Whole grilled watermelon with spices and salty maple dressing
Out of the box highlight of a ‘fancy’ dinner. A whole grilled watermelon from the oven. The centerpiece to cut at the table. Just like you would make a ham or a roast. Seasoned with Mexican or Middle Eastern flavours: paprika powder, chili flakes, coriander seeds, cumin, a pinch of cinnamon and onion powder. When the watermelon comes out of the oven, pour over a delicious sweet and umami dressing of maple syrup and coconut aminos (soyfree soy sauce).
This recipe would be a great showpiece for Christmas. See all Christmas recipes. Like my whole roasted cauliflower with tahin beetsauce and pickled onions. Or stuffed pumpkin with lentils.
Out of the box
A bit out of the box, this recipe. It turned out that we still had a watermelon left over from the summer. Apparently a melon keeps for a very long time! And I thought: I’m going to do an experiment with it!
BBQ or oven
This dish is meant for the oven. But are you a BBQ king(in)? Then that’s fine of course!
Summer or winter?
In the summer you can really go crazy with this dish on the BBQ. Then large melons are available. Are you serving this dish during a Christmas dinner? Then you will have little chance of large melons. In the winter often smaller melons are still available. Then take 2 of these ‘winter’ melons for 8 slices.

Whole grilled watermelon with spices and salty maple dressing
This recipe may contain
affiliate linksEquipment
- oven at 360F or 180C
- oven dish
- large sharp knife
- pouring jug
Ingredients
- 1 regular/large watermelon of 2 smaller
- 1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds ground
- ½ tablespoons paprika powder
- ½ tablespoons chili flakes
- ½ teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoons cinnamon ground
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil skip for fat and oilfree
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
For AIP and free from seeds and nightshades
- ½ teaspoons cinnamon NO paprika powder, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chili flakes, black pepper
Instructions
- First peel the ends of the melon. Then place it stably on one of the cut flat surfaces. Go around the melon and every time cut off a piece of peel from top to bottom.
- Place the melon in the dish and sprinkle all around with salt. Let it stand for an hour.
- Preheat the oven. Mix the herbs together.
- Pat the melon dry. Sprinkle with the oil (skip for oilfree). Spread the herb mix over the melon. Put in the oven for an hour and a half.
- Mix the maple syrup with the coconut aminos.
- Remove the melon from the oven. Pour the dressing over the melon.
- You can cut it at the table (you can also pour the dressing over if you want).
Did you make this recipe or do you have any questions? Just leave a comment!