Fresh watermelon, chili lime seasoning, mint and lime juice. This Tajin Watermelon Mint Salad is the most refreshing and light side dish salad. 15-minutes and easy to make-ahead. Naturally vegan, paleo, Whole30.
This vegan watermelon salad is a great BBQ side dish as it’s easy to make ahead and pleases a crowd! Who doesn’t love fresh watermelon sprinkled with chili lime seasoning and mint. Use this Watermelon Tajin dish as a side, appetizer, or even dessert!
Eating clean for the past five years, my favorite recipes were those that use simple, fresh ingredients. I’m a huge proponent of making easy dishes that don’t skimp out on taste. For side recipes like this one, I prefer only a few ingredients that pack huge flavor. For other simple, delicious side dishes try Healthy Mexican Street Corn (Elotes), Fresh Mexican Avocado Salad, or Winter Grapefruit & Arugula Salad.
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Summer and watermelon are almost synonymous for me. There’s no Summer that passes without a fresh watermelon salad. When I find ripe watermelon I have to buy it and then end up with seemingly thousands of pounds of cubed watermelon in the fridge. I make watermelon cocktails and drink fresh watermelon juice all day long!
Highlights of this Recipe
This recipe is:
- Crowd Pleaser
- 4 Fresh Ingredients (+Salt!)
- 15-Minutes
- Refreshing
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Fresh Watermelon. Cubed watermelon brings sweetness to this salad recipe. I highly suggest cutting your own mini watermelon, but you can also use pre-cubed watermelon if in a rush.
- Limes. Use fresh lime juice. Substitute for lemon juice.
- Tajín or Chili Lime Salt. Tajín takes this watermelon salad to the next level. If you can’t find tajin, try Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning.
- Mint Leaves. Use fresh mint for this recipe. It helps add a freshness and a different bite. I like to cut the mint leaves in small strips. Substitute for other fresh herbs like cilantro or basil.
TIP! When picking out watermelon at the store, knock on the watermelon. It should sound hollow inside - that’s when it’s ripe!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Cube Watermelon 
Sprinkle with Tajin
STEP ONE: Cube the fresh watermelon.
STEP TWO: Squeeze the lime juice and sprinkle the tajín over the watermelon.
STEP THREE: Add mint leaves and serve!
Variations
Want to change up this watermelon mint salad? Try any of the below:
- Cheesy: Add crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, or cotija cheese.
- More fruits & veggies: Add fresh cucumber, melon, red onion, tomato or even blueberries.
- More greens: Add arugula.
- Spicy: Add fresh jalapeño pepper.
- Savory: Drizzle with a bit of olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette.
- Salty: Sprinkle with salty feta and olives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Watermelon salad is perfect to make ahead. Make this watermelon tajin recipe up to one day ahead of time, otherwise the lime juice may make the salad too wet.
The best tip to picking out watermelon from the store is to knock on it. The watermelon should sound hollow.
What to Serve with Watermelon Salad
📖 Recipe
Tajín Watermelon Mint Salad
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Fresh Watermelon about ½ small watermelon
- 5 Mint Leaves
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice about 1 lime
- 1 TBSP Tajín or Chili Lime Salt
- ¼ TSP Salt
Instructions
Cube Watermelon (If Needed)
- Remove a half inch off the top and bottom of the watermelon.
- Stand watermelon on one of the cut sides. Cut watermelon in half and set one half aside.
- With the half still standing, cut again in half to have a quarter of watermelon, set one quarter to the side. Lay one quarter down with flat side on your cutting board.
- Slice watermelon across its width starting from one end. Cut each slice into ¼ inch to ½ inch slices until you have reached the other end.
- Repeat with remaining quarters.
- Next, each slice in 1 inch slices and then again perpendicularly to create 1 inch cubes.
Cut Mint
- Place mint leaves on top of one another. Roll leaves from the short side (it will look like a cigarette or cigar - long and skinny).
- Next, cut mint leaves with the roll parallel into thin strips, about ¼ inch wide.
- Cut entire mint roll. Leave to the side.
Put Salad Together
- Place cubed watermelon on a plate or in a large bowl.
- Pour lime juice on top and sprinkle tajin evenly over watermelon.
- Sprinkle chopped mint evenly over watermelon salad.
- Toss watermelon, tajin, salt, fresh lime juice and chopped mint to evenly mix together.
- Eat immediately or place in the fridge for 30-minutes to eat cold.