Chili lime watermelon fries are the perfect summer snack

French fries might just be one of the most versatile foods of all time. Not only can you top them with anything, but you can also make “fries” out of any other food. There are avocado fries, donut fries, funnel cake fries, carrot fries, pumpkin fries — the sky is really the limit.

Now there’s another delicious variation to add to the list, and it’s actually healthy: chili lime watermelon fries. These “fries” aren’t fried in oil; they’re just fresh watermelon sliced into the shape of fries, covered in yummy seasoning and paired with a dipping sauce. They’re the perfect summer appetizer or dessert: sweet, a little spicy and definitely addictive, not to mention easy to make.

To create watermelon fries, you’ll need to use half of a small, seedless ripe watermelon. Simply slice the watermelon into long french fry shapes, then place them into a mixing bowl to toss them with seasoning. The seasoning in the recipe at Hip2Save consists of lime seasoning, chili powder and salt, but you can also use Tajin, a popular pre-made chile lime seasoning blend.

You can even include fresh lime zest to up the flavor:

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Next, it’s time to make a dipping sauce. The Hip2Save recipe calls for a honey yogurt dipping sauce, which includes Greek yogurt, honey and another pinch of chili powder.

Some people also like to use coconut yogurt instead. @goodbignice paired the fries with a coconut lime yogurt. It looks similar to a recipe at Abbey’s Kitchen, which uses Tajin on the fries and coconut yogurt, lime zest and coconut sugar for the dip.

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Since there’s no real cooking required aside from chopping and mixing, this dish is truly ideal for hot weather — no hot stoves or ovens needed. Plus, what fruit says “summer” more than watermelon? Combined with chili and lime, the flavors are reminiscent of a vacation in Mexico.

If you’re really clever, you can even cut the watermelon into crinkle-cut fry shapes, like @drink.the.rainbow did.

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For more creative ways to use watermelon, check out these recipes for boozy watermelon ice pops or watermelon lemonade slush.

And if you’re intimidated by the mere thought of cutting a watermelon yourself, not to worry, there are plenty of hacks, from watermelon slicers to special techniques that will make it all easier.