How to Cut a Watermelon for Effortless Wedges, Cubes, or Sticks

Want neat slices of juicy watermelon for summer snacking, fruit salads, or blending into slush? Want to know how to cut a watermelon when it’s such a big, hulking mass—larger than anything else you cut on a regular basis? Well, stick around. Even if you’re not a novice home cook, buying precut packages of fruit can be tempting. A few reasons to avoid them: They cost more per pound, lead to increased food waste, and require additional packaging (so much plastic wrap!)—plus, precut melon is prone to drying out, rendering it far less delicious than the best, freshest slice.

We’re not saying irregular slices of watermelon can’t be as delicious as pristine, perfect cubes—try them in a watermelon salad. Heck, even spheres from a melon baller can be fun if you’re feeling retro-fancy. But there’s nothing like the satisfaction of an impeccably cut watermelon, and once you know how to do it, you’ll see it takes just about the same amount of prep time—maybe less.

The following techniques include removing the watermelon rind, allowing you to butcher the fruit most easily. If you prefer to keep the natural handle it provides, particularly for snackable fresh watermelon wedges and sticks, skip that step. If you choose to cut away the rind, consider pickling it to add to cheese boards, salads, and more. Read on for three step-by-step tutorials to ace your cutting skills for this classic summer fruit, no fancy hacks required.

How to choose a ripe watermelon:

There’s no way around it. To buy a ripe watermelon, you’ll need to pick up a few. It should be heavy for its size, indicating lots of watermelon juice. It should have a yellowish “field spot” on one side, which is where it lay on the ground as it ripened. A whiter spot indicates it had less time on the vine and thus may be less sweet. The rind should be firm with no soft spots. And it should make a hollow sound when you thwunk it with your finger.

Watermelon prep:

Always start with a large, sharp knife like a chef’s knife and a large cutting board. Using a board built with a small trough around the edge to catch all that ripe watermelon juice is even better. Grab an airtight container for storing all your watermelon work, and make sure you have space set aside for reserving the large portions you’re not actively working with.

How to cut a watermelon into cubes:

Good for: Freezing for watermelon smoothies, threading onto skewers, adding to salads, or eating more than your fair share.

1. Cut an inch or so off the top and bottom of a whole watermelon to create two flat surfaces so that the watermelon can stand on a cutting board without rolling around.
2. Place the watermelon on one flat side. Slice away the rind in strips to reveal the red flesh (or yellow or orange flesh), following the curve of the fruit and rotating as you go. Pare off any remaining white bits. (You may want to flip the fruit top to bottom to come at it from a second angle.)
3. Slice the fruit top to bottom into large planks. Stack a few planks and slice them longways into strips, then rotate and cut crosswise into cubes.

How to cut a watermelon into wedges:

Good for: Making an “irregular cuts” salad with feta wedges, handing out to “the kids,” eating on the 4th of July (sparkler in the other hand).

1. Cut an inch or so off the top and bottom of a whole watermelon to create two flat surfaces so that the watermelon can stand on a cutting board without rolling around. Place the watermelon on one flat side.
2. Optional: Slice away the rind in strips to reveal the red flesh (or yellow or orange flesh), following the curve of the fruit and rotating as you go. Pare off any remaining white bits. (You may want to flip the fruit top to bottom to come at it from a second angle.)
3. Cut the fruit in half from top to bottom. Working with one watermelon half at a time, cut in half longways to create long triangular quarters. Turn so a long side is in front of you, and slice the watermelon quarters crosswise into 1" wedges.

How to cut a watermelon into sticks:

Good for: Watermelon margarita garnishes; eating while staring into the fridge, wondering what’s for dinner.

1. Cut an inch or so off the top and bottom of a whole watermelon to create two flat surfaces so that the watermelon can stand on a cutting board without rolling around. Place the watermelon on one flat side. 
2. Optional: Slice away the rind in strips to reveal the red flesh (or yellow or orange flesh), following the curve of the fruit and rotating as you go. Pare off any remaining white bits. (You may want to flip the fruit top to bottom to come at it from a second angle.)
3. Lay the watermelon on its side and cut the fruit crosswise in half. One by one, place each half cut side down and slice into 1" slices, then turn 180° and make slices perpendicular to the first to create watermelon sticks.