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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.

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.

Triángulos de sandía con marcas de parrilla, feta desmenuzado, hojas de menta e hilos de reducción de balsámico sobre una tabla de roble junto a un kamado encendido.Save to Pinterest
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Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Servings
6 servings
Temperature
250 °C

Ingredients

  • small seedless watermelon (about 1.5 kg)1/2 ud
  • feta cheese150 g
  • fresh mint leaves1 puñado
  • balsamic vinegar (to reduce)100 ml
  • honey1 cda
  • extra virgin olive oil3 cda
  • flaky sea salt (Maldon-style)1 pizca
  • lime (zest and a squeeze of juice)1 ud

Method

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

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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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.

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