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These Melon Caprese Skewers with Crispy Prosciutto are a quick appetizer made with fresh fruit and basil. These mini kabob appetizers look fancy but are quite simple to make!
Looking for another simple appetizer? Check out this Cherry Tomato Toast or this Veggie Naan Bread Pizza with Pesto. Pair either with this Refreshing Cucumber Cocktail with Lime and Mint or this Simple Peach Sangria with Rosé Wine.
When it comes to summer entertaining, simple is always better. You don’t want to be in a hot kitchen and guests don’t want to eat hot and heavy food.
These Melon Caprese Skewers combine all of the best summer flavors on an easy to make kabob! The best part is you can easily prepare these kabobs ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Level of Difficulty: Easy! The only difficult part is chopping the cantaloupe and watermelon and pan frying the prosciutto. If you can use a knife and turn on the stovetop, you can make these skewers!
Flavor: These skewers taste like summer! The saltiness of the crispy prosciutto balances out the sweet watermelon and cantaloupe. The basil provides a hint of pepper and savory flavor. The mozzarella balances the skewer and provides a filling layer.
Time to Make: These Melon Caprese Skewers can be made in less than 30 minutes. This includes chopping time and the time to assemble the skewers.
Watermelon: Choose a watermelon with a large yellow spot on the bottom and that has a dull exterior. This will indicate that the watermelon is ripe. The heavier the watermelon, the juicier it will be!
Cantaloupe: Just like with the watermelon, a yellow spot on the cantaloupe will indicate where it was laying in the field. Give the bottom of the cantaloupe a smell. It should smell sweet. If the cantaloupe does not smell, it is not ripe. Your cantaloupe should feel firm all over with no soft spots. A soft spot can indicate that the cantaloupe is rotting.
Prosciutto: You can purchase prepackaged prosciutto in the deli section at most grocery stores. You can also have your proscuitto sliced from the deli counter.
Mozzarella: Choose a mozzarella log, mozzarella ball or mozzarella ‘pearls.’ I used plain mozzarella on my Melon Caprese Skewers, however, you can choose marinated mozzarella for extra flavor.
Basil: The fresher, the better! I recommend choosing medium sized basil leaves to use on your skewers. I grow my own basil in the summer months to use in recipes such as these Melon Caprese Skewers. Most grocery stores sell small basil plants that you can keep in water and use the leaves. These leaves last 3-4 days before wilting.
Balsamic Glaze: You can easily make your own balsamic glaze by boiling balsamic vinaigrette. Here is a useful tutorial. To keep things easy and quick, I purchased balsamic glaze. You can find this in the salad dressing section at your grocery store.
Skewers: Not photographed. I used medium sized appetizer skewers. If you cannot find these, you can use grill skewers. Either make large skewers using the full size or break in half. You could also use toothpicks.
The first step is to chop your melons. You can either chop (as I did) or scoop your melon into balls. Because watermelon is not in season where I live, I purchased a pre-cut watermelon that was chopped. If using a full watermelon or cantaloupe, you can scoop your melon out in balls using a melon baller. I have also used a small cookie scoop to create melon balls.
Cut your mozzarella into bite pieces similar to the size of the melon.
Remove basil leaves from plant and place on a plate.
Now, let’s crisp the prosciutto. Cut prosciutto slices into thirds. The prosciutto will reduce in size while cooking. Place a medium sauté pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Lay prosciutto on pan and cook for about a minute on each side until prosciutto begins to crisp. Remove prosciutto and place on a paper towel lined plate. Let prosciutto cool before assembling.
To assemble, fold basil leaf in half and put on the skewer. Next, add the cantaloupe or watermelon. Then, add the chopped mozzarella and prosciutto piece. Finish by adding an additional piece of melon and basil. Once all of the skewers are complete, drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Can I make these Melon Caprese Skewers ahead of time? Of course! You can make these up to a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. If making these ahead of time, I recommend not crisping the prosciutto. The crispy prosciutto is best served right after cooling.
Can I eat prosciutto if not cooked? Absolutely! Prosciutto is cured and air dried and is safe to eat right from the package. The frying step in this recipe is simply to crisp the meat and add texture to the appetizer.
What can I serve with these? These Melon Caprese Skewers are best eaten as a hand held appetizer or on a plate as a salad appetizer. You could serve these with grilled chicken or burgers for an easy cookout dinner!
How do I know if my melons are ripe? The cantaloupe and watermelon should both have yellow spots on one side. They should smell sweet and have no soft spots.
These Melon Caprese Skewers with Crispy Prosciutto are a quick appetizer made with fresh fruit and basil. These mini kabob appetizers look fancy but are quite simple to make!
