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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
- 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.
- Using a sharp knife make cucumber slices or you can also cut into long sticks or any shape you want.
- 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.
- 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.
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 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!
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.
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.
How to Make Mexican Cucumber Snack | Cucumbers with Chile and Lime
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.
- Place the cucumber in a bowl, then drizzle with fresh lime juice and sprinkle with as much Tajin as possible.
- Taste and add more lime or Tajin if desiered. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
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More Mexican Snacks to Try
What’s one of your favorite vegan snacks? Below are some delicious Mexican snacks to try.
- Pico de Gallo Salsa | Salsa Fresca
- Easy Mexican Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Cauliflower Ceviche | Best Vegan Ceviche Recipe
- How to Make Sopes
- Small Batch Guacamole Recipe
- Jicama with Lime Juice and Tajin
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
Can’t wait to start picking cucumbers so that I can make this. It sounds like I snack I could eat every day.
Love Pepinos con chile y Limon, but I prefer cayenne and salt over tajin,
also like the cucumber with chammoy
I haven’t tried the chamoy with the pepinos, thanks I’ll have to give that a try.
So yummy!
Thank you Giangi!
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!
Favorite with my fresh garden cucumbers. I think it should be 5 ingredients.. serve with an ice cold beer
Wow must be amazing with homegrown cucumbers. I say to the 5th ingredient. 🙂