Homemade Chili Lime Seasoning

Tajin is great, but what do you do when you run out? Make your own homemade Chili Lime Seasoning, of course! This super simple recipe has myriad different uses. You’ll love the spice it brings to margarita night, taco night and more.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and buy something, Feast + West receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Homemade Chili Lime Seasoning Recipe

Nothing is worse than a margarita that has nothing on the rim. It’s like it’s missing an entire piece that it needs! Whether you choose a simple salt rim or something sugary, your marg needs a that tasty addition.

However, if you’ve never ventured out to try more flavorful additions to the rims of your cocktail glasses, you are missing out! You have got to try this incredible chili lime seasoning.

Whether you’re making a Bloody Mary, margarita, or other adventurous drink, you’ll love this copycat Tajín seasoning recipe.

Sure, you could grab that bottle of Tajin Clasico and use it, but learning how to make your own chili-lime salt will ensure you always have it on hand. Plus, the flavor of homemade is better than anything you can buy at a grocery store.

Make this delicious seasoning and kick up cocktail hour with a little extra spice! One can never have too much flavor in their life.

More flavored rim recipes: Homemade Sprinkles • Lavender Sugar • Bloody Mary Rim Salt

Why you’ll love this recipe

When you make a fun recipe like this chili seasoning recipe, you can use it on so many different occasion. You’ll love this recipe because:

• You can use chili lime seasoning to create upscale drinks for parties, margarita night, or just a taco Tuesday dinner.
• It only takes a few minutes to throw this together and use on any of your most favorite cocktails.
• This seasoning only gives a mild heat, so it won’t be too hot to handle and will instead give a lovely flavor to anything you use it on!

Plus, making your own seasonings is the best way to upgrade your dishes at home. We love this homemade jerk chicken seasoning — it has so much flavor.

Tools & equipment

All you need to make this easy recipe is:

• small mixing bowl
• whisk
• airtight spice jar

Ingredients

Check your local grocery for these few simple ingredients, then let’s get started making this easy recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

• lime zest (from three limes): You can substitute crystallized lime powder, also known as dehydrated lime juice, for the fresh lime zest. This may be a better option if you want the seasoning to last a little longer.
• ancho chile powder: You can substitute mild chili powders to make this seasoning less spicy. But you can also up the chili powder a bit and make it more spicy if you prefer!
• chipotle chile powder
• coarse salt
• sugar

How to Make Homemade Chili Lime Seasoning

It is incredibly simple to make your own tajin seasoning!

All you need to do is add the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. You can also place ingredients into a mason jar or large spice jar, then shake until well combined.

Use immediately, or store in an airtight container. Leftover seasoning will last for 3 months if stored in a cool, dry place.

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• The quicker you use this seasoning mix, the better! As it sits, it begins to lose its potency and won’t taste as good. But keep in mind that you can always make a fresh batch.
• A spice jar that has an airtight seal will keep this seasoning fresh for a longer time. Skip the simple screw top lid and invest in a nice jar that has an airtight lid!
• Make sure no liquid gets in this seasoning, especially if you are storing leftovers. Use a separate plate to pour seasoning on when coating the rims of glasses and keep the rest of the seasoning dry to prevent clumping. If you need more guidance on how to rim a glass, I’ve got a whole post to help you out!

Drinks with chili lime rims

Head over to Margaritaville and use this dry seasoning blend as the best rim for your glasses! Copycat Tajín Clásico seasoning is delicious on the rim of a classic margarita and a frozen marg.

You can also use this chili-lime salt on a bloody mary, bloody maria, and it’s especially good as added kick on a spicy bloody mary or a citrusy cantaritos.

A few other favorite drinks that would be delicious with this popular Mexican spice blend on the rim are mezcal margaritas, beeritas and michelada. The blend of lime flavor and chile peppers is an easy way to boost any drink!

Culinary uses for Chili-Lime Seasoning

Use this chili-lime seasoning salt as a flavorful addition in on the chicken in my tortilla soup recipe. It would also be amazing on top of fresh peach salsa or cilantro pineapple salsa.

By far, one of my favorite uses for this seasoning is on top of Mexican street corn. Talk about delish! Sprinkle this Mexican seasoning blend on pita chips and tortilla chips too.

Make a chili lime chicken fajita salad using this seasoning in sheet pan chicken fajitas.

A sprinkle of tajin is really popular on fresh fruit, like mango slices. So you can also use this on favorite fruits or fruit salad as a simple snack.

There are so many different ways to use a little bit of this tasty seasoning. Adding extra flavor to a dish is always a good idea!

FAQ

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Mexican Mule
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Strawberry Agua Fresca
• Cucumber Agua Fresca