Easy Mexican Cucumber Recipe (Snack Made with Chili and Lime)

This Mexican cucumber recipe is healthy, tasty, refreshing and the perfect snack on hot summer days. It’s so easy to make with just 4 ingredients! Serve it as a snack or appetizer.

Easy Mexican Cucumbers with Chili and Lime (Snack Recipe)
Mexican Cucumber Snack (Pepinos con Chile)

What Are Mexican Cucumbers with Chile and Lime

Pepinos con chile translates to cucumbers with chili. But lime is also added and often included in the snack name too, so pepino con chile y limon or cucumber with chili and lime.

This Mexican cucumber snack is one of those delicious recipes, that well isn’t much of a recipe. Meaning that it’s so incredibly easy to make and with just a few ingredients you can create the refreshing treat. This isn’t going to be one of those new Mexican recipes where there’s a long list of instructions to follow.

Everyone in Mexico grows up eating this healthy snack.

It’s a very popular fruit sold by street vendors or in the mercados. It can be sold on it’s own or mixed in Mexican fruit cups with other fruits like watermelon, papaya, jicama, cantaloupe and other seasonal fruits.

Each bite will satisfy your belly and make your heart very happy. I think these cucumbers will quickly become and remain a favorite vegan snack of yours.

Mexican Cucumber Ingredients
Mexican Cucumber Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients Needed

This popular and refreshing Mexican snack requires just 4 ingredients. All of which are easy to find anywhere in the world.

  • fresh cucumbers
  • fresh limes
  • ground chile powder
  • salt

When I lived in Europe and couldn’t find fresh limes, I would use fresh lemon juice. The taste is slightly different but still delicious.

Mexican Guajillo Chile Powder
Ground Red Chili Powder

What Chile Powder Should You Use

You can use ground chile de arbol or cayenne pepper. Either of these provides the spiciness desired.

Any ground red chili powder will do, something like morita powder would add a touch of smokiness to the cucumbers. Another option would be ancho chili powder. When I lived in Europe I would sometimes use spicy paprika and it worked great too.

In a pinch and if you don’t have ground chile powder you can use hot sauce instead. My favorite was always Valentina salsa (so good on tortilla chips too). Cholula would also work.

The easiest or most convenient chile powder to use is actually Tajin seasoning.

What is Tajin Chili Seasoning
What is Tajin Chili Seasoning

What is Tajin

Tajin powder is a very popular chile-lime powder or chile seasoning mix made of ground red chile powder, salt and dehydrated limes.

The chilies used to make Tajin seasoning are chile de árbol, guajillo and pasilla chilies.

The regular Tajin bottles have a medium high-heat. But I’ve also seen a habanero pepper flavor one; and there’s a low sodium versions available as well.

You can easily find it at the Hispanic aisle of your grocery store, Mexican food stores, and of course Amazon.

What To Use Instead of Tajin

If you don’t have access to Tajin seasoning don’t worry. Simply mix 4 Tablespoons of ground red chile powder with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

You can taste and adjust the amounts to your personal taste. If anything this is a great way to control the amount of salt.

Important Tip

If you are using Tajin make sure to omit the salt or taste first before sprinkling any more salt over your pepinos.

Mexican Cucumbers Recipe
Pepinos con Chile y Limon

Health Benefits of Cucumbers | They’re Super Healthy

Cucumbers, especially during the summer months, are great for hydrating our bodies. They are mostly water so they are perfect for hot days and to enjoy after a workout.

  • Cucumbers are low in calories, and with that high water content, they’ll keep you feeling full.
  • Contain antioxidants
  • aid digestion
  • help control blood sugar
  • help with healthy blood pressure
  • packed with Vitamin C and Vitamin K
  • packed with Magnesium, potassium, manganese
Steps for Making Spicy Cucumbers

How To Make Mexican Cucumbers Snack

The ingredient amounts are a personal choice. It depends how many people will enjoy the snack and how much chili or heat they each like.

When I make it just for me I use one large cucumber and about 1 Tablespoon or so of Tajin seasoning. Freshly squeeze lime juice is from one medium one.

  1. Start with fresh cucumber, regular is fine but English cucumbers work great too. Make sure it feels firm, using fresh ingredients is always best. Peel off all of the skin and discard or compost it.
  2. Using a sharp knife make cucumber slices or you can also cut into long sticks or any shape you want.
  3. Place the cucumber slices in a medium bowl or on a small plate. Then add a squeeze of lime juice over the slice. Add as much as you’d like.
  4. Sprinkle the cucumber with as much Tajin as you’d like. Or if you’re using ground chile powder add it to the cucumbers now. At this time you can also add the salt. Both the chili powder and salt are a matter of personal preference.
How To Make Mexican Cucumbers Snack
How To Make Mexican Cucumbers Snack

Perfect Flavor Combination

Pepinos con chile is a perfect combination of flavors for your taste buds, it’s like a little explosion of Mexican flavor!

You have the savory tones from the salt, spicy from the chile, tartness from the limes and a slight sweetness from the cucumbers.

Let’s not forget that great crisp texture of the cucumbers.

Mexican Cucumber Snack_Pepinos Chile Limon
Mexican Cucumber Snack

Mexican Cucumbers or Pepinos con Chile y Limon Are A Favorite of Mine

This healthy vegan snack always reminds me of my sisters and brothers.

How we would spend our summer days running around, cooling off at the pool, chasing after the ice cream truck, eating our favorite summer foods, and all the family picnics.

All of us love to eat cucumbers drizzled with fresh lime juice, sprinkled with loads of chili powder, and a pinch or two of salt.

After all the cucumbers were gone then we’d lift up the bowl to our mouths and drink the remaining juices. So delicious!

Healthy Cucumber Snack
Healthy Cucumber Snack

How to Serve Mexican Cucumbers

You can enjoy them during the summer months as a snack to help you beat the summer heat.

Serve them in bowls or in cups, whoever you’d like. The container matters much less than the delicious taste of these juicy cucumbers.

Make sure to have extra Tajin or chili powder and maybe some lime wedge at hand for those that want to add more seasoning as they eat.

Enjoy as a snack at home or take it to work or make a large batch for family gatherings or summer picnics.

Delicious Vegan Mexican Snack
Delicious Vegan Mexican Snack

Mexican Cucumber Recipe

There really isn’t much of a recipe. This isn’t one of those new recipes trying to reinvent the wheel. Ingredient amounts are a matter of personal preference. But below is what you’ll need.

I truly hope you make simple recipe and healthy snack because I do think it’ll become one of your favorite snacks.

Easy Mexican Cucumbers with Chili and Lime (Snack Recipe)

How to Make Mexican Cucumber Snack | Cucumbers with Chile and Lime

Nancy Lopez & MexicanMadeMeatless.com
This Mexican cucumber recipe is healthy, tasty, refreshing and the perfect snack on hot summer days. It’s so easy to make with just 4 ingredients! Serve it as a snack or appetizer.
5 from 11 votes
Save Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
Prep Time 8 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Mexican, vegan
Servings 1 people
Calories 23 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole cucumber sliced or cut into spears or chunks
  • 1 whole lime juiced
  • 1 Tablespoon Tajin Seasoning
  • salt optional and to taste

Instructions
 

  • Peel the cucumber, making sure to remove as much of the hard green peel as possible. Slice off the ends then slice into rounds or match sticks. Size and thickness is as desired.
    Mexican Cucumber Ingredients
  • Place the cucumber in a bowl, then drizzle with fresh lime juice and sprinkle with as much Tajin as possible.
    Steps for Making Spicy Cucumbers
  • Taste and add more lime or Tajin if desiered. Enjoy!
    Mexican Cucumber Snack_Pepinos Chile Limon

Video

Notes

I like to add more Tajin as I eat because some of the bottom pieces don’t get enough sprinkled on them.
Add ass much Tajin as you’d like. 
If you don’t have Tajin then just use red chile powder and fine salt to taste. Or you could also just use hot sauce like Valentina salsa if desired.
Don’t forget to drink the juice left at the bottom, it’s the best part.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 23kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 713mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2373IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and tag me on social media @MexicanMadeMeatless or tag #mexicanmademeatless!
How to Make Mexican Cucumber Snack

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56 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Can’t wait to start picking cucumbers so that I can make this. It sounds like I snack I could eat every day.

  2. 5 stars
    Love Pepinos con chile y Limon, but I prefer cayenne and salt over tajin,
    also like the cucumber with chammoy

  3. 5 stars
    Put it in your mouth and it will collapse when you bite it, it is very crispy, and the moment your teeth and tongue touch the flesh, it tastes like cucumber. It’s really, really appetizing with chili!

  4. Favorite with my fresh garden cucumbers. I think it should be 5 ingredients.. serve with an ice cold beer

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