Grilled watermelon pineapple skewers topped with chili peppers and some refreshing homemade tzatziki are a perfect idea for a summer meal. It’s simple, light, fruity, a bit spicy, full of flavour, healthy and the whole family will enjoy it. In fact, it makes a wonderful meal for a family dinner, picnic, quick lunch or for a Sunday BBQ.
I love fruits, specially in the summer. The first fruit I think of is big, round, green on the outside and red on the inside. It’s a watermelon! This ultimate summer fruit is sweet, extremly hydrating and refreshing. It’s a must have in summer. I am sure you’ve enjoyed it before, plain or in fruit salads. However, have you ever tried to grill it?
I know what you are thinking now. Whaaat?! Watermelon on a grill?! Yes. Grilled fruits are an exciting and different way how to enjoy them. But, still, some of you never tried or dared to grill watermelon. You would always pick a peach, pineapple or a pear, right?
Next time, try watermelon combined with sweet pineapple. Put them on a skewer, brush with coconut oil to prevent them from sticking on the pan or grill, sprinkle with some salt and take a bite. Wink. I love the slightly smokey flavour and the caramelized grill marks left on the fruits. The watermelon will change a bit in structure and looks, though. In fact, if you close one eye it almost looks like seared tuna. Wink.
What does grilled watermelon taste like?
First of all, watermelon is almost all water (as the name suggests), to be exact 92%. Consequently, after grilling it, some of the water evaporates and as a result, the watermelon loses a bit of its crispiness and a bit of sweetness. I’d say it gets a bit chewier than the fresh one, yet still juicy and delicious.
Furthermore, sweet fruits pair wonderfully with light and cooling dip. Therefore, by simply combining three ingredients, I made a lovely tzatziki dip. At the same time, I wanted also something with a kick and so I picked chili peppers. This combo adds another level of texture, sweetness and spiciness.
Additionally, keep the remaining chunks (which were too small for the skewer) and make a wonderful fruit salad or use them as a topping on your yogurt or ice cream. They also make a wonderful summer snack.
Summer is the time to enjoy fresh fruits. Therefore, I am sharing a couple more summer recipes with delicious fruits: a stunning Cantaloupe melon arugula salad, homemade raspberry yogurt popsicles, delicious pancakes with bacon and peaches, party mango sausage skewers, a summerish pineapple mango coconut sorbet or pineapple express with chicken.
Ingredients for about 6-8 grilled watermelon pineapple skewers:
- a 3 cm thick slice of watermelon (cubed into 3 cm cubes)
- half a pineapple or three 3 cm thick slices (cubed into 3 cm cubes)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (melted, for brushing)
- 1 chili pepper (chopped)
- a 4 cm piece of cucumber (shredded)
- 5 Tbsp of plain natural yogurt
- 1 garlic clove (grated)
- salt
To begin, cut the watermelon and pineapple into about 3 cm big cubes. For the watermelon cubes, cut a 3 cm thick slice, lay it on a cutting board and then cut 3 cm strips horizontally and vertically (kind of a grid pattern). As a result, you’ll get perfect watermelon cubes.
When cutting the pineapple, cut 2 or 3 slices, also 3 cm thick. Then, cut the skin off and slice them in the same way as you did with the watermelon. Start cutting left and right from the core, slicing 3 cm thick strips horizontally and vertically. Remove the core and keep the rest of the cubes.
Thread the watermelon and pineapple chunks on the wooden skewers, by alternating the fruits. Before grilling, lightly brush them with some melted coconut oil to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
Furthermore, preheat the griddle pan or your grill and prepare the tzatziki dip. In a bowl, combine plain natural yogurt, grated garlic and shredded cucumber. Season with salt, stir and put in the fridge until serving.
Once the pan gets hot, place the skewers in it and grill for 2 minutes on each side or until some lovely grill marks appear.
Finally, serve the beautifully grilled watermelon pineapple skewers with some chopped fresh chili peppers on top and the cooling homemade tzatziki on aside. The perfect snack for every food lover.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
