By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Home Cook Basics.
A whole watermelon is a slippery, awkward thing to cut. It rolls. The rind is thick. One wrong slice and you're chasing it across the counter.
Bob from Home Cook Basics has a simple trick that makes it manageable: cut a small flat spot on one side first. The watermelon stops rolling, and every cut after that gets easier. From there you've got two options - wedges for eating right off the rind, or rind-free cubes for fruit salad.
You'll need a sharp chef's knife or serrated bread knife, a stable cutting board, and about 10 minutes start to finish.
Slice a thin sliver off one side first to create a flat spot, then rest the melon on that flat face. A stable base is what keeps the knife, and your hand, safe on a round fruit.
Halve it, lay a half cut-side down, slice the rind off following the curve, then cut the flesh into slabs, strips, and finally crosswise into cubes. Taking the rind off first makes uniform cubes much easier.
Wedges are fastest and great for eating right off the rind at a cookout. Cubes take a couple more cuts but are better for fruit salad and for storing in the fridge.
Stand the watermelon up on one of its rounded ends. With your knife, slice off a thin sliver from one side of the watermelon to create a small flat spot.
You don't need much - just enough that when you lay the watermelon down on the flat side, it doesn't roll. This single move makes every other cut safer.
Tip
If the watermelon already has a slightly flat side from sitting in the bin, use that. No need to make extra work.
Lay the watermelon on its new flat side. Cut off both pointed ends, taking off about half an inch from each.
This gives you flat surfaces at top and bottom and removes the part where there's barely any flesh anyway. Don't bother trying to scoop out the tips - it's not worth the effort.
Stand the watermelon on one of the flat ends. Run your knife straight down through the middle to split it into two halves.
If the rind is fighting you, switch to a serrated bread knife - the saw motion gets through the skin without needing to muscle your chef's knife.
Tip
Going through a watermelon is wrist work. Keep your guide hand on top of the knife (not on the watermelon) and let gravity do half the cutting.
Lay one half flat-side down. Slice across into 1-inch thick wedges - you should end up with 6-8 wedges per half depending on size.
If the watermelon is huge, cut each half into quarters first. That gives you smaller wedges that aren't unwieldy to eat.
Take the other half, lay it cut-side down on the board. Following the curve of the watermelon, run your knife from top to bottom along the edge to slice the rind off in strips.
Work all the way around. Get any white pith too - it's bitter and ruins the texture. You'll end up with a dome of pure red flesh.
Tip
A boning knife or paring knife gives you more control on the curves than a chef's knife. Use whichever feels easier.
Cut the rind-free flesh into 1-inch thick slabs by slicing all the way through. Stack 2-3 slabs on top of each other and slice into 1-inch strips.
Rotate the strips 90 degrees and cross-cut into cubes. Adjust thickness if you want bigger or smaller pieces - 1-inch is standard for fruit salad, 1/2-inch is better for skewers.
Tip
Skip the rind-removal headache by doing it for the half you actually want as cubes - the wedges keep their rind for handling.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links - clicking them and buying doesn't change your price, but helps support ShowMeStepByStep.
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions covering what you just read. No signup, no score saved — just a gut check.
Quick reference
5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.First trick to keep the watermelon from rolling?
Answer: Cut a small flat spot
Slice off a thin sliver from one side. Watermelon stops rolling and every cut after gets safer.
2.Best knife if the rind fights your chef knife?
Answer: Serrated bread knife
Saw motion gets through skin without needing to muscle the chef's knife.
3.Why slice off both pointed ends first?
Answer: Flat top + bottom
About 1/2 inch off each. Gives you flat surfaces at top and bottom; removes the parts with barely any flesh anyway.
4.Why remove the white pith with the rind for cubes?
Answer: Bitter, ruins texture
Pith is bitter and ruins the texture. Get any white pith too - leaves a dome of pure red flesh.
5.Standard cube size for fruit salad?
Answer: About 1 inch
1-inch is standard for fruit salad. 1/2 inch better for skewers. Cut into slabs, stack, strips, then cross-cut.
Did this work for you?
Curated theme pages that include this tutorial.
Hand-picked next reads based on the one you just finished.
Pick the categories you want to hear about. Weekly digest of new step-by-step tutorials. No spam, easy unsubscribe.
Send me tutorials about
