Recipe
Chili Mango
Fruit, heat, salt. The Tajín principle.
Why this is addictive
The combination of acid, heat, and salt short-circuits your brain's satiety signal. This is why Tajín on fruit is impossible to stop eating — same mechanism, better ingredients.
Ingredients
For ~6 oz / 170g — scale up proportionally for larger batches.
- ¾ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) raw
- ½ cup macadamia nuts roasted, lightly salted
- ½ cup dried mango unsweetened if possible; tear into rough 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup toasted coconut flakes large flakes
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp lime zest from about half a lime
- ¼ tsp cayenne adjust to heat preference
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp coconut oil or neutral oil
Method
- 01
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet.
- 02
Toss pepitas in oil, then coat with chili powder, cayenne, salt, and lime zest.
- 03
Spread pepitas on baking sheet. Roast 12–15 min, stirring once, until puffed and starting to brown.
- 04
Cool completely.
- 05
Toast coconut flakes in a dry skillet until golden. Cool.
- 06
Combine cooled pepitas with macadamia, mango, and coconut. Taste and adjust salt.
What to watch for
Common failure points and how to read the batch.
- Dried mango quality varies enormously. The best is tart, chewy, and not overly sweet. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both carry decent versions.
- The heat level from cayenne hits after 10–15 seconds. Taste a minute after mixing before adding more.
- Too much chili powder makes the whole batch taste dusty. If that happens, add more coconut and macadamia to balance.
Variations to try
- Add ¼ cup dried pineapple for more tropical sweetness.
- For a smokier version, use smoked salt instead of regular.
- Tajín spice blend can substitute for the chili/lime/salt combination.
Development log
Add an entry each time you test a batch. Date → what you changed → how it landed.
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