Foodservice Trends, Kitchen & Cooking Tips

What Is Tajin Seasoning?

Last updated on Sep 1, 2022
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Made from red chiles, lime zest, and sea salt, Tajin is a unique spice blend that is the perfect complement to juicy fruits, fresh vegetables, and classic cocktails. As a viral food trend sweeping across social media, Tajin seasoning is making headlines as a summer snack staple.

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What Is Tajin?

tajin bottle on white background

The Tajin brand was created in 1985 in Zapopan, Mexico to bottle up and commercialize the country’s most quintessential flavors: citrus and chili spice. With his grandmother’s signature chili sauce as inspiration, Horacio Fernandez brought his Mama Necha’s spice to life by combining dehydrated chilis and lime zest into what is now known as Tajin. Naturally, its influence grew rapidly across Mexican markets and Tajin is now found on spice racks in over 30 countries. This gluten-free product can be sprinkled on just about anything to add a salty, spicy, and citrusy kick to the most basic food items.

How Do You Pronounce Tajin?

Tajin is pronounced tah-heen and originates from the Mexican Spanish adjective that describes a relation to the Totonac; an ancient culture of Vera Cruz, Mexico. The Totonacs are believed to have built a city called “El Tajin”, which was the world’s main producer of the Vanilla plant until the middle of the 19th century. Today Tajin is synonymous with Mexican cuisine found in pantries across the world.

How to Make Tajin from Scratch

tajin being poured from bottle

Follow these easy steps to create your own Tajin seaoning:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried chili peppers (chile de arbol, guajillo, and pasilla)
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. lime zest (dehydrated)

Instructions

  1. In a spice grinder blend together the chili peppers and lime zest
  2. In a bowl, combine the blended mixture and sea salt
  3. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months

What Is Tajin Used For?

This versatile spice blend is the perfect addition to a wide range of food service products. Below we break down what food and beverage items that Tajin is best suited for.

Tajin on Fruit

seasoning a sliced mango on a stick with tajin

The most common application for Tajin is as a flavor enhancer for juicy fruits such as mango, watermelon, and dragon fruit. The bite of citrus from the lime zest, along with the mild heat from the chilies is a beautiful contrast for sweet and succulent fruits. Sea salt is known to be hygroscopic, meaning its chemical structure is known for absorbing surrounding humidity and liquids. The addition of sea salt in this spice helps to retain the fruit juice flavor and aid in hydration.

Tajin in Beverages

Whether you are looking to spice up a classic bloody Mary or add a little extra flavor to your margarita’s salt rim, Tajin is a great beverage accompaniment. Here are some of our favorite cocktails and mocktails served with a Tajin twist.

Michelada

corona beer in a glass with tajin rim

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. Mexican Lager
  • 3 oz. Tomato and Clam Juice Cocktail
  • 1 tsp. Mexican Style Hot Sauce
  • 1 tsp. Tajin Seasoning (in drink)
  • 1 Tbsp. Tajin Seasoning (for salt rim)
  • Lime Wedge Garnish

Instructions

  1. Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin
  2. Rub the edge of a pint glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass
  3. Fill the glass with ice
  4. Add Mexican lager, Clamato juice, hot sauce, and tajin into the glass and stir
  5. Garnish with a lime wedge

Spiced Mule Mocktail

spicy mule drink with lime garnish

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. Ginger Beer
  • 2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
  • 1 oz. Lime Juice
  • 1 tsp. Tajin Seasoning
  • 1 tsp. Mexican Style Hot Sauce
  • 4 each Mint Leaves
  • Lime Wedge Garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Fill a rocks glass entirely with ice
  2. Add Tajin, lime juice, hot sauce and grapefruit juice and stir well
  3. Top off the drink with ginger beer and garnish with mint leaves and a lime

Paloma

spicy paloma with tajin seasoning

Ingredients

  • 5 oz. Grapefruit Soda
  • 2 oz. Blanco Tequila
  • 1 Tbsp. Tajin Seasoning (for salt rim)
  • Grapefruit Wheel Garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin
  2. Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass
  3. Fill the glass with ice
  4. Add tequila, grapefruit soda and Tajin and stir gently
  5. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel

Spicy Mango Margarita

row of tajin rimmed margarits

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Blanco Tequila
  • 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
  • 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz. Agave Syrup
  • 1 tsp. Tajin Seasoning (in drink)
  • 1 Tbsp. Tajin Seasoning (for salt rim)
  • Lime Wedge Garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin
  2. Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass
  3. Fill the glass with ice
  4. Fill a pint glass with ice, tequila, lime juice, mango juice, agave syrup and Tajin
  5. Place a cocktail shaker on top of the pint glass and vigorously shake the mixture
  6. Strain the drink into the rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge

Bloody Maria

bloody marys on a wood table with leafy garnishes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. Tomato and Clam Juice Cocktail
  • 2 oz. Blanco Tequila
  • 1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. Mexican Style Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. Tajin Seasoning (in drink)
  • 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Tajin Seasoning (for salt rim)
  • Celery Stalk for Garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin
  2. Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass
  3. Fill the glass with ice
  4. Fill a pint glass with ice, tomato and clam juice, tequila, lime juice, hot sauce, black pepper and Tajin
  5. Place a cocktail shaker on top of the pint glass and vigorously shake the mixture
  6. Strain the drink into the rimmed pint glass and garnish with a lime wedge

Other Popular International Spice Blends

spoon full of various spice blends

If making Tajin from scratch has you looking to expand your spice inventory, we have it covered. Check out our spice blends resource for other popular recipes such as:

  • Taco Seasoning
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • Adobo Seasoning
  • Chinese Five Spice Blend
Shop All Bulk Spices

Tajin FAQ

frozen mango drinks with tajin seasoning mixed thoughout

We cover some common questions surrounding the topic of Tajin seasoning below:

What Does Tajin Taste Like?

Tajin seasoning is a salty, citrusy, and mildly spicy addition to your favorite foods.

What Does Tajin Taste the Best On?

While Tajin is best known to complement fruits and vegetables, this versatile Mexican spice is a great addition to proteins and snacks such as chicken wings, popcorn, rice, potato chips, fish tacos fish tacos, and is perfect for seasoning street corn!

Where Can I Find Tajin?

sliced watermellon covered with tajin seasoning

Tajin can be found in grocery retailers, both in-store and online.

What Is the Difference between Tajin and Chamoy?

Although the Tajin brand sells its own version of chamoy, they are not synonymous. Chamoy is a fruit sauce that incorporates spices that mirror Tajin’s ingredients. Made with apricot, plum, or mango, chamoy is super sweet from the addition of white sugar and the residual sugar from cooked fruit.

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