Watermelon Pico do Gallo is a fresh fruity twist on a traditional classic Pico de Gallo recipe. With the fresh fruits of summer, a little lime, onion, cucumber, basil, and jalapeno, you can have this fresh fruit salsa with watermelon and mango – the perfect fruity, fiesta, spicy dip for your chips!
I am desperate to hold onto the last carefree days of summer. Enjoying the fresh fruits of the season is the perfect way to do this! It’s easy to incorporate fresh summer fruits into every meal!
Mango Pico de Gallo is super similar to this recipe but is a little more savory than sweet! Imagine a warm summer evening dipping your chips in fruity Pico de Gallo, enjoying Very Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinegarette or Strawberry Spinach Salad with Quinoa along with some refreshing Sweet Peach Iced Tea. Finish with fresh and fruity watermelon sorbet or easy fresh peach sorbet… if you have the room. Does it scream summertime to you too?!?
Ingredients needed for watermelon Pico de Gallo
- watermelon (seedless and diced small) – Make it quick and easy by buying the watermelon precut. You will still need to cut it smaller into diced-sized pieces.
- mango (peeled and diced small)
- cucumber (peeled, deseeded, and diced small) – It is important to deseed the cucumber or your Pico de Gallo will be too watery.
- red onion (finely chopped)
- jalapeno pepper (seeded and minced – or, I use jarred mild jalapeno)
- fresh Basil leaves (finely chopped)
- lime (zest and juice) – I usually give permission to use bottled lime juice, but you will want the lime zest in this recipe so buy fresh limes!
- garlic, salt, and sugar
How to make fresh and fruity Pico de Gallo
Start by chopping and dicing the mango, watermelon, cucumber, onion, and jalapeno.
Slice and chop the fresh basil leaves and zest one lime.
Do de-seed and peel the cucumber before adding. Adding the seeds gives this fruit salsa a bit of a slimy watery texture.
Peel first and cut lengthwise. Then take a small spoon or melon baller or something similar to scoop out the seeds. You can discard the seeds, or save to throw in a smoothy.
When chopping the fruit and veggies, you will want to dice very small for this fruit salsa. This way you’ll have more variety of fruit on your chip and in your mouth!
Next, make the lime “dressing for the salsa. You will the juice of three limes as well as the zest from one of them.
You will also need sugar, garlic powder, and salt.
Mix together the ingredients for the lime dressing. Gently toss them together.
It’s as simple as that!
Shortcuts for this recipe:
If you read this blog at all, you know I take shortcuts when I can. A shortcut I typically take is to use bottled lime and lemon juice rather than fresh fruit.
It’s okay if you use bottled lime juice in this recipe. But really, you must have the zest from one lime. So please, buy at least one lime. If you choose to use bottled lime juice, you will need to use about 1/3 cup.
I often buy my fruit pre-cut when I know I’m in a hurry. In the produce section, you can often find chopped onion, cubed watermelon, and sliced mango.
The Jalapeno:
Don’t like the heat from the jalapeno? My family doesn’t either. That’s why I use jarred mild jalapeno. This way you get the flavor without the heat.
Health it up!
This fruit salsa is already pretty healthy! You are using the fresh fruits of the season and the recipe does not call for any added oils or other fat. You may want to replace the sugar in the lime dressing with a sweetener that you are happier with. Perhaps you prefer artificial sweeteners or natural sugar like maple syrup. Start with a small amount like 1/2 teaspoon, taste, and add more.
Mix it together!
Now toss everything together and gently mix. Watermelon Pico de Gallo can be served right away. If you have leftovers then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to five days. Before serving, removed the Pico de Gallo from the fridge and toss the bits and pieces with the juice to evenly distribute the flavors.
Serving suggestions:
This salsa is perfect for chips! I like to use a nice deep firm chip like that pictured above so I can get lots of salsa on my chip!
This salsa is also really yummy when served on top of a baked sweet potato along with some black beans.
I also really enjoy this fresh fruit salsa on a salad with a lite vinaigrette or another squeeze of lime juice.
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Fresh Fruit Salsa with Watermelon and Mango
Ingredients
Frest Fruit and Vegetables
- 3 cups watermelon deseeded and diced small
- 1 mango peeled, pitted, and diced small
- 1 medium cucumber peeled, deseeded, and diced small
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and minced
- zest from one lime
- 8 basil leaves finely chopped
Lime Dressing
- 3 limes juiced, about 1/3 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
- Deseed and finely chop watermelon, peeled mango, peeled cucumber, and jalapeno. Chop onion and basil. Zest lime. Set aside in a large bowl.
Lime Dressing
- Juice three limes. You will have already zested one on the limes and added the zest to the diced fruit and vegetables (see above).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt, garlic powder, and sugar.
- Pour the dressing over the chopped fruit and veggies. gently toss.
- Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve. This will keep for about one week in an airtight container in your refrigerator.