Grilling watermelon - how to do it

Looking for a tasty dessert for your next barbecue that won't take much time? Then you should grill a watermelon!

Even if we are usually full to the top after the barbecue and can hardly stir - there is always room for a small dessert.

But because all the preparations are already time-consuming enough, the dessert doesn't have to take forever either.

That's why you just grab a melon. Grilling a watermelon is not witchcraft if you follow a few tips.

I'll tell you what to look for when enjoying grilled watermelon.

Can you grill watermelon? Really?

Yes, you can prepare watermelon on the grill. To do this, cut it into small pieces and put on the grill at medium temperature. It will be short and sharp on both sides, making it even sweeter and juicier. The reason for this is that the fructose caramelizes.

Grilled melon is the ultimate recipe for those with a sweet tooth who like it healthy.

Why you should grill watermelon

You've never tried it before. But somehow it sounds pretty delicious, doesn't it? Well, it is. You should give grilled melon a chance.

As Dessert from the grill it brings some advantages. So you do not need to make long preparations to prepare the dessert. It is enough to buy a melon the day before. Just before the barbecue, cut it into slices and the barbecue dessert is as good as ready.

Briefly seared from both sides and the melon becomes even juicier and sweeter. Simply mega delicious! Since the fruit consists of more than 80 % water, it is not in the already full stomach. Your body is also happy about a low-calorie balance to the barbecue. 100 grams of watermelon come to just 30 calories.

Since melons are in season now, you can buy them very cheaply. If you have a large group, it is worth taking a whole melon, if you have invited fewer guests, go for a mini melon.

Did you buy too much? No problem. From watermelon can be made a conjure up delicious sweet pizza or you prepare with a little lemon juice a sorbet from it to.

There are so many reasons why it's worth it Grilling watermelon. With me it is a fixed starter at every barbecue.

Admittedly: When I say that we are about to eat watermelon from the grill, some look at me incredulously. But after the first bite at the latest, the skepticism is gone. For some, even when the watermelon lands on the grill and sizzles on the hot coals.

Can you cook melon on the gas grill?

You can prepare watermelon and other fruits on the gas grill. Just as you can on a charcoal grill or electric grill. It's not so much the method of grilling, but that you get enough temperature together.

High temperatures ensure that the melon becomes very juicy. It also becomes sweeter in the process, because the fructose caramelized.

Personally, I like to grill melon on the charcoal grill. The slightly smoky aroma provides a particularly delicious note.

But no matter what you decide - you should make sure that the watermelon does not swim in the meat juice during grilling. This can happen, especially with gas grills. If this is the case with you, it is worthwhile to let the grill cool down and roughly clean it. A sweet melon that tastes like chicken just doesn't fit.

If you decide to use the Watermelon on the charcoal grill If you want to prepare a dish, it's best to put it directly on the grill for a short time. Without an aluminum tray or similar. To prevent the melon from sticking to the grill, coat it with a little oil shortly beforehand. Why Grilling watermelon without aluminum tray? The aluminum bowl is optimal for meat and the like. With melon, however, we need even heat so that the fructose can transform.

Mega delicious: Grilled peaches with honey and yogurt!

What you need to pay attention to when grilling watermelon

If you want to grill a watermelon, you can not really go wrong :). But a few tips and tricks we can help so that the dessert is really delicious.

Indirect grilling

If you're grilling melon for dessert, you'll need to pay extra close attention so nothing burns. Do you have the choice of placing the melon directly on the hot coals or a cookie that is indirect grilling possible? Then opt for the indirect method, which takes a little longer, but the watermelon does not burn during grilling.

For indirect grilling, shovel the glowing coals to the side and place them where there are no coals.

Attention: The hotter the coal, the faster the grilled melon is ready. Sometimes this can be even in a minute!

Small pieces

Up on the grill and done? Not quite. If you want to grill a watermelon, you should cut it into small pieces.

Why triangles? Simply because it is practical. You can also take whole slices.

However, they are much harder to turn. There's a good chance your grilled watermelon will break and end up in the coals.

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Grilling melon with peel

It's best to put it on the grill with the skin on. Then it is easier to turn and can even be eaten with your hands.

It remains much more stable and you can grasp it better with the grill tongs. However, you should not cut it too thick, because if it is heavy, it can be turned only with much effort.

With or without cores

There are melons with a lot of seeds and there are some that have hardly any seeds. For grilling itself, it is quite indifferent. However, grilled seeds taste slightly bitter and can get more bite. I recommend you to go with a seedless melon to grab.

Whether the fruit in front of you has many or few seeds cannot be seen from the outside. If you absolutely can not stand seeds, it is best to take already cut melon in the supermarket.

By the way, very large watermelons are much more likely to have seeds than small fruits.

How to make the perfect veggie vegetable skewers!

If you like to grill meatless. the book Vegetarian Grilling: Vegetables rock recommend*. It was written by a professional grill master. From grilled camembert with apricots to halloumi with grapes, capers and nuts, there is something for every taste.

The dishes are fancy and creative, but still in such a way that you can easily replicate them. Even as a grill novice. One of my favorites in the book are stuffed mushrooms with mozzarella and parmesan.

Of course, there are also some sweet desserts like this grilled watermelon.

This recipe is

• healthy and provides many nutrients,
• free from table sugar and allergens,
• sweet and juicy,
• the optimal sweet conclusion after a hearty barbecue,
• packed with vitamins,
• suitable for vegetarians and vegans (instead of honey please take maple syrup),
• quite easy to do even for beginners,
• super quickly prepared.

And it's not heavy on the stomach.

Recipe for grilling watermelon

You have never grilled fruit, but would like to try it? Then you've come to the right place. Here comes a detailed step-by-step guide. If you've had fruit on the grill before and are just looking for inspiration, you'll find a quick version of the recipe at the end of the post.

Here comes the long version for the best barbecue dessert in the world. The recipe is enough for 3 people.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 handful mint
• 1/4 watermelon - about 2 triangles per person
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Also: knife, board, brush and grill tongs.

1. prepare the marinade

We start with the marinade. It is best to prepare it fresh, so that the honey does not solidify. Otherwise it is very difficult to apply.

If you want to prepare the marinade in advance, you should omit the mint. Then just mix lemon and honey. This does not really save you much time. Therefore, my tip: it is best to prepare fresh.

Grate the peel of half the lemon. For this, it is best to leave it whole, so you can grate the peel most easily. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Mix the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Put the mixture aside.

Put the honey in a cup. Put it in the microwave. If you heat it briefly, it becomes more liquid and mixes better with the other ingredients. 10 seconds on the highest setting is enough.

Mix honey and lemon juice, stir well. Meanwhile, chop the mint. If you don't have mint, you can use lemon balm. It should also work with lemon thyme.

Put the marinade aside.

Tip: If you want to save on carbohydrates, omit the honey.

2. prepare the melon

Cut the melon into triangles. If you have a whole fruit in front of you, cut it in half first, then cut the halves in half again. Now you can easily cut down quarters.

Do not cut too thin or too thick. If the slices are between one and two centimeters thick, it is optimal for grilling.

Per person you right - depending on the size with about two slices of melon. Put the slices on a plate and then off to the grill.

3. grill the watermelon

Brush the melon with olive oil on both sides. This will prevent it from sticking to the grill. If your watermelon is very juicy, you can dab it with a kitchen towel beforehand.

Now it's off to the grill. Depending on the temperature, the melon needs between 30 seconds and 2 minutes per side. You have to estimate this yourself.

When the melon is ready, remove it from the grill and brush it directly with the marinade. If you like, drizzle a little lemon or lime juice over it before eating.

How you can refine the grilled melon

Grilling watermelon, putting it on the plate and ready, is somehow too unspectacular for you? Then you can refine the grilled watermelon. This is mega easy.

The melon can be combined with savory and sweet ingredients.

This is what you have to pay attention to when grilling tofu!

Grilled watermelon spicy

• After grilling, brush the melon with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the watermelon.
• Or take hot curry powder and olive oil
• Also delicious is finely crumbled feta

Watermelon sweet from grill

• For a caramel layer, spread honey on the melon slices before grilling. The honey caramelizes in the heat. Alternatively, you can also use sugar. But since we try to avoid household sugar as much as possible. We leave the fingers of it.
• Also wonderful with cream, yogurt, chopped nuts, almonds and ice cream. Mint gives the dessert a visual appeal.

And just like that, simple watermelon grilling has turned into a dessert to be proud of.

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And here, as promised, the short version of the recipe, for those who are in a hurry:

Our conclusion

Grilling watermelon is really not complicated. This sweet dessert is guaranteed to succeed even for beginners. If you like, you can refine the dessert a bit with yogurt, cream and co.

Enjoy it and good luck!

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