What Is Tajín?
There's so much to learn and love about this pantry power player.
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By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
There's a lot to learn about tajin, whether you're a longterm fan looking to use it in new ways, or eager to introduce the brightly hued seasoning blend to your kitchen. For more info, we consulted Margarita Carrillo Arronte, a restaurateur, chef, global ambassador of Mexican cuisine and author of The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook.
What Is Tajin?
Tajin is the brand name of a Mexican chile-and-lime seasoning blend. "Tajin is not very spicy but packs a flavorful punch,” says Carillo Arronte, and describes it as “a spice blend made with chile peppers, salt and dehydrated lime juice." It's named after El Tajin, an archeological site in Veracruz, Mexico, she adds.
Tajin was founded in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1985. The original spice blend, Taijin Clasico Seasoning, is now joined by additional products like Tajin Mild Hot Sauce, Tajin Fruity Chamoy Hot Sauce, Tajin Habanero Seasoning, Tajin Fruit Seasoning with Lime and Tajin Clasico Seasoning Rimmer, among others.
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Tajin Ingredients
The ingredients of Tajin Clasico Seasoning include a blend of dried chiles, such as arbol, guajillo and pasilla, as well as dehydrated lime juice powder and sea salt.
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Ways to Use Tajin Seasoning
Tajin is commonly used as a seasoning for fresh fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, jicama and cucumber. But Carillo Arronte says that tajin’s pungent, sour flavor makes it a good addition to marinades or to season roast chicken. Try tajin as a rub for shrimp, chicken, steak and fish, add it to roasted veggies or grilled corn, or use it to zhuzh up dips such as hummus or guacamole. Tajin works in desserts, too: try sprinkling some on fruity popsicles, such as these Watermelon, Chile and Basil Ice Pops, or on sorbet, like this No-Churn Pineapple-Banana Sorbet. Tajin can also be used to rim the glasses of drinks like a Michelada, Margarita, Smoky Bloody Marys or Paloma Cocktails with Grenadine.
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Tajin on Fruit
In Mexico, fresh fruit topped with lime juice and tajin is a popular snack, Carillo Arronte says. “It is very common to put it in kids’ school lunches to sprinkle over fruit and veggies, or to eat as a snack when the weather is hot,” she says. Try tajin on fresh mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or pineapple, or make a mix-and-match fruit cup with chilled jicama, cucumber, watermelon, pineapple and mango. Tajin is often served on fruit with chamoy, a sauce made from dried chilies, lime juice, and pickled fruits such as mango, apricot or plum.
Recipes with Tajin
Kick off the evening with these festive shooters, or end a meal with spiked dessert. Simply pour gold tequila into shot glasses and add small scoops of mango sorbet, then sprinkle with tajin for a final flourish.
These summer-ready skewers demonstrate how tasty tajin is with grilled fruit, too. Simply sear the mango, and then sprinkle with the chile-lime seasoning.
Chef Eddie Jackson fashioned this Tex-Mex-inspired hummus after his friend’s Houston food truck, Pitas Bites. The original recipe remains secret, but Jackson’s version is punched up with tajin to bring savory, citrusy flavors to the smoky dip.
This Margarita riff is made with mezcal, another agave spirit with earthy, often smoky flavors. Tajin subs in for salt on the rim of the drink, adding sour, mildy spicy flavors and a pop of color.
Levi Brown
Sprinkle tajin on this guacamole made with grilled onion and pineapple to complement its herbaceous notes and elevate teh sweet, floral flavors of the habanero peppers.
This over-the-top fruit salad makes for a show-stopping addition to al fresco suppers or backyard cookouts. The kombucha marinade is a zesty complement to the chamoy and tajin.
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