| Portions |
|---|
| 7 cups |
Ingredients
- 1 (3½-pound) watermelon wedge, or 2½ pounds chopped watermelon
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large red onion
- 3 medium limes
- 2 bell peppers, maybe yellow or orange for contrast
- 3 tablespoons Tajín (if you can’t find Tajín, try 2 tablespoons chili powder or 2 tablespoons ground sumac mixed with 1 tablespoon kosher salt)
- Very sturdy tortilla chips, for serving
Directions
- If your watermelon has a rind, use a vegetable peeler to remove only the green. The white part of the rind has a mild cucumber-ish flavor and a nice crunch, we can work with that! Set a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet to catch all the good juices that are about to flow.
- Cut the watermelon into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Stack a few of the pieces and cut into ¼-inch- thick strips. Rotate the baking sheet a quarter turn and cut across to make ¼-inch cubes. Take a moment to discard any seeds as you work. Scoop the cubes (including the whites!) into a big bowl. Keep working your way through the watermelon—you’ll end up with about 6 cups of cubes.
- Tilt the baking sheet over the bowl to pour out the collected juices. Sprinkle the sugar over the watermelon and use a rubber spatula to mix it in. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, move it out of the way, and set a timer for 30 minutes. Give your cutting board a quick wash and dry, then dice the onion, aiming for the same size as the watermelon. Move the diced onion to a small bowl and fill it with cold water. Put it in the refrigerator and let it soak while the watermelon rests.
- When the timer goes off, set a mesh strainer or colander with small holes over a medium bowl—for your mental health, please do this in the sink. Pour the watermelon and juice into the strainer, give it a few good shakes, and tip the watermelon back into the bowl it just came from. (That delicious bowl of watermelon juice is all yours, baby!) Pour the onions into the same strainer, give them a rinse under cold water, and a shake to drain, then add to the bowl with the watermelon.
- Roll the limes with your palm to release the juices. Cut in half and squeeze those into the bowl. Dice the bell pepper, aiming for the same size as the watermelon, and add to the bowl along with the Tajín. Mix everything together, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving or up to 2 days. The salsa will slowly submerge itself in delicious juices, so make sure to serve with strong tortilla chips that can handle it.
Recipe(s) reprinted with permission from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photographs by Gentl and Hyers.