Watermelon Salad with Cotija, Jicama, and Lime

South of the border spin on watermelon salad! With fresh watermelon, jicama, cilantro, and cotija cheese.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 17, 2023
Elise Bauer
Bowl of Watermelon Salad With Cotija, Jicama, and Lime

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Hot days are here! Today we are cooling off with a crisp watermelon salad with a southwestern flair. It's sort of a spin off of a classic watermelon salad with feta and mint, but with cotija instead of feta, and cilantro in place of the mint.

Melons love salt (think prosciutto and cantaloupe). In fact, if you just want to give a slice of watermelon some extra pizzaz, sprinkle just a little salt on it.

Both feta and its Mexican sister cotija are dry, crumbly, salty cheeses. Perfect for tossing into a melon salad.

We've also added crunchy jicama, some red onion, and a little bit of heat with some minced serrano chile and a pinch of cumin. Everything is tossed with lime juice.

So you are getting a little sweet from the melon, salty from the cheese, tangy from the lime, herbiness from the cilantro, spiciness from the chiles, and crunch from the jicama.

Now that I think about it, with the lime juice, sweet melon, and salty cheese, this salad has all of the elements (acid, sugar, salt, water from the melon) of an electrolyte sports drink, you know, the kind you drink after working out to rehydrate you.

So, another great reason to enjoy this salad on a hot day. It will keep you hydrated, and it tastes way better than gatorade!

Bowl of Watermelon Salad With Cotija, Jicama, and Lime

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Watermelon Salad with Cotija, Jicama, and Lime

Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 3 to 4 servings

Individual chiles vary in their heat, so always taste before adding to a dish, and adjust amounts accordingly.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion

  • 1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes, depending on how big and juicy the limes are)

  • 4 cups watermelon, rind removed, seeded and cubed into 1-inch pieces

  • 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese

  • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped peeled jicama

  • 1/2 serrano chili pepper (or a quarter jalapeño), stem removed, seeded, minced

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  • Pinch cumin, to taste

Method

  1. Prepare the onions:

    Soak the chopped red onion in the lime juice while you are prepping the other ingredients, about 10 minutes.

  2. Combine the onions with remaining ingredients:

    Gently combine all ingredients into a large serving bowl.

    Serve immediately. Salad will get soggy if kept overnight.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
91 Calories
3g Fat
16g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 91
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 22mg 109%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 259mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.