Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa
Why yes, watermelon can be eaten for dinner with these Spicy Shrimp Tacos made with sriracha and honey then topped with a cool Watermelon Salsa.

It’s finally happened. I’m finally breaking out the skirts, shorts, and flip flops to wear on an almost daily basis.
Sunday I went to Mount Washington in Pittsburgh to take some pictures of the city, and boy was I sweating.
It didn’t help that I got caught in an impromptu downpour, so here I am, both sweating and drenched from the rain.
When I got back to my apartment, the last thing I wanted to do was turn on my oven for dinner. My air conditioning was working full time and I stuck my head in the freezer for a bit (you know, to figure out what to make for dinner…).
If this is any indication on how summer will be, it’s going to be a hot one!
I don’t mind doing some cooking on the stovetop, but I certainly want to avoid my oven whenever possible.
That begs the question – what’s for dinner when it’s too hot to bake?
When you think about serving watermelon, what immediately comes to mind? Drinks? Popsicles? Just a bowl of cut fruit for breakfast?
Be honest – did you think about dinner at all (and I don’t mean just a few slices of watermelon as a side)?
Lucky for you, you can eat watermelon all times of the day, even dinner. One of my favorite easy dinners to make are tacos with fruit salsa on top. T
here’s only a little bit of stovetop cooking involved, which is ideal for both summer cooking and getting dinner on the table quickly.
Since shrimp only takes roughly 5 minutes to cook (and it’s my favorite protein), I’m almost always making shrimp tacos, which I then almost always top with mango salsa.
However, this time around, I decided to change up my routine and make Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa as the contrast between the heat from the shrimp and the coolness of the watermelon balances each other out.
It’s fresh. It’s vibrant. It’s everything that summer is about wrapped up in tacos.

Watermelon is a versatile and budget friendly ingredient, which is very helpful if you are stretching your grocery budget.
Even if you aren’t budget conscious, it’s great to know that nothing will go to waste with watermelon.
If you don’t think you can use the whole watermelon right away, you can freeze cubed watermelon to use as “ice cubes” in drinks or turn into watermelon slushies or margarita popsicles.
A little warning – if you do prep a whole watermelon, make sure you have enough counter space. Hello, tiny Pittsburgh kitchen.

The shrimp tacos get their spiciness from sriracha.
Sriracha is a hot chili sauce used a lot in Thai cuisine, similar to sweet chili sauce but much spicier.
You may recognize the bottle with its iconic rooster logo on it. If you’re new to sriracha, start out with a little bit in the shrimp to see how well you can handle the heat.
If you’re too hesitant to try it or you know you don’t like it, don’t worry – you can substitute sweet chili sauce for a more mild flavor.

Speaking of spiciness, the best way to cool down your palate is with the watermelon salsa on top, which can be made ahead of time.
Or if you don’t want to make tacos, you can still make the salsa and eat with nachos. I personally love doubling the recipe so I can have some to snack on later.
These shrimp tacos would also go really well with pineapple pico de gallo on top from Little Ferraro Kitchen.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa
Why yes, watermelon can be eaten for dinner with these Spicy Shrimp Tacos made with sriracha and honey then topped with a cool Watermelon Salsa.
Ingredients
Watermelon Salsa
- 1 cup diced watermelon
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Shrimp Tacos
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted completely dry
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1-2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 corn tortillas, warmed up
Instructions
- For the salsa: In a large bowl, mix together the watermelon, green onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- In another large bowl, mix together the shrimp, garlic, honey, sriracha (to taste), cilantro and lime juice.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, roughly 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, divide among the tortillas, then top with salsa. Serve immediately.
More Watermelon Recipes

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Watermelon season is the best!! I love that salsa–I bet it takes those tacos to a whole new level.
It sure does, especially since the shrimp are spicy with sriracha. No need to drink milk to cool down your tongue ;)
Adding watermelon to tacos is a great idea – so perfect for summer! It still isn’t that warm here in Chicago (high of 70 today). This recipe makes me want some serious days in the 80’s :)
Hope it warms up soon so you can enjoy these tacos! ;)
This salsa looks so refreshing! I’m also going to use your frozen watermelon cubes idea to cool down my drinks this summer!
I hate how ice waters down my drinks, but the watermelon cubes won’t. Watermelon drink to go with these tacos ;)
Such a good idea! I don’t know why I don’t use more watermelon, this looks totally amazing!
Thanks, Becky!
Carla, I love this idea, and i’m a huge fan of your watermelon week. So many delicious ideas!
Thanks, Aida!
Loving the added sweetness that the watermelon gives to these tacos — they look like the perfect summer meal!
I have had a ton of mango and pineapple salsa, but NEVER watermelon salsa! How creative are you?! I love how refreshing it is paired with that spicy shrimp goodness! Pinned!
Looks fabulous- I pinned to my Watermelon Pinterest board! I love watermelon all summer long!
I love that sweet and spicy combination! I bet this salsa is delicious with the shrimp tacos. Totally my kind of food.