. Put the mint leaves and lime juice in the blender first.
2. Add the watermelon, the water or coconut water, and the honey if using.
3. Blend on high for 20 seconds until the mint is broken down.
4. Add the ice and pulse another 15 seconds, until it slushes.
5. Taste and add a squeeze of lime if it needs more acid.
6. Pour into two tall glasses over fresh ice and top with mint leaves.

Tip: The froth comes from blending the mint early, before the ice goes in. Do not add the ice at the start or you will end up with a thin drink and a warm blender.

Swap it: Use basil or spearmint in place of peppermint, or replace the water with cold watermelon tea for a less sweet version. If you want it creamy, add 1/2 cup coconut milk and blend longer.

Storage: Best within 24 hours, kept cold. The froth settles overnight, so give it a quick blend in the morning if you are serving it twice.

3. Spicy Watermelon Basil Mocktail

Watermelon, basil and a pinch of chile is the pairing that makes people sit up. It is sharp, faintly hot and completely alcohol-free, so it works for a cookout table that includes kids and designated drivers.

Yield: 2 servings · Prep: 8 min · Total: 8 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed watermelon
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus small leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne, more or less to taste
• Pinch of flaky salt

Instructions

1. Add the basil, lime juice and red pepper flakes to the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
2. Press gently with a muddler about 8 times, just until the basil is bruised and fragrant.
3. Add the watermelon, simple syrup and water.
4. Shake hard for 15 seconds.
5. Strain over a large ice cube in two rocks glasses.
6. Top with a pinch of flaky salt and a basil leaf or two.

Tip: Muddle the basil gently and for no longer. Pounding it turns the leaves black and gives the drink a grass flavor, which is the most common way this one goes wrong.

Swap it: Add 2 ounces of tequila or rum for a cocktail, or leave it alcohol-free as written for a mocktail. Tajin on the rim works in place of the red pepper flakes if you want the heat and the citrus together.

Storage: Keep the leftover drink in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Add the ice at serving time so it does not water down.

4. Easy Watermelon Fruit Salad

This is the recipe that gets made for every birthday party in my family, and I have stopped apologizing for it. Chunky, colorful, sweet enough without added sugar, and it survives the trip to the park in a cooler.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Total: 15 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 cup halved strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

Instructions

1. Cut the watermelon into 1-inch chunks and place it in a large bowl.
2. Add the strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and orange segments.
3. Drizzle the citrus juice over the fruit and toss gently with your hands.
4. Scatter the mint over the top.
5. Chill for 15 minutes before serving so the flavors come together.
6. Serve in a wide bowl with a slotted spoon so the fruit does not swim in juice.

Tip: Toss the cut melon with the citrus juice the moment it is cut, and add the delicate fruit last. Citrus slows down browning and keeps the whole bowl bright for hours.

Swap it: Add 1 cup of cubed pineapple, 1/2 cup of coconut, or 1 sliced banana for a tropical version. Add the banana only right before serving, because it goes soft and browns faster than anything else in the bowl.

Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, though the fruit releases water as it sits. A drainer tray in the bottom of the container makes a real difference by the second day.

5. Watermelon Cucumber Herb Salad

Watermelon salad gets a bad name for a fair reason: the melon dumps water into everything around it. Salting and draining the melon first fixes it, and that one extra step is the whole recipe.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 15 min plus 10 min draining · Total: 25 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced paper thin
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Salt the watermelon chunks with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and leave them in a colander over a bowl for 10 minutes.
2. Pat the drained melon dry with a clean towel.
3. Put the olive oil, lime juice, honey and a few grinds of pepper in a jar and shake until combined.
4. Add the melon, cucumber, onion and parsley to a serving bowl.
5. Pour the vinaigrette over and toss gently.
6. Chill for 10 minutes and serve with an extra pinch of salt.

Tip: Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 5 minutes while the melon drains. It takes out the sharp raw edge that can overpower a salad this delicate.

Swap it: Use mint instead of parsley for a sweeter version, or add 1/2 cup of crumbled feta just before serving. Both work with the same vinaigrette.

Storage: Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but store the melon and the dressing separately if you can. Tossed together, the salad is at its best within a few hours. If you want a matching lunch idea, this sits well next to the summer dinner ideas we keep on repeat.

6. Watermelon Feta Basil Skewers

Feta, basil and a squeeze of lime is the classic combination, and putting it on a skewer turns it into something you can hand to a crowd without plates. My kids eat the melon and the cucumber, the adults eat the feta, and everyone uses the same toothpick.

Yield: 12 skewers, about 6 servings as an appetizer · Prep: 20 min · Total: 20 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 small watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 ounces feta cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 24 small wooden skewers or toothpick picks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, optional
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Pat the watermelon cubes dry on a clean towel.
2. Thread the skewers, alternating watermelon, feta, cucumber and a basil leaf.
3. Arrange the skewers on a platter, not stacked on top of each other.
4. Drizzle with the olive oil.
5. Add a thin zigzag of the balsamic glaze and squeeze lime over the platter just before serving.

Tip: Drying the watermelon on paper towel is what keeps the feta from turning into a puddle of diluted cheese. Ten minutes on a towel is enough, and a heavy pan for the salt is fine.

Swap it: Use a plant-based feta cheese and olive oil for a vegan version, or swap the watermelon for 1-inch chunks of cantaloupe in the cooler months.

Storage: Assemble up to 2 hours ahead and keep refrigerated on a covered tray, with the lime squeezed on at the last minute. The skewers are best eaten the day they are made, since the feta softens and the watermelon starts weeping.

7. Grilled Watermelon with Lime and Sea Salt

Grilled watermelon does not taste like a vegetable. It tastes like a mildly caramelized, smoky version of itself, and the char marks caramelize the sugars on the surface. Give it very hot heat and leave it alone.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Grill: 6 to 8 min · Total: 20 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1 small watermelon, about 3 pounds, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• Lime wedges and fresh mint, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat, about 450°F to 500°F (230°C to 260°C).
2. Brush both sides of the watermelon rounds with olive oil.
3. Lay the rounds on the hot grate and leave them for 3 to 4 minutes without moving them.
4. Look for dark grill marks and a lightly caramelized surface, then flip carefully with a wide spatula.
5. Grill the second side for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look set and the flesh is just firmer at the outside.
6. Remove to a platter and finish with the lime juice and flaky sea salt.

Tip: A thin drizzle of honey or a light brush of balsamic glaze before grilling gives you deeper char and a sweet-salty finish. A light spray of cooking oil on the grate stops the flesh from sticking.

Swap it: Dust with Tajin or a chili and lime seasoning for a Mexican-style version, or add a smoked paprika rub if you want more of a barbecue flavor.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Reheat in a hot dry pan for 2 minutes a side, or warm in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 5 minutes, and the char comes back a little.

8. Fresh Watermelon Salsa

Watermelon salsa is the recipe that changed how I think about a savory summer side. Small dice is the whole game, and so is draining the melon before everything else goes in.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 20 min · Total: 20 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Salt the diced watermelon with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let it sit in a colander for 10 minutes.
2. Drain off the collected liquid and pat the melon dry.
3. Combine the watermelon with the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño and cilantro.
4. Add the lime juice and toss gently.
5. Let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors marry.
6. Chill for 15 minutes and serve with tortilla chips, or spoon it over grilled chicken or fish.

Tip: Seed the tomatoes and squeeze out some of their water with your fingers. Extra watery tomatoes are the reason most melon salsa ends up swimming in liquid.

Swap it: Use a mild green pepper or half a jalapeño with the seeds left in for a kid-friendly version, or add 1/4 cup diced mango for a sweet-sour salsa.

Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, though the first day is the crunchiest. Make it the morning of a party and hold it in the fridge, then bring it out 10 minutes before serving so the flavor comes forward.

9. Watermelon Avocado Toast

Watermelon on toast sounds strange for about a week and then becomes a permanent part of my July. The trick is a hot, sturdy slice of bread and melon that is patted dry, so the avocado stays creamy instead of turning to glue.

Yield: 2 servings · Prep: 10 min · Total: 10 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices sourdough or whole-grain bread
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup diced watermelon
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Flaky salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. Toast the bread until it is dark and firm all the way through, 3 to 4 minutes in a toaster or 8 minutes at 425°F (220°C) in the oven.
2. Pat the diced watermelon dry on a paper towel.
3. Mash the avocado with a fork and spread it thickly over the toast, right to the edges.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado.
5. Scatter the dried watermelon over the avocado.
6. Finish with the red pepper flakes, flaky salt, a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of pepper.

Tip: Only assemble the toast once you are ready to eat it. Even five minutes standing, the salt draws water out of the melon and the avocado goes soft and slick.

Swap it: Spread a thin layer of ricotta or goat cheese instead of avocado, or use thick-cut gluten-free toast. A pinch of zaatar instead of chili flakes works well if you prefer a herbier finish.

Storage: The diced melon keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The toast does not travel, so keep the components separate and assemble at the table.

10. Creamy Watermelon Smoothie

Frozen watermelon makes this taste like a soft-serve rather than a juice, and it takes two minutes once the cubes are in the freezer. My morning smoothie is usually made from the last few chunks of yesterday’s melon.

Yield: 2 servings · Prep: 5 min · Total: 5 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen watermelon cubes
• 1/2 ripe banana, sliced
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon honey, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the milk and yogurt in the blender first and blend for 10 seconds to combine.
2. Add the banana, honey and vanilla and blend another 10 seconds.
3. Add the frozen watermelon and blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth.
4. Scrape down the sides and blend again if any chunks remain.
5. Taste and adjust the sweetness, then pour into two glasses and garnish with mint.

Tip: Add the liquid before the frozen fruit. Frozen watermelon will stick to the sides of a dry blender, and you will end up with a smaller, thicker drink than you wanted.

Swap it: Use coconut yogurt and oat milk for a dairy-free version, and leave out the honey entirely. Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder if you want it to carry more.

Storage: Smoothies do not keep well, and I would not leave this overnight. It is at its best within an hour. If you must make it ahead, freeze it in a container with a gap at the top for expansion, then soften it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

11. No-Cook Watermelon Lime Frozen Pops

These are the pops I make for the kids and the adults both go back for, because the lime keeps them from being pure sugar. A dozen molds take ten minutes of work and then they freeze out of sight while you get on with the day.

Yield: 10 to 12 pops, about 3 oz each · Prep: 10 min · Freeze: 4 to 6 hours · Total: 10 min plus freezing · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar or honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups ice

Instructions

1. Blend the watermelon, water, sugar and lime juice for 30 seconds until smooth.
2. Strain through a fine sieve so no stringy pulp goes into the molds.
3. Add the ice and pulse until finely crushed and slushy.
4. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, leaving a little room at the top for expansion.
5. Insert the sticks and tap the molds on the counter to release air pockets.
6. Freeze upright for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

Tip: Freeze the watermelon cubes in advance if you have time. Blending pre-frozen fruit means far less ice, so the pops taste like melon rather than like frozen sugar water.

Swap it: Without molds, pour the mixture into a shallow dish, freeze for 3 hours and scrape into cups with a spoon, which gives you a granita-style pop. Swap the lime for grapefruit juice for a pink-and-tart version.

Storage: Keep the pops frozen in the molds for up to 3 months. To eat one, let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes so it slides off the stick without breaking.

12. Four-Ingredient Watermelon Sorbet

Four ingredients, no dairy, and it comes out tasting like the melon rather than like sugar with a food dye tint. If you do not own an ice cream maker, the freeze-churn method below works nearly as well.

Yield: about 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Churn: 20 to 30 min plus freezing · Total: about 60 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan until dissolved, about 3 minutes, then cool it to room temperature.
2. Blend the watermelon for 30 seconds, then strain it through a fine sieve.
3. Combine the watermelon puree, the cooled syrup and the lime juice.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. With an ice cream maker, churn for 20 to 25 minutes, until it holds its shape and looks like soft-serve.
6. Without a maker, freeze the mixture in a shallow dish for 2 hours, scrape it into a bowl with a fork, refreeze for 1 hour, and scrape again. Repeat once more.
7. Let the finished sorbet sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.

Tip: The cold-start matters. Chilling the base in the fridge before it goes into a machine, or into the freezer, is what gives you a fine icy texture instead of a block of solid ice.

Swap it: Use 1/3 cup sugar for a less ripe melon and 2/3 cup for a very sweet one. It is already dairy-free and gluten-free, and a pinch of salt at the end sharpens the flavor.

Storage: Keeps in the freezer for up to 1 month. Scoop it into a container and press a sheet of parchment on top so the surface does not turn icy, then let it soften for 5 minutes before serving.

13. Watermelon Granita

Granita is the recipe on this list with the least equipment: a blender, a shallow pan, a fork and time. It is also the only one you can make in four ingredients with no straining, and I make it every August when the melons start getting cheaper.

Yield: about 5 servings · Prep: 15 min · Freeze: 3 to 4 hours · Total: 15 min plus freezing · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed watermelon
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Pinch of fine salt
• Whipped cream, mint or lime zest, for serving

Instructions

1. Blend the watermelon for 30 seconds, then strain it through a fine sieve and discard the pulp.
2. Warm the sugar with 1/4 cup of the watermelon puree in a small saucepan until dissolved, then stir it back into the remaining puree.
3. Add the lime juice and salt and stir until combined.
4. Pour the mixture into a shallow 9 by 13-inch pan and freeze for 2 hours.
5. Scrape the frozen mixture into loose crystals with a fork, then return the pan to the freezer.
6. Scrape every 30 minutes or so for 2 more hours, until the granita is fine and dry.
7. Scoop into bowls and top with whipped cream, mint or lime zest.

Tip: Scrape it as it freezes, not after. Granita that freezes solid and is scraped once ends up in dense icy clumps, while the repeated scraping gives you the dry, crystalline texture it is supposed to have.

Swap it: Add 1/2 cup peeled cucumber to the blender for a cucumber-mint granita, or use a blend of watermelon and cantaloupe with a squeeze of orange.

Storage: Keeps in the freezer for up to 1 month in a covered container. If it freezes too hard, let the container sit on the counter for 10 minutes and scrape it again before serving.

14. Watermelon Chia Pudding Cups

These are made the night before, which is the entire appeal on a hot day when you do not want to stand at the counter in the evening. The watermelon puree sets into a pale pink pudding that tastes like a fruit yogurt.

Yield: 4 cups, 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Chill: 4 hours or overnight · Total: 10 min plus chilling · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups cubed watermelon, blended and strained to about 1 1/2 cups of puree
• 1/2 cup water or cold watermelon tea
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Toppings (optional)

• Diced fresh watermelon
• Fresh mint leaves
• Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
• Extra chia seeds, pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Whisk the watermelon puree, water, maple syrup, vanilla and salt together in a bowl or a jar.
2. Add the chia seeds and whisk hard for 20 seconds, until no dry seeds are left on the surface.
3. Pour into four cups or glasses and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. Add the toppings just before serving.

Tip: Stir the mixture once about 10 minutes after mixing, then again before the fridge goes in. That is the only thing standing between a smooth pudding and a clumpy one.

Swap it: Use 1 cup coconut milk in place of half the water for a richer, vegan-friendly version, and swap the maple syrup for agave if you are avoiding tree nuts. The cups are naturally gluten-free and nut-free as written.

Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered. The pudding thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water and stir before eating on day three.

15. Crispy Baked Watermelon Chips

Thin slices baked low and slow turn into something like a sweet chip, and it is the only recipe here that uses the oven, so it is worth saving for a cooler evening. The slicing is the whole skill; a mandoline makes it fast.

Yield: about 20 chips from 1/4 of a melon · Prep: 10 min · Bake: 40 to 50 min · Total: 55 min · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1/4 of a medium watermelon, about 3 cups, rind removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or Tajin, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Slice the watermelon into even slices about 1/8 inch thick, then cut each slice into chips.
3. Pat the chips dry with a paper towel and lay them on the pan without overlapping.
4. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and the chili if using.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the chips with a spatula, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Cool the chips on the pan for 10 minutes, until they are dry, slightly translucent and crisp at the edges.

Tip: Thinner is better, and drier is better. If the chips bend instead of snapping, they need another 5 minutes; if the edges scorch before the centers crisp, drop the oven to 375°F (190°C) and keep going.

Swap it: Use flaky sea salt and smoked paprika instead of chili, or brush with a little melted dark chocolate after baking for a dessert version.

Storage: Store airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in a jar with a paper towel inside. They soften after about 3 days, so a quick 5 minutes back at 350°F (175°C) brings them back. For more sweet ideas to serve alongside, see our easy summer berry dessert recipes.

Tips for Making These

Most of what makes watermelon recipes work comes down to how you buy and cut the fruit, and then how you keep it from turning into a puddle. A few things carry across the whole list.

How to pick and cut a watermelon before you start

• Pick by weight, thump and field spot. Choose a melon that feels heavy for its size, has a creamy yellow field spot where the stem sat, and gives a deep hollow sound when you tap it. A bright green spot or a dull thud means it is underripe.
• Underripe melons are not a loss. If the melon tastes flat, salt the cut chunks, use them in the salsa, the grilled steaks and the savory salads, and add a squeeze of lime. Sugar does not fix an unripe melon, but salt and acid do.
• Seed removal is fastest with a paring knife. Stand the melon on its end, slice a thin round off each end, stand it up, and cut straight down the outside in four planks. Run the knife along the flesh to lift the seeds out in one strip per side. A melon baller gets the round, bite-size pieces the kids will actually eat.
• Keep the flesh cold. Cut watermelon goes straight into the fridge, not the counter. Chilled melon is firmer, sweeter-tasting and far slower to release water when it hits a dressing.

How to keep the finished dishes from turning soggy

• Drain the melon in savory recipes. Salt the cut chunks, leave them in a colander for 10 minutes and pat them dry before they meet feta, cucumber or onion. This is the single fix for a watery watermelon salad.
• Add the wet ingredients last. Fruit salad, pops, granita and sorbet all get their citrus and sugar stirred in right before freezing or serving. Acid and sugar pull water out of cut fruit, so the earlier you add them, the wetter it gets.
• Freeze extra melon in cubes. A whole 15-pound melon is a lot for one household. Cube the flesh, spread it on a tray, freeze it, then bag it. The cubes go into smoothies, slushes, the cooler and drinks on a hot day for months, and this is the real answer to what to do with a big melon you cannot finish.
• Scale for kids and dietary needs. Every drink here works as a mocktail, most are naturally gluten-free, and the recipes with dairy or honey name a swap. The pops, granita, sorbet and fruit salad are the ones that work for the youngest eaters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Start with the Chilled Watermelon Lemonade

If you only make one thing from this list, make the chilled watermelon lemonade. It takes ten minutes, it scales to a whole party, and it is the one my neighbors knock on the door for.

From there, the mint cooler and the basil mocktail cover the rest of the drink side, the fruit salad, cucumber salad and skewers handle the savory half of the table, and the pops, granita, sorbet and chia cups keep the freezer and the fridge busy for the rest of the week. All 15 easy watermelon recipes for hot days on this page are written to be cooked from a phone on a hot afternoon, with nothing more complicated than a blender and a bowl.