Watermelon Steak
Enjoy a beautiful pan-seared watermelon steak as a dinner entree or a salad. You’ll be amazed at how simple planks of watermelon are transformed into savory, perfectly chewy vegan steaks.
Why This Watermelon Steak Recipe is So Good
- It’s like magic! Who knew that watermelon could taste this good with just a quick marinade and a few minutes on the stove? Watermelon steak is sweet, salty, and savory, with a slightly chewy texture, making it almost like raw tuna steaks or rare meat.
- A healthy vegan dish. Watermelon steak in miso/soy marinade is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. Just be sure that you use gluten-free soy sauce. This is the best vegan steak ever!
- Versatile. You can serve watermelon steak as a main course, adding protein-rich sides like a salad with tofu croutons or beans on it. You can also serve watermelon steak as a side dish or a beautifully plated appetizer.
- Easy recipe with step-by-step instructions. Scroll down to the recipe card for all the details, including images of each step.
Tips and Tricks for Making Watermelon Steak
- Pick a good melon. When shopping for watermelon, you want to make sure that you find a ripe one. The best way to do this is to tap on it. If it makes a hollow sound, it should be good to go.
- Seedless watermelon is easier to prepare, but you can use a watermelon with seeds if you prefer. Often, these melons are tastier, but you’ll need to pick out the seeds before cooking the watermelon steaks.
- It’s very important to dry the watermelon. If you toss wet slices of fruit into a pan with hot oil you will end up with a splatter problem. Use paper towels or clean kitchen towels to dry the watermelon as best as you possibly can.
- To really get it dried, let the slices of melon sit in the fridge overnight, uncovered. Some of the moisture will evaporate and then you can briefly pat it dry before you start cooking.
- Try it with cheese. If you aren’t concerned about keeping this recipe vegan and dairy-free, you can sprinkle the cooked steaks with crumbled feta cheese or shaved parmesan. Vegan cheese will work too!
- Balsamic Glaze is the perfect finishing touch for watermelon steak. You can buy this already made at your grocery store.
- Serve with fresh greens and balsamic dressing.
- Make appetizer-sized watermelon steaks by cutting the melon into 1-2 inch cubes rather than large planks. Serve with toothpicks for easy snacking.
- You can even turn this into a watermelon poke bowl!
MORE TASTY VEGAN RECIPES
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Vegan Birria Tacos
- Air Fryer Beyond Burgers
- Tofu Soup
- Mashed Potatoes with Almond Milk
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Watermelon Steak
Enjoy a beautiful pan-seared watermelon steak as a dinner entree or a salad. You'll be amazed at how simple planks of watermelon are transformed into savory, perfectly chewy vegan steaks.
Ingredients
- 1 large watermelon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon brown or red miso paste
- balsamic glaze for serving
- sesame seeds optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon in half and then into round slices that are approximately 1 inch thick. Cut the rind away to create 6 or more rectangular watermelon steaks.
- Pat the watermelon rectangles dry with paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and miso paste.
- Brush the marinade onto the watermelon slices, covering both sides.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the watermelon for 5 minutes on each side, keeping the pan covered with a lid. Then turn the heat up to medium high and fry for 2 more minutes on each side, uncovered, until the watermelon steaks are slightly browned. Serve drizzled with balsamic glaze.
Notes
- To dry the watermelon out really well, let the slices of melon sit in the fridge overnight, uncovered. Some of the moisture will evaporate and then you can briefly pat it dry before you start cooking.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and/or a sprinkle of regular or vegan cheese, such as feta or shaved parmesan.
