The Fastest Way to Chop Watermelon for Margaritas and More

Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter MarkContributor
Lois Alter Mark is a contributing writer to Apartment Therapy, Forbes, USA Today 10Best and Reader’s Digest. She started travel writing after accompanying Oprah Winfrey on the Ultimate Australian Adventure, and now enjoys eating her way around the world. A native New Yorker, she and her husband live in San Diego, where they’ve become weather wimps and are still searching for a good slice of pizza. You can follow her adventures @loisaltermark
Follow
published Jul 27, 2022
pinterest
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
A halved watermelon sits on a cutting board with a chefs knife.
Credit: Photo: Tara Donne; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

Sure, cherries and peaches are delicious, but there’s only one fruit that perfectly represents the juiciness of summer for me: watermelon! Just thinking about cutting into that giant green rind to get to the sweet, refreshing fruit inside makes me smile.

Watermelon is such a summer staple. It’s versatile enough to be enjoyed on its own, or you can use it as the foundation for treats like watermelon granita and watermelon lemonade. But, let’s face it: Chopping watermelon for an icy-cold beverage takes time and requires patience (something that can be in short supply on a scorching-hot day).

Luckily Chef Will Coleman shared a speedy process for chopping watermelon on Instagram, while demonstrating how to make a spicy basil watermelon margarita. 

  1. He takes a watermelon he describes as “the size of my head,” and slices it down the middle. 
  2. Then, using a technique he says he saw on TikTok, he slices one quarter at a time into little pieces while it’s still in the wedge, first cutting sideways, then cutting again straight down. 
  3. When he’s done, he grabs a spoon and slides all the watermelon into a bowl. 

That’s it! In less time than it would take Harry Styles to sing “Watermelon Sugar,” the star of the show is ready to be mashed into the drink of your choice.

Try his technique yourself with a watermelon smoothie or, if you really want to get creative, blend up some watermelon gazpacho. 

If you’re looking for more ways to break down a watermelon, check out Kitchn Senior Recipe Editor, Amelia Rampe’s, method in the video below.

Summer suddenly just got a whole lot cooler.

Filed in:
Ingredient
Tips & Techniques