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Grilled watermelon has a smoky quality and an intensified sweetness, all at the same time. A perfect melding of summer's flavors, the result is truly splendid. This grilled watermelon recipe is easy to prepare and lends its slightly exotic flavor to a variety of different dishes.

Enjoy it as-is, straight from the grill, put it into a traditional fruit salad, or drizzle it with a sweet honey lemon sauce for dessert. Alternately, you can enjoy grilled watermelon as part of a savory dish. Combine it with different cheeses, vinaigrettes, and salad ingredients for an elegant twist on the summer staple.

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Ingredients

• 1 medium seedless watermelon
• Sea salt
• Olive oil

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 minutes

• Total Time: 11 minutes
• Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Preparation

How to make grilled watermelon:

Wash the watermelon rind, cut the melon lengthwise, and then slice it into 1 1/4-inch thick wedges. Trim off and discard the rind.

Salt the prepared watermelon and allow it to rest on the 1 1/4-inch cut surfaces on a wire rack with paper towels placed underneath for 20 minutes. Rinse the salt off all the surfaces of the melon pieces and firmly pat them dry with clean paper towels.

Brush the watermelon pieces with the olive oil. Place them on a preheated grill over medium-high heat and cook them for 3 minutes on each side, until grill marks appear.

Once you learn how to grill watermelon, the options are endless.

Serving suggestions:

• Place the grilled watermelon and goat's cheese on a bed of mixed greens and drizzle the salad with a berry-based vinaigrette.
• Chopped the grilled watermelon into smaller cubes and toss them with black olives, feta cheese, and vinaigrette.
• Serve the grilled watermelon with a few, thin slices of jalapeno chili pepper, a squirt of fresh lime juice, and a small dash of sea salt.
• Add grilled watermelon pieces to a tropical fruit salad for a slightly different flavor.
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This grilled watermelon recipe makes 8 to 12 servings, depending on the size of the watermelon.

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