There’s dress to impress, but what about grill to impress? Totally possible with this amazing Grilled Watermelon Salad!

You read that right. This sweet, delicious tropical fruit is a great candidate for grilling when you’re hosting a backyard get-together or a dinner party with pizzazz. Aside from being an eye-catcher with its vibrant colors, this Grilled Watermelon Salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser as it combines the fruit’s natural sweetness with an ensemble of complimentary flavors that bring out the absolute best in this dish.

By seasoning the watermelon with salt and pepper, you instantly get a foundation of fresh sweetness mixed with saltiness and spice. Drizzling some honey over the seasoned fruit enhances its natural sweetness, which is perfect for grilling! This particular cooking method gives the watermelon a distinct, smoky flavor that’s utterly irresistible. The honey also becomes more savory with a nice toasty touch.

But that’s not where it ends. After all, this is a salad! When done grilling the watermelon for two minutes on each side (just enough to make those grill marks visible!), you can plate it and cover it with some delectable grape tomatoes and soft, rich, milky burrata cheese. Sprinkle with a handful of basil leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces for a vibrant, tasty garnish. You can add a bit more salt and pepper if desired and, finally, finish off your salad with a drizzling of balsamic glaze. Balsamic glaze gives your Grilled Watermelon Salad a sweet and tangy flourish, but don’t forget that it has a strong flavor. Add it slowly so you won’t get carried away! I always taste mine as I go to make sure its just right.

When you’re happy with your salad, serve to a crowd of eager guests either as an appetizer or dessert!

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Level up your next party salad with this smoky, sweet, and slightly tangy Grilled Watermelon Salad!

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 minutes
• Total Time: 14 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Salads & Dressings

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 watermelon slices, cut into 4 triangle pieces each
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, quartered
• 4 ounces of fresh burrata cheese
• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
• Balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat.
2. Brush both sides of each watermelon triangle with olive oil, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle honey over each watermelon triangle and grill for 2 minutes on each side, totaling 4 minutes on the grill.
4. Remove from grill and assemble 2 watermelon triangles per plate.
5. Cover with tomatoes, burrata, and basil leaves (if desired, you can chop the basil into like-sized pieces).
6. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
7. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve!

Watermelon is a delicious treat and a powerful superfood! Learn more about growing watermelon in our Wonderful Watermelon Gardening Guide. You’ll get everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this delicious fruit, history and background of this sweet summer plant to specific advice on growing, harvesting, and enjoying your hard work!

Have you tried this recipe? Talk about impressing your dinner guests—please tell us how it turned out for you.