Recipe · Direct · Easy
Grilled Watermelon with Feta, Mint and Balsamic Reduction
Watermelon wedges seared over live coals: the sugars caramelize at the edges while the centre stays cool and juicy. Salty feta, fresh mint and a thread of balsamic make a sweet-savoury summer dessert-salad.
Season:SummerCuisine:Eastern Mediterranean
Quick answer
Sear 2-3 cm watermelon wedges directly over a clean, hot grate at 240-260 °C with no deflector. Pat them dry first and grill 2-3 minutes per side: the edges caramelize while the centre stays warm and juicy. Finish with feta, mint and a balsamic reduction.
One big step at a time, screen kept on and built-in timers.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Temperature
- 250 °C
What time do you want to eat?
Pick a time and we'll tell you when to start.
13:05
Start the prep
13:20
Light the kamado
13:40
Onto the kamado
14:00
Serve
Estimate: it includes lighting and settling the kamado plus a margin for large cuts. If the recipe asks you to marinate or salt ahead, add that time.
Fire setupDirect heat
- Dome
- 250 °C
- Deflector
- No
- Grate
- Standard height
- Fuel
- Holm oak lump charcoal
- Setup
- Cast-iron grid
Temperature curve
0:30 h from lighting
Kamado dome
| # | From | Phase | Dome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:00 | Light the charcoalDirect, no deflector, clean hot grate at 240-260 °C | 20 → 250 °C |
| 2 | 0:20 | Put the food inDry triangles, oiled, left alone | 250 → 225 °C |
| 3 | 0:21 | Cook2-3 min per side until caramelised edges | 225 → 250 °C |
| 4 | 0:27 | Take outPlate while warm with feta, mint and reduction | 250 → 240 °C |
| 5 | 0:30 | Serve | off |
0:00 is the moment you light the charcoal. Internal temperatures are the ones the recipe gives; without a probe, go by the times. Turn these times into clock times with the planner
For this recipe
Ingredients
- small seedless watermelon (about 1.5 kg)0.5
- feta cheese150 g
- fresh mint leaves1 handful
- balsamic vinegar (to reduce)100 ml
- honey1 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- flaky sea salt (Maldon-style)1 pinch
- lime (zest and a squeeze of juice)1
Allergens
- Milk
- Sulphites
Based on the recipe's ingredients. Always check the label of every product you buy.
The gear for this recipe
Big Green Egg LargeThe Big Green Egg Large is the heart of this recipe: its thick ceramic holds a dry, stable fire at 240-260 °C, exactly what watermelon needs to caramelize at the edges in a couple of minutes without turning to mush. Unlike gas, there is no steam or damp flare-up to soften the fruit, and the Large size gives you plenty of room to sear many wedges in one go.
Orework Spanish Holm Oak Charcoal 15 kg
Big Green Egg Cast Iron Cooking Grid Large (35 cm)This cast-iron grate for the Large is key to getting deep grill marks on the watermelon. Iron stores far more heat than the standard steel grate and dumps it into the fruit on contact, so it sears and caramelizes before the watermelon can weep. Screaming hot and lightly oiled, the wedges release on their own and come off with the golden bars that make this dish.
Boska Friends L Round Serving Board Oak 55 cmA large serving board turns this dessert-salad into a centrepiece. The round 55 cm oak Boska Friends L gives you room to overlap the watermelon wedges, crumble the feta and scatter the mint without crowding. The wood gently takes the chill edge off the just-grilled fruit and keeps the warm-cool contrast intact as you serve straight from the board.
Method
- 01
Reduce the balsamic
In a small pan, bring the balsamic vinegar and honey to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and reduce for 6-8 minutes, without stirring too much, until it coats the back of a spoon as a light syrup. Take it off: it will thicken further as it cools. Do this indoors while the kamado stabilizes.
- 02
Light the kamado
Set the kamado up for direct cooking, no deflector, with the grate in place so it heats up. Stabilize at 240-260 °C. Scrub the grate well and wipe it with a lightly oiled paper towel: a clean, hot grate is the difference between searing and the watermelon sticking.
- 03
Cut and dry
Cut the watermelon into 2-3 cm thick wedges, with or without rind (the rind makes them easier to handle). Pat both faces very dry with kitchen paper: the less surface water, the better they caramelize. Brush each side with a little olive oil.
- 04
Sear over the coals
Lay the wedges on the hot grate and leave them alone for 2-3 minutes: they should release on their own once the marks form. Flip and repeat for another 2-3 minutes. You want caramelized edges and golden grill marks, not fully cooked fruit; the centre should stay just warm.
- 05
Build the plate
Move the watermelon to a board or large platter, overlapping the wedges. Crumble the feta over the top by hand, in irregular pieces, and scatter the torn mint leaves. Work while it is warm so the cheese takes the edge off against the fruit.
- 06
Dress and serve
Drizzle with threads of balsamic reduction and a little extra virgin olive oil. Finish with flaky salt, lime zest and a squeeze of its juice. Serve straight away, warm, so the contrast between hot watermelon and cool feta is at its best.
About this recipe
Few things say summer like ice-cold watermelon, but running it across the kamado grate turns it into something else: the dry heat concentrates the sugars at the edges and brings out an almost caramelized sweetness that plays against the juicy core. It is the perfect base for a sweet-savoury dessert-salad.
The kamado's ceramic holds a stable, very dry fire, without the damp flare-ups of a gas grill. That lets you sear the watermelon over direct heat at 240-260 °C, just enough to caramelize the surface in a couple of minutes without the fruit collapsing or weeping all its water.
The whole dish lives on contrast: warm, sweet watermelon, cold, salty feta, mint to refresh, and a balsamic reduction for acidity and a touch of molasses. A pinch of flaky salt and some lime zest at the end lift everything.
In 30 seconds
Pat the watermelon dry, sear 2-3 cm wedges over direct heat (240-260 °C) for 2-3 min per side, build with feta and mint, then dress with balsamic reduction, EVOO, flaky salt and lime. Serve warm.
It is a dessert you put together in minutes, with no oven, and it looks the part on a serving board as a centrepiece. It works just as well as a light starter or as a fresh close to a summer meal.
Will it fit your kamado?
Small
33-40 cm · Joe Jr, MiniMax
Tight
The triangles from 1.5 kg of watermelon will probably need 2-3 batches.
Medium
46-51 cm · Classic, Large
Fits
Most of the triangles probably fit; perhaps two batches.
Large
56-61 cm · Big Joe, XL
Fits
Probably all the watermelon in a single batch.
What to serve with it
- Wine
- Dry Navarra rosé or a well-chilled white Verdejo from Rueda
- Beer
- Wheat beer or citrusy witbier
- Alcohol-free
- Cucumber, lime and mint agua fresca
Leftovers and storage
- In the fridge
- Keeps poorly: airtight in the fridge, eat within 24 h; store feta and balsamic separately.
- Freezing
- Do not freeze: the watermelon turns watery. The balsamic reduction does, in a jar.
- Reheating
- No need to reheat: serve cold as a salad with freshly crumbled feta.
- Using them up
- Dice with cucumber and red onion for a salad, or blend with lime into a granita.
Cool and refrigerate within 2 hours. When in doubt, throw it out.
Leftover embers
You still have embers: what to do with the leftover heat
For 10 min at 250 °C in a classic kamado you load about 800 g of charcoal and burn 300 g: when you serve, about 520 g of live embers remain. Before you shut the vents, that is still enough for:
Without touching the vents
250 °Cgrilled vegetables
55 minof embers
- Costa Blanca grilled seasonal vegetables on the kamado35 min · 220 °C
- Grilled peaches with honey and vanilla ice cream on the kamado8 min · 210 °C
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates on the Grill14 min · 210 °C
No recipe needed
- Strips of courgette and aubergine, char-marked (5 min)
- Pita or naan from shop dough, on the grate (3 min each)
- Halved tomatoes, cut side down, for a sauce (10 min)
Closing the vents halfway and waiting for it to drop
140-200 °Cdessert while you eat
1 h 35 minof embers
- Smoked Loaded Nachos on the Kamado12 min · 185 °C
- Reina Pepiada Arepas on a Budare in the Kamado, Crisp Outside1 h · 200 °C
- Garlic-stuffed portobello mushrooms grilled in the kamado22 min · 190 °C
No recipe needed
- Yesterday's bread with oil and garlic, on the grate (10 min)
- Corn cobs in their husks (30 min)
- Whole apples with a slit in the skin (45 min)
Opening the vents fully
over 270 °Cfull heat, direct
20 minof embers
- Red prawns over live fire on the kamado in 6 minutes6 min · 280 °C
- Iberian pork tenderloin grilled with Pedro Ximénez glaze8 min · 280 °C
- Sesame-Crusted Seared Bluefin Tuna on the Kamado (Tataki)4 min · 280 °C
No recipe needed
- Pita or naan from shop dough, on the grate (2 min each)
- Whole peppers until the skin blackens, for peeling (8 min)
- Pineapple or peach slices, char-marked (3 min)
Before opening the lid, crack it open for a few seconds first; if you raise the heat, stir the ash so the coals can breathe. And if you are not going to use them: once the food is out, close the bottom and top vents. The charcoal that does not burn (about 520 g) can be used next time. Different size of kamado? Work out your load for 30 min of fire, lighting included.
Editor's tips
- Dry the watermelon thoroughly before searing: surface water steams off and stops it from caramelizing. Be generous with kitchen paper on both faces.
- A screaming-hot cast-iron grate holds heat better and leaves deeper, sharper grill marks than the standard grate.
- No feta? Ricotta salata or halloumi work just as well (grill the halloumi for a few seconds too).
Gear for this recipe
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Big Green Egg Large
The Big Green Egg Large is the heart of this recipe: its thick ceramic holds a dry, stable fire at 240-260 °C, exactly what watermelon needs to caramelize at the edges in a couple of minutes without turning to mush. Unlike gas, there is no steam or damp flare-up to soften the fruit, and the Large size gives you plenty of room to sear many wedges in one go.
€2,099
Orework Spanish Holm Oak Charcoal 15 kg
€45
Big Green Egg Cast Iron Cooking Grid Large (35 cm)
This cast-iron grate for the Large is key to getting deep grill marks on the watermelon. Iron stores far more heat than the standard steel grate and dumps it into the fruit on contact, so it sears and caramelizes before the watermelon can weep. Screaming hot and lightly oiled, the wedges release on their own and come off with the golden bars that make this dish.
€109
Boska Friends L Round Serving Board Oak 55 cm
A large serving board turns this dessert-salad into a centrepiece. The round 55 cm oak Boska Friends L gives you room to overlap the watermelon wedges, crumble the feta and scatter the mint without crowding. The wood gently takes the chill edge off the just-grilled fruit and keeps the warm-cool contrast intact as you serve straight from the board.
€150
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FAQ
What temperature should you grill watermelon at on a kamado?
Over direct heat, between 240 and 260 °C, with no deflector. That range caramelizes the surface in 2-3 minutes per side without cooking the fruit through.
Why does grilled watermelon caramelize?
Intense dry heat drives off surface water and concentrates the fruit's natural sugars, which brown and develop a deeper, almost caramel-like flavour.
Do you need to remove the seeds?
It is easiest to use seedless watermelon. If you only have a seeded one, flick the seeds out with a knife after cutting the wedges for a cleaner look.
Is it a dessert or a starter?
Both. It is a sweet-savoury dessert-salad: it works as a fresh close to a summer meal and as a light starter before grilled meats.
Can you make it ahead?
The balsamic reduction keeps for days in the fridge. The watermelon, though, should be seared and assembled just before serving: warm and fresh is when it best contrasts with the cool feta.
What do I do with the embers left after making Grilled Watermelon with Feta, Mint and Balsamic Reduction?
After 10 min at 250 °C in a classic kamado about 520 g of live embers remain: 55 min more at 250 °C without touching the vents, 1 h 35 min at 140-200 °C closing the vents or 20 min at over 270 °C opening the vents. If you are not going to use them, close both vents and keep the charcoal for next time.
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Big Green Egg Large
The Big Green Egg Large is the heart of this recipe: its thick ceramic holds a dry, stable fire at 240-260 °C, exactly what watermelon needs to caramelize at the edges in a couple of minutes without turning to mush. Unlike gas, there is no steam or damp flare-up to soften the fruit, and the Large size gives you plenty of room to sear many wedges in one go.
- Editorial guide
How to light a kamado: the step-by-step method
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- Glossary term
Heat deflector
Ceramic plate placed between the coals and the grate to turn direct fire into indirect cooking.
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