Watermelon & Cantaloupe Melon Pico de Gallo
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If you’re a fan of traditional pico de gallo, you’ll love this fresh and flavorful twist! This Melon Pico de Gallo recipe combines juicy watermelon, and cantaloupe with classic pico ingredients like onion, chili peppers, cilantro, and lime juice for a unique and delicious appetizer or topping for tacos and salads.
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Melon Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo, also known as Salsa Fresca is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine.
It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, onion, and chili peppers, with salt, lime juice, and cilantro (fresh coriander).
But the addition of fruit in this recipe for Melon Pico de Gallo is a delicious twist on this flavorful dish.
You could also try making pico with strawberries, mangoes, or Pineapple pico de gallo
You can enjoy pico as a dip for tortilla chips, as a topping for tacos, or as a side salad for grilled fish or meat.
This melon salsa is perfect for Cinco De Mayo parties, outdoor gatherings, or casual evenings on the patio with a margarita!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon, Amazon Fresh, or other stores if available online.
Ingredients Needed For Melon Pico de Gallo
- Fresh Produce – Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Lime, Jalapeño Peppers, Onion, Cilantro (Fresh Coriander)
- Pantry – Salt, Black Pepper
- Tortilla Chips – for serving
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Non-Reactive Mixing Bowls – such as glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or non-staining plastics like silicone. These types of bowls are ideal for preparing acidic foods like tomatoes, lemon juice, and vinegar.
- Rubber/Silicone Spatula
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use cups and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American US customary, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, that you can mix cup measurements with weighted measures, but never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Watermelon
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is watermelon, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Watermelon Feta Salad with lime-cilantro vinaigrette.
- This refreshing Watermelon Mint Lemonade is perfect for summer!
- Whipped Feta & Watermelon Bites
- Cucumber Feta Watermelon Skewers with balsamic glaze.
- Watermelon Breeze – a spiked Watermelon Cocktail.
How Do I Make Melon Pico de Gallo?
The printable recipe card with the full ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Step 1 – Chop Melon: Peel, deseed and chop the watermelon and cantaloupe into small bite-size pieces – try to keep them all about the same size. Place into a large bowl.
Step 2 – Chop Onion: Peel and finely chop the onion and add it to the bowl of melon.
Step 3 – Chop Chilies: Remove the seeds from the chilies and discard them. Finely chop the chilies and add to the bowl of melon and onion.
Step 4 – Chop Cilantro: Finely chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl of melon, onion, and chilies.
Step 5 – Season: Add lime zest and juice to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients together.
Step 6 – Chill & Serve: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. When the Melon Pico de Gallo has chilled, serve and enjoy!
More Salsa Recipes
Here are more salsa recipes for you to try next:
- Sweet & Spicy Peach Salsa For Fish, Chicken, or Simply Tortilla Chips!
- Garden Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Verde – A Dip for Tortilla Chips!
- Spicy Mango Salsa Recipe
- Quick & Easy Spicy Salsa Recipe
- Mexican Bean Salsa
Printable Melon Pico de Gallo Recipe Card
To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card do not print.
Watermelon & Cantaloupe Melon Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1½ cups watermelon
- 1½ cups cantaloupe
- 4-5 Jalapeño peppers
- 1 white onion
- 1 Lime zested and juiced
- ½ cup cilantro fresh coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Peel, deseed, and chop the watermelon and cantaloupe into small bite-size pieces – try to keep them all about the same size. Place into a large bowl.
- Peel and finely chop the onion and add it to the bowl of melon.
- Remove the seeds from the chilies and discard them. Finely chop the chilies and add to the bowl of melon and onion.
- Finely chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl of melon, onion, and chilies.
- Add lime zest and juice to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients together.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. When the Melon Pico de Gallo has chilled, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Recipes To Make A Special Dinner
You’ve made the appetizer, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Soup: Pozole Rojo de Pollo (Red Pozole with Chicken)
- Salad: Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Main Dish: Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Tacos
- Side Dish: Quick & Easy Pickled Jalapeño and Red Onions For Nachos & Tacos
- Beverage: Sparkling Mexican Paloma Cocktail with Blanco Tequila & Grapefruit
- Dessert: Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes with Crumble Topping
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.