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. Shop All Tajin Products. What Is Tajin? 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 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 In a spice grinder blend together the chili peppers and lime zest In a bowl, combine the blended mixture and sea salt 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 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 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 Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin Rub the edge of a pint glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass Fill the glass with ice Add Mexican lager, Clamato juice, hot sauce, and tajin into the glass and stir Garnish with a lime wedge Spiced Mule Mocktail 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 Fill a rocks glass entirely with ice Add Tajin, lime juice, hot sauce and grapefruit juice and stir well Top off the drink with ginger beer and garnish with mint leaves and a lime Paloma Ingredients 5 oz. Grapefruit Soda 2 oz. Blanco Tequila 1 Tbsp. Tajin Seasoning (for salt rim) Grapefruit Wheel Garnish Ice Instructions Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass Fill the glass with ice Add tequila, grapefruit soda and Tajin and stir gently Garnish with a grapefruit wheel Spicy Mango Margarita 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 Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass Fill the glass with ice Fill a pint glass with ice, tequila, lime juice, mango juice, agave syrup and Tajin Place a cocktail shaker on top of the pint glass and vigorously shake the mixture Strain the drink into the rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge Bloody Maria 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 Cover a dish with 1 Tbsp. of Tajin Rub the edge of a rocks glass with a lime wedge and dip the rim into the Tajin to line the glass Fill the glass with ice Fill a pint glass with ice, tomato and clam juice, tequila, lime juice, hot sauce, black pepper and Tajin Place a cocktail shaker on top of the pint glass and vigorously shake the mixture Strain the drink into the rimmed pint glass and garnish with a lime wedge Other Popular International 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 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? 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.
