Spicy Marinated Watermelon Bites

This post is sponsored by The National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Savoury watermelon is my obsession right now!

We’re having one of the hottest summers ever here in Ontario, and the only way I’ve been able to avoid wicked dehydration headaches is by drinking a ton of water (duh), and eating as much watermelon as possible.

Did you know that Watermelon is 92% water? This makes it an excellent hydrator. It’s also an excellent source citrulline, an important amino acid. Apparently, this makes watermelon a great choice for post-work recovery. Walking in this heat sure feels like a workout, so I’m eating all of the watermelon that I can get my hands on.

Plain watermelon is always a tasty option, but I like to play around with savoury flavours too! I’ve been sprinkling on pinches of salt and splashing Balsamic vinegar on top of cut up chunks. Sometimes I get adventurous and sprinkle on my mom’s homemade chilli flakes, which are about a thousand times hotter than what you can buy at the store.

I felt like I needed a step-up from my chilli-salt-Balsamic combo after a while, so I started playing around with different vinegars, peppers and sauces. That’s how I came up with my Spicy Marinated Watermelon Bites!

By the way, if you’re looking for more watermelon recipes, be sure to check out Watermelon.org. You’ll find all kinds of recipes there, including watermelon jerky, pickles and salad!

Ok, before I talk about the recipe, I want to share some tips on how to pick a perfectly ripe watermelon since you’ll need one to make the bites.

How to Select a Perfect Watermelon:

1. Look at it. You want to look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
2. Pick it up. The watermelon should be heavy for its size! Since watermelon is 92% water; most of the weight is water.
3. Turn it over. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Ok, let’s talk about the recipe.

The key to making these Spicy Marinated Watermelon Bites is the strong vinegar-based marinade. It’s pungent, so you might not want to taste a big spoonful when you’re putting this recipe together!

I also don’t recommend leaving the watermelon to marinate overnight. I tried that, and the result was inedible. The watermelon takes on too much of the vinegar and cayenne, making it extremely sour and way too hot. Don’t do it!

Aside from the marinade, the only other components are tiny bocconcini pearls, and fresh garlic-basil pesto. Of course you can use the store-bought stuff if you want to, but it’s hard to beat the flavour of fresh homemade pesto.

Not all pesto has garlic in it, apparently, and I’m not sure that this will be as yummy without the garlic… but then I really love garlic, so maybe you’d be fine.

The bocconcini pearls are actually just tiny balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. I found these in the deli section of my grocery (sold in a tub), but if you can’t find them you can always just use small pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese.

This flavour combination might seem a little weird at first, but it’s actually delicious! Watermelon can often be used in place of tomatoes, so think of this as a type of Caprese salad, just with watermelon and pesto instead of tomato and basil.

Spicy Marinated Watermelon Bites

These refreshing appetizers are perfect for a backyard barbecue or summer party!

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Print Rate

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Bites:

• 1/4 of a fresh seedless watermelon usually what's sold pre-sliced at your grocery
• 1 cup of Bocconcini Pearls or small pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese approximately
• 1/2 cup fresh garlic-basil pesto
• extra cayenne pepper to finish if desired

Instructions

For the Marinade:

• Add all ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

For the Bites:

• Cut the rind off of the watermelon and discard.
• Carefully cut the watermelon flesh into small triangles, about 1/2 inch in thickness.
• Place the watermelon pieces into a large, non-metallic bowl.
• Pour the marinade over the watermelon and stir gently to combine. Let sit for about 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once the watermelon is marinated, you can begin to assemble the bites. Skewer two bocconcini pearls on to a toothpick, then add a piece of marinated watermelon. Place on a teaspoon of pesto, and sprinkle with extra cayenne pepper, if desired.
• Serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

- Don't worry if it doesn't look like enough marinade at first, the watermelon will release water as it marinates and everything will be evenly coated in the end.
- These bites cannot be made in advance

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Disclosure:
This post is sponsored by The National Watermelon Promotion Board.
The recipe and all images in this blog post belong to me. The watermelon facts were provided for me.