Chamoy Sauce Recipe with Tajin (Chamoy Rim Dip)
Chamoy Sauce – Here’s an easy recipe to make a sweet-spicy sauce with bold Tajin seasoning. It’s great on savory dishes, fresh fruit, or to use as a chamoy rim dip to garnish drinks!
What is Chamoy?
Chamoy is a Mexican condiment that is very underutilized in the United States. It’s made by cooking a vibrant combination of dried fruits, hibiscus flowers, chiles, and Tajin seasoning low and slow on the stovetop. The result is a large batch (5 cups) of amazingly flavorful Chamoy Sauce.
This classic spicy sweet-and-sour sauce is a staple in Mexico and Central America, as a topping to use on salads, roasted vegetables, pork, steak, and other proteins. It’s also popular on tacos or nachos, mixed into paletas popsicles, in shaved ice, or even roasted with nuts.
However, its most common uses are drizzled over fresh-cut fruit like watermelon or mango, or as a Chamoy Rim Dip for beer and cocktails. You can even spoon it into smoothies like classic Mangonada!
Chamoy sauce is easy to customize as a very thick dip or as a thin drizzle, just by adding additional water.
What Does it Taste Like
The base of the sauce is made with dried apricots, raisins, and hibiscus flowers – so the flavor is slightly sweet, deep, tangy, and earthy. There is also a great smoky flavor from the dried chile peppers.
Is chamoy spicy?
Ancho chiles are more smoky rather than spicy. Therefore, you can make a lower spice version by using only ancho chiles. Or spice it up by using arbol chiles as well!
Ingredients You Need
Although some Mexican Chamoy Sauce recipes call for a long list of ingredients, including apples, plums or prunes, chili powder, and carrots, we feel these ingredients offer the biggest bang for the buck…
- Water – more or less, depending on if you are making chamoy sauce or rim dip
- Dried apricots – a deeply sweet flavor
- Raisins – more sweetness with a bit of tartness
- Hibiscus flowers – dried, sweet, and earthy
- Dried ancho chiles – a chile that is smoky and not too spicy (or guajillos)
- Arbol chiles – optional, these have some heat
- Granulated sugar – or another granulated sweetener, like coconut sugar
- Tajin seasoning – a bold spice blend popular in Mexican and Central American dishes
- Optional add-in – fresh lime juice!
Pro Tip: This easy recipe is vegan and gluten free!
How to Make Chamoy
Set a large saucepot over medium heat. Remove the stems from the chiles and shake out the majority of the seeds.
In the pot, combine 6 cups of water, along with dried apricots, raisins, hibiscus flowers, all dried chilies, sugar, and Tajin seasoning.
Cover and bring to a boil. Then stir well, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered.
Get the Complete (Printable) Homemade Chamoy Sauce Recipe Below.
Remove the chamoy sauce from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then scoop the mixture into a blender. Cover and purée until very smooth.
Taste the sauce, and add additional salt or Tajin seasoning if desired. You can also add additional heat by blending in crushed red pepper.
If you would like to keep the sauce thick, it’s ready to use!
Or thin it out by adding 1/2 cup of water at a time, puréeing in between, until you reach your desired consistency.
When the thickness is just how you like it, transfer the chamoy to jars.
Store in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Or freeze for up to six months!
How Do You Use Chamoy Sauce
Drizzle on fresh fruit like mango, papaya, watermelon, and pineapple. It’s a delightfully sweet and spicy snack!
Another classic use for chamoy is as a coating for candy. Toss gummy fruit rings or other candy pieces in thinned out sauce. Place on a wire rack (with a towel underneath) to dry.
Add a bit of sauce inside simple cheese quesadillas. Or drizzle on top of Bubbly Taco Salad Bowls, Mexican Sopes, Mini Baked Chimichangas, or Shredded Chicken Tacos. The pop of unexpected flavor is fantastic!
Serve as a dipping sauce alongside your favorite Mexican and Central American dishes. Chamoy is delicious with:
Or simply enjoy it as a condiment with tortilla chips!
How to Make Chamoy Rim Dip
To make a traditional Rim Dip, melt 10 Pulparindo candies (tamarind candy) in a large sauce pot. Stir in ½ cup chamoy and ¼ cup sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Then dip the tops of well-cleaned Mexican beer cans, canned cocktails, or cocktail glasses in the Chamoy Rim Dip.
Flip the cans/glasses over and sprinkle with additional Tajin seasoning.
The Chamoy Rim Dip will firm as it cools into a soft gummy candy consistency you can enjoy as you drink.
Serve the cans as-is. Or fill the cocktail glasses with blended tropical beverages like daiquiris, pina coladas, or margaritas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chamoy sauce sweet or hot?
The sauce leans on the sweeter side if made with just ancho chiles. Add arbol chiles as well to make a spicy dip.
What is Tajin seasoning made of?
Classic Tajin is a spice blend that includes chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. It’s bright and bold, without being very spicy.
How long does Chamoy rim dip last?
It will keep well for about a week at room temperature. Store for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.
The sauce or dip is even great to freeze! Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Looking for More Dips and Sauces Recipes?
- Avocado Crema (Avocado Sauce for Tacos)
- The Best Homemade Bean Dip
- Roasted Poblano Avocado Dip
- The Best Queso Recipe
- Tomatillo Salsa Verde with Avocado
Chamoy Sauce Recipe with Tajin (Chamoy Rim Dip)
Ingredients
- 6+ cups water
- 1 cup dried apricots
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers packed
- 2-3 dried ancho chiles
- 1-2 dried arbol chiles optional
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Tajin seasoning
Instructions
- Set a large saucepot over medium heat. Remove the stems from the chiles and shake out the majority of the seeds.
- In the pot, combine 6 cups of water, along with dried apricots, raisins, hibiscus flowers, all dried chilies, sugar, and Tajin seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil. Then stir well, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove the Chamoy sauce from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then scoop the mixture into a blender. Cover and purée until very smooth.
- Taste the sauce, add additional salt or Tajin seasoning if desired. You can also add additional heat by blending in crushed red pepper. If you would like to keep the sauce thick, it’s ready to use! Or thin it out by adding 1/2 cup of water at a time, puréeing in between, until you reach your desired consistency.
How to Make Chamoy Rim Dip –
- To make a traditional Rim Dip, melt 10 Pulparindo candies (tamarind candy) in a large sauce pot. Stir in ½ cup chamoy and ¼ cup sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then dip the tops of well-cleaned Mexican beer cans, canned cocktails, or cocktail glasses in the Chamoy Rim Dip. Flip the cans/glasses over and sprinkle with additional Tajin seasoning. Serve the cans as-is, or fill the cocktail glasses with blended tropical beverages like daquiris, pina coladas, or margaritas.
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Thank you, I’m so glad I tried this sauce. It was so tasty and so good! We love it with our tacos and quesadillas.
thank you, love this concoction on the rim of a drink or even draped on top of a can as in the picture, but have never known how to make it or even know what ingredients are in it, would never have guessed raisins!
Thank you for sharing this!! I have always loved it! It adds so much flavor to whatever you are adding it on. Love it with fruit!!
I am in LOVE! I knew I wanted to try this the minute I saw it and now it’s a staple in our house and we put it on everything. Thank you!
I love this recipe on mangos! I always used to put Tajin on mango when I visited Mexico and this is just a more amazing way to make that!