• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Unique Cooks
  • Mains
  • Sides
  • Sweet Treats
  • Condiments
  • Snacks
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Sides
  • Condiments
  • Snacks
  • Mains
  • Sweet Treats
  • Food Guides
  • American
  • Asian
  • Mediterranean
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Middle Eastern
search icon
Homepage link
  • Sides
  • Condiments
  • Snacks
  • Mains
  • Sweet Treats
  • Food Guides
  • American
  • Asian
  • Mediterranean
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Middle Eastern
×
Home

Cucumber and Tajin Salad | Pepinos con Chile

Sep 16, 2023 ·

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Ultra refreshing and full of flavor, this cucumber and Tajin salad aka Pepinos con Chile, is an absolute must try. 

This Mexican cucumber snack comes together in just minutes with a homemade Tajin seasoning, and can be a superb vegan side dish or appetizer. 

If you love Mexican food, you’ve definitely got to give this recipe a try. 

cucumber and tajin in a glass

I’ve recently been mildly obsessed with cucumbers, specifically English cucumbers.

They have a nice crunch factor that’s perfectly balanced with the juiciness on the inside, which makes them a great healthy snack to enjoy on hot summer days. 

And while I did use a few of them to make a nice cucumber pico de gallo, I was really looking for something a bit more low effort. 

And that’s when I tried this, and quite frankly, it has become my favorite snack. 

So much so that I also experimented with another variation of the recipe, and tried out a spicy mango and tajin snack too. 

Jump to:
  • Why I Love this Recipe
  • Ingredients For the Cucumber and Tajin Salad Recipe
  • How to Make the Cucumber and Tajin Salad
  • Substitutions & Variations
  • Equipment
  • How to Store the Leftover Tajin Cucumber Salad
  • Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
  • How to Serve the Cucumber and Tajin Salad
  • FAQs
  • Related Recipes
  • Cucumber and Tajin Salad | Pepinos con Chile
  • Food Safety

Why I Love this Recipe

I love this simple cucumber salad recipe for many reasons. 

Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but is actually a super versatile Mexican snack that you can team up with just about any of your favorite foods. 

I love serving it as a side with my Elote casserole, and the combination is a total hit in my household. 

Ingredients For the Cucumber and Tajin Salad Recipe

Ready to try out this refreshing Mexican cucumber snack? Here’s all you’ll need. 

ingredients for the cucumber and tajin salad

Cucumbers: You’ll need a couple of ripe, fresh cucumbers. English and Persian cucumbers are the best choice, since they have a super crunchy texture, but you can also use regular garden cucumbers if you want to. 

Tajin seasoning: You’ll also need a bit of your homemade or store-bought Tajin spice mix. This one’s often marketed as chile lime seasoning. 

Lime juice: For some extra tanginess, you’ll need some fresh lime juice as well. 

Pink salt: This one’s optional, but you can also sprinkle a bit of pink Himalayan salt in addition to the Tajin seasoning.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make the Cucumber and Tajin Salad

Ready to try this Mexican cucumber recipe? Here’s the process you’ll need to follow to do it. 

Cut up a cucumber in half lengthwise, and then slice it further into sticks. You can also cut cucumber slices if you want to. 

Sprinkle the cucumbers with Tajin seasoning and add a squeeze of lime juice. Mix it all well. 

Substitutions & Variations

  • If you don’t have fresh lime juice, you can use some lemon juice instead or just sprinkle some dehydrated lime into the Tajin seasoning. 
  • Bottled lime juice can also work in a pinch. 
  • If you’re not able to find Tajin, and don’t want to make the seasoning from scratch, you can use a blend of mild chili peppers, a squeeze of lime juice and some salt to make do.

Equipment

  • Chopping Board
  • Serving Spoons

How to Store the Leftover Tajin Cucumber Salad

If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. 

They should stay fresh for up to a day, but remember that cucumbers tend to lose water once you cut them and sprinkle the seasonings, so you’ll need to drain off all of it before you serve them.

cucumber and tajin in a glass

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

  • To add some extra lemony flavor to this cucumber Tajin salad, you can add some lime zest too! 
  • While I would highly recommend keeping the peel on, you can also choose to peel the cucumbers if you want to. 
  • You can also cut the cucumber as per your personal preference. Sliced cucumbers are great if you want to keep things simple, but cucumber sticks, in my opinion, somehow look so much better. 
  • To add some more brightness and color to the salad, you can also drizzle some Mexican Chamoy sauce over it. 
  • Don’t forget to garnish with lime wedges right before you serve.

How to Serve the Cucumber and Tajin Salad

This tangy, spicy and easy Mexican cucumber dish can be put together in just minutes, and is a great snack recipe to make when you’re hit by a craving, or are looking for a teammate to your Mexican recipes. 

Here are a few ideas to get you inspired to serve this easy snack. 

With a Mexican Main

This refreshing cucumber dish can work wonderfully as a side to any of your Mexican mains- from tacos and enchiladas and even burritos. 

As a Snack or Appetizer

This spicy cucumber dish can actually be a great snack for hot summer days, or as an appetizer for a Mexican feast you’re whipping up. 

Apart from serving this Tajin cucumber recipe as an appetizer or snack, you can also choose to chop up the cucumber finely and use the spiced cucumber as a topping for your homemade tacos. 

FAQs

What Can I Use Instead of Tajin? 

A simple mix of chili powder and salt can be great if you’re not using Tajin for this recipe. You can use Chipotle, Guajillo or Ancho chili powder. 

Related Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

  • featured image of upside down onion tarts
    Upside Down Onion Tarts
  • What to Do With Leftover Pico de Gallo - 10+ Ideas
  • Tajin Nuts
  • Homemade Tajin Seasoning Recipe
cucumber and tajin in a glass

Cucumber and Tajin Salad | Pepinos con Chile

This easy cucumber and Tajin salad aka Pepinos con Chile is a salty and spicy Mexican cucumber snack that can double up as a nice side dish too!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cucumber and tajin, Pepinos con Chile
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 36kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 teaspoon Tajin seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 pinch Pink Himalayan salt

Instructions

  • Cut up a cucumber in half lengthwise, and then slice it further into sticks. You can also cut cucumber slices if you want to.
  • Sprinkle the cucumbers with Tajin seasoning and add a squeeze of lime juice. Mix it all well.

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Food Safety

  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

« Spicy Mango with Tajin | Mango Con Tajin
Homemade Tajin Seasoning Recipe »

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Shahida!

Join me on my journey to discovering and recreating unique foods from around the world in my humble kitchen.

More about me →

New & Popular

  • Mango Pico de Gallo
  • Cucumber Pico de Gallo
  • Cabbage Pico De Gallo
  • Pineapple Pico de Gallo

Discover More Unique Recipes

  • American
  • Asian
  • Condiments
  • Food Guides
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Mains
  • Mediterranean
  • Mexican
  • Middle Eastern
  • Popular Recipes
  • Sides
  • Snacks
  • Sweet Treats

Follow Me on the Gram!

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Get in Touch!

Privacy Policy

  • Privacy Policy

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.