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4.17 from 24 votes

The Best Watermelon Rind Kimchi

If you love watermelon, save the rinds and make this delicious Watermelon Rind Kimchi! Balanced with crunchy texture, refreshing flavors and some heat! So addictingly good and perfect as a summer side dish!
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, banchan, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4 people
Calories:
Author: Seasoned by Jin

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs watermelon rind slices
  • 3 Tbsp coarse sea salt

Kimchi Seasoning

  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 Tbsp gochugaru/coarse red chili flakes
  • 2 Tbsp mesil/plum syrup

Garnish

  • chopped scallions
  • sesame seeds

Optional

  • cup watermelon juice freshly blended

Instructions

  • Prepare fresh watermelon rinds. Discard green part and keep white part. Slice white part thinly then combine into a wide bowl.
  • Sprinkle sea salt and toss until salt is well dissolved. Place a wrap on top and let it sit in room temperature for 30 min. Toss and flip the rinds. Wrap and let it sit another 30min.
  • While rinds are pickling, make kimchi seasoning. Combine all seasoning ingredients, mix and set aside.
  • After 1 hour of sitting in salt water, take out rinds. Rinse rinds in cold water 2 x and squeeze water out.
  • Combine rinds and kimchi seasoning into a mixing bowl. Work seasoning into rinds until well incorporated. Sprinkle with scallion and sesame seeds when serving.
  • Consume within 2 days for best flavor and texture. Store in glass container.
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Notes

**The original recipe had watermelon juice as one of the main ingredients. I modified this recipe by making this an option. 
**When adding watermelon juice into the sauce, it's best to consume the kimchi within 2 days. Its sweeter due to the juice but the crunchy texture will not last after 2 days. 
**If you omit the watermelon juice, the kimchi will stay crunchy for about 5 days. 
 
Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonedbyjin or tag #seasonedbyjin!