I learned how to make this coming up as a young cook in Miami, and it’s been one of my go-to warm-weather tricks ever since. There’s no cooking involved and only four ingredients, but it’s a great reminder that some of the best recipes keep it simple!

What Ingredients Do You Need For Chili-Lime Watermelon?

• Watermelon
• Lime
• Tajin Seasoning
• Salt

How Do You Make Chili-Lime Watermelon?

Start by cutting the watermelon in half lengthwise, from end to end. Cutting it this way instead of across the middle gives you two long, boat-shaped halves, and one of them will become your serving bowl. Setting the melon on a damp towel keeps it from rolling around while you cut.

Next, grab a melon baller and scoop out both halves. Press it in firmly and give it a twist to get nice round spheres. If you don’t own a melon baller (plenty of people don’t), score the flesh into a grid with a paring knife and scoop out the cubes with a large spoon instead. It’s more rustic, but every bit as tasty. Once both halves are empty, keep the nicer-looking shell for serving and toss the other.

Put the melon in a large bowl, then zest and juice the limes right over the top. I use both because they do different jobs: the juice brings the tang, while the zest carries the fragrant oils from the peel. Sprinkle in the Tajín and toss gently so you don’t break up the fruit. Do this within about 30 minutes of serving, since the salt in the seasoning will start pulling juice out of the melon if it sits too long.

Pile everything back into the reserved shell on a platter, then scatter flaky salt over the top right before it hits the table. That last bit of salt makes the sweetness pop.