Name: How to Cut Watermelon
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 1 watermelon ((I am using a seedless))

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Today I am showing you how to cut watermelon into cubes and spears, which is super handy in the summer.

Today I am showing you the best way to cut a ripe watermelon into watermelon cubes and watermelon spears, which is super handy in the summer. This healthy snack is a classic at any backyard barbecue.

Y’all need this little hack in your life. It saves so much money and it’s a fun way to serve up this delicious summer fruit!

Pre-cut watermelon cubes from the store are convenient, but they are so much more expensive. We would get really excited when they went on sale buy one, get one free. But that is still marked up quite a bit from the whole watermelons.

It was getting expensive to buy so much pre cut. I knew I had to start buying them and cutting them up myself. And I kid you not, we can eat a large watermelon the size seen here in less than 48 hours. 🤣🙌🏻

Side note: y’all may also like my post on how to cut a cantaloupe.

How to peel watermelon

First, with a sharp knife, cut off the stem ends.

If you are going to be peeling and cutting the whole watermelon, cut off both ends. If you only want to do half, you can just cover the top of the half that you want to save with plastic wrap. This is the easiest way to keep your watermelon half fresh.

In my house, we are team peel-and-cut-the-entire-watermelon. 🙌🏻😉 So I cut off both ends.

Next, carefully cut the watermelon in half. Start in one spot. Make sure to use a sharp chef’s knife and a large cutting board for this.

And then just roll the watermelon around, little by little, cutting more as you go.

One the ring is cut all the way around, cut it through the center.

Watermelon cut in half held in woman's hands

Then lay one of the halves on your sturdy cutting board, with the cut side down. Start to peel away the watermelon rind with the knife, one section at a time.

Keep rotating and cutting off the skin. No worries if you leave a little white from the rind. You can go back and remove that with your knife if you wish.

How to cut watermelon into spears

After the peeling is all gone, flip it on its side and make several 1-inch slices.

Then flip the stack of slices back on the flat surface. From there, begin making long slices in the opposite direction, forming a grid pattern.

How to cut watermelon into cubes

We prefer the bite-sized cubes at our house. So how do you cut watermelon into cubes?

First, follow the steps in the above section to cut watermelon into spears. Then, turn the stack of watermelon 90 degrees and do the same thing. Just like a checkerboard!

Pro tip: use your knife as a scoop to lift up the cubes into a serving bowl or an airtight container. This is a simple way to serve up your fresh cut watermelon.

And that’s it! This ripe juicy watermelon yielded TWO of these large storage containers full of watermelon. This best method works on larger watermelons too.

While you are at it, why not try this in my watermelon feta salad?!

Watermelon feta salad with basil and balsamic vinaigrette on a white plate overhead

Or just grab some out of the fridge, like we do, for an easy and cold slice of watermelon.

I hope y’all enjoy! 🙏🏻 Happy summer!😘☀😎🙌🏻

What knife to cut watermelon with?

I recommend a large chef’s knife, well-sharpened and sturdy. I recently bought this Cangshan knife set, and I am obsessed (Amazon affiliate). But any good quality, sharp chef’s knife will work!

How long is cut watermelon good for?

Usually we eat ours pretty fast. On occasion we have kept ours for up to a week. But I got curious and did some digging. It turns out the official recommendation is 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, after a watermelon has been cut. So, make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep your fresh fruit as long as possible.

5 from 1 vote

How to Cut Watermelon

How to peel and cut a watermelon into spears or bite-sized chunks.

Course Basics

Cuisine American

Keyword how to cut watermelon

Prep Time 8 minutes

Total Time 8 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 112 kcal

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

1 watermelon (I am using a seedless)

Instructions

Cut the stem ends off the watermelon.
Carefully cut the watermelon in half. I start in one spot and slowly roll the watermelon all the way around, little by little, cutting more as I go. (see photos above)
Once a ring is cut all the way around, cut the rest of the way through the center, splitting the watermelon in half.
Lay one of the halves on the cutting board, with the middle flesh-y side down.
Start to peel away the rind with your knife, one section at a time from top to bottom, while trying to preserve as much watermelon flesh as possible.
Keep rotating and cutting off the skin. No worries if you leave a little white from the rind. You can go back and remove that with your knife if you wish.
After the peeling is all gone, flip it on its side and make several large slices. (see photos above)
Then flip the stack of slices back on the flat side. From there, make long slices. This will create long spears, and you can leave them this way if you like. (see photos above)
To make cubes, rotate the watermelon (still on its flat side) ninety degrees, and make cubes. Just like a checkerboard! (see photos above)
You can use your knife to scoop the chunks into a serving dish or storage container. Refrigerate anything you don’t eat for up to a week.