Homemade Chile Lime Salt (DIY Tajín)

Name: "Tajín" for Mexican street food
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon salt (kosher salt or pink himalayan salt); 2 teaspoons True lime; 1 1/2 Teaspoons chipotle spice (or other spicy chile powder); 1 small jicama; 1 medium cucumber; 1 mango; 1 avocado, pineapple, papaya, etc. (your favorite fruit or vegetable)

Home » Mexican Recipes » Tajín Chile Lime Salt: How to Use it in Mexican Recipes

Quick Summary: Make your own Tajín (chile lime salt) with just three ingredients: salt, lime powder, and [pwdered chile peppers. Fresher and more customizable than store-bought Tajín. Use it on fresh fruit cups (Mexican street food style), cucumbers, jicama, grilled corn, popcorn, or as a cocktail rim. Includes guidance on chamoy sauce. Prep: 15 min | Makes: about 3 tablespoons

Chile lime salt is a popular Mexican snack, often served in small cups in Latin America as Mexican street food. In Mexico, vendors sell fruit cups (mango, pineapple, watermelon, cucumber, jicama) sprinkled with this seasoning from carts on every corner.

Tajín is the brand name everyone knows, but homemade chile lime salt is fresher and lets you control the ratios (the store-bought version is really heavy on salt). My version emphasizes the lime, which I think makes better fruit cups.

Three ingredients, five minutes, and you’ll never go back to the jar.

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What Is Tajín?

Tajín (pronounced tah-HEEN) is a Mexican brand of chile lime salt, the red-orange seasoning you will find in most grocery stores and on most Mexican restaurant tables.

The seasoning predates the brand. Mexican cooks have been sprinkling chile and lime on fruit for generations. Tajín just standardized it and made it shelf-stable.

Because the recipe is so simple, homemade versions are easy and often better. You can adjust the salt level, choose your chile, and use fresher lime powder than what’s been sitting on a shelf for months.

Jar of chile lime salt with a side of sliced cucumbers topped with the chile lime salt. — HeathGlen’s chile lime salt sprinkled on slices of cucumbers

The recipe below is my favorite blend, after doing a LOT of trials with different spices, different salts and different ratios.

Chile lime salt is something you want to keep in your pantry. Check out this comprehensive list of ingredients for the Mexican pantry to be ready for any Mexican recipe.

Key Ingredients and Variations

The lime: I tested fresh lime zest (dehydrated), store-bought dried lime zest, and True Lime powder. True Lime gave the strongest, brightest lime flavor. It’s crystallized lime juice, available in most grocery stores.
The chile: Tajín uses a blend of mild red chiles. I prefer more heat, so I use chipotle powder. For milder heat, try ancho powder or New Mexico chile powder. For very mild, use paprika with a pinch of cayenne.
The salt: Kosher salt makes a coarser blend good for rimming cocktails. Pink Himalayan salt makes a prettier color and finer texture.

Tip: Spicier food needs more salt to stay balanced. Chile lime salt solves this by providing both at once.

How to Make Chile Lime Salt

My preferred ratio after testing many versions (detailed recipe in the recipe card below):

1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt (or kosher salt)
2 teaspoons True Lime powder
1½ teaspoons chipotle powder (or other chile)

Mexican Fruit Cups

Fruit cups (frutas con chile) are classic Mexican street food. Vendors cut fresh fruit into spears or chunks, pile them into cups, and sprinkle generously with chile lime salt. A squeeze of fresh lime finishes it.

Best fruits:

Mango (the classic)
Watermelon
Pineapple
Papaya
Coconut

Best vegetables:

Cucumber
Jicama

Cut fruit into spears or planks for easy eating. Sprinkle with chile lime salt just before serving so the fruit stays crisp. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Fruit wedges in a plastic cup sprinkled with chile lime salt. — Mexican fruit cups sprinkled with chile lime salt

Other Uses for Tajín (Chile Lime Salt)

Tajín is not limited to fruit cups or Mexican street food of course. There are many ways that we use chile lime salt in home cooking,. Here are a few favorites:

Marinades or rubs for chicken, fish, or shrimp
Elote: A coating on grilled corn (Elote): The classic Mexican street corn gets mayo, cotija cheese, and chile lime salt
Fruit popsicles: (Paletas): The sweet-salty-spicy combination
Popcorn: Sprinkle over freshly popped corn
Try it with a jicama slaw on a fish sandwich
Cocktail rims: Try it on Micheladas or this chili chocolate cocktail, or a paloma
Avocado: Sliced avocado with chile lime salt is a perfect snack

Jars with pineapple, mango and jicama sprinkled with Tajin (chile lime salt) for example of Mexican fruit cups as street food. — Mexican fruit cups sprinkled with Tajin (chile lime salt)

Mexican fruit salad with jicama, mango, cucumber, and radish, sprinkled with Tajin (homemade chili lime salt) in a large bowl. — Mexican fruit salad sprinkled with Tajin (chili lime salt)

Fruit salads and Mexican street food treats often accompany Tajin rubs with a fruity chamoy sauce. Chamoy is a breeze to make on your own and can really enhance the flavor of fruit dishes.

Jars with pineapple, mango and jicama drizzled with chamoy sauce and sprinkled with Tajin (chile lime salt) for example of Mexican fruit cups as street food. — Mexican fruit cups drizzled with chamoy sauce and sprinkled with chile lime salt

FAQ

What’s the difference between Tajín and chile lime salt?

Tajín is a brand name. Chile lime salt is the generic term for the same type of seasoning. Homemade chile lime salt uses the same basic ingredients but lets you customize ratios and heat level.

Is Tajín spicy?

The original Tajín Clásico is mild to medium. Homemade versions can be adjusted. Use chipotle or chile de árbol for more heat; use ancho or paprika for less.

How long does homemade chile lime salt last?

Several months in an airtight container. The True Lime powder can clump over time in humid conditions. Store in a cool, dry place.

What can I substitute for True Lime?

Dehydrated lime zest works but provides less punch. In a pinch, very finely grated fresh lime zest mixed with the salt (then dried) works, but the flavor fades faster.

Is Tajín good for you?

It’s mostly salt with some vitamin C from the lime. Use it to make healthy foods (fresh fruit, vegetables) more appealing. The sodium adds up if you use a lot.

Want more Mexican Recipes? Check out this collection of traditional Mexican recipes, from tamales, to moles, to cocktails to sauces.

“Tajín” for Mexican street food

A homemade ”Tajín" spice will be much fresher than the storebought one and you can adjust the amount of salt, which is pretty high in storebought. Cut planks of fruits and vegetables and sprinkle with this homemade tajin for some awesome Mexican Street food.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 0

Servings

Calories 44

Author Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Medium sized bowl
wire whisk Or slotted spoon

Ingredients

For the chile lime salt blend

1 tablespoon salt kosher salt or pink himalayan salt
2 teaspoons True lime
1 ½ Teaspoons chipotle spice or other spicy chile powder

Fruit cups

1 small jicama
1 medium cucumber
1 mango
1 avocado, pineapple, papaya, etc. your favorite fruit or vegetable

Instructions

For the seasoning blend: With a whisk or slotted spoon, thoroughly blend together the salt, True lime and the chile powder.
1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons True lime, 1 1/2 Teaspoons chipotle spice
For the fruit: wash and peel the fruit you choose to use. Cut into planks or spears (see youtube video above for cutting illustration).
1 small jicama, 1 medium cucumber, 1 mango, 1 avocado, pineapple, papaya, etc.
Place fruit spears in a large bowl and sprinkle with the chile lime salt. Cut wedges of lime and serve fruit/vegetable spears on a plate with lime wedges for people to squeeze over the fruit/vegetables.

Video

Mexican Street Food — DIY chile lime salt on fruit cups

Watch this video on YouTube.
Watch the Step by Step Video for More Details

Notes

**Two other popular offerings of Mexican street food that uses chile lime salt is grilled corn (or Elote) or fruit popcicles (Paletas).

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If you enjoy all types of Mexican food, check out this category of ALL Mexican recipes, where you will find over 40 Mexican recipes, from casual, to low carb, to fancy.

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.05gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1166mgPotassium: 149mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 386IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.4mg

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