9 Refreshing Watermelon Recipes

Images of 4 watermelon recipes -- watermelon limeade, pickled watermelon rind, watermelon with aleppo pepper, and watermelon sorbet.

Watermelon is intoxicatingly perfect on its own, just sliced and eaten out of hand. But sometimes…you crave something more. It works beautifully when served in more savory ways. Or juiced. Or frozen. Here are some of our favorite ways to eat more of that wonderful melon.

Four glasses partially filled with watermelon lemonade and topped with ice cubes.

Gentl & Hyers

1 of 9

Watermelon Lemonade

This watermelon lemonade is a refreshing drink made with puréed watermelon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. We can’t think of a better remedy for a hot summer afternoon.

Recipe

A black oval dish filled with watermelon salad with Aleppo pepper and black olives.

William Brinson

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Watermelon Salad with Aleppo Pepper

This watermelon salad with Aleppo pepper is a simple side dish that is made with fruity Aleppo pepper, watermelon cubes, black olives, and fresh mint. It's easy to make and is ready in just 15 minutes.

Recipe

Bowls of watermelon, tomato, feta, herbs, and red onion for making the watermelon tomato feta salad.

Victoria Wall Harris

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Tomato Watermelon Feta Salad

This tomato watermelon feta salad combines a couple of your summer musts in a single and simple format that’s portable enough for lunch on the go or picnics when made in a jar or can simply be tossed together in a bowl and reveled in it at home.

Recipe

A person holding a whole watermelon that has been torn open

Edward Pond

4 of 9

Watermelon and Ginger

This watermelon and ginger is an inspired upgrade on simple sliced watermelon. Slice watermelon, rub with ginger, devour, repeat. Sweet heat. Not that we have anything against watermelon straight up. This is just…better.

Recipe

A jar of pickled watermelon rind on a rack with a dish and spoon beside it.

Matthew Benson

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Pickled Watermelon Rind

Pickled watermelon rinds are a Southern classic that are crisp and sweet and tangy and oh so enticing. Tasting is believing. Here's how to make them.

Recipe

Three scoops of watermelon sorbet in a white serving dish.

Quentin Bacon

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Watermelon Sorbet

This watermelon sorbet requires no ice cream maker. Just watermelon, lemon, sugar, mint, and surprisingly little time in the freezer. (Doesn’t just looking at it make you feel cooler?!)

Recipe

Bowl of watermelon, halloumi and za’atar salad, which also has cucumbers, olives, and grapes.

Con Poulos

7 of 9

Watermelon, Halloumi and Za’atar Salad

This watermelon, halloumi, and za’atar salad is a marvelous Middle Eastern concoction with watermelon, cheese, cucumber, olives, grapes, za’atar, and sumac. As refreshing as a dip in the Mediterranean.

Recipe