Chamoy

This homemade chamoy sauce is great poured on fresh fruit with Mexican Tajin seasoning, covering an apple and even used in popsicles.

A bowl of Mexican Chamoy fruit sauce homemade with apricots, lime juice and more.

I was first introduced to chamoy a number of years ago. I was in a Mexican variety store and saw a bottle of this sauce. Not knowing what it was, I grabbed it and did some research to learn how to use the sauce. Since then, chamoy is one of my favourite sauces. I don’t buy it, but love to make a homemade version. 

This sauce has a complex flavour profile. It is sweet and fruity because of the apricots. But it is also quite tart from the lime. The ancho chili peppers give the sauce an smoky flavour with a light level of spice.

Close up picture of cut watermelon and pineapple with sauce poured all over them.

Homemade chamoy is so much better than store-bought. That is no surprise because typically anything made at home is better and this sauce is not difficult to make at all. I love it with fresh fruit like watermelon, mango, pineapple and more. Drizzle the sauce on some fruit and top it with some Tajin spice mixture. Oh my word, this is so good!

Fresh apricots, limes and dried ancho chilies.

Fresh apricots make the best tasting sauce

  • I have made chamoy many different ways over the years, but my favourite method is by using fresh apricots. Dried apricots or jam also work, but I love the bright flavour that comes from fresh fruit.
  • If you cannot find fresh apricots, you could also use peaches, plums or mangos.
  • Dried ancho chilies give the chamoy an earthy and smoky flavour. These are low on the heat level, which we prefer in this fruit sauce. If you want it spicier, you could use morita or chipotle chilies.
  • I like to break the stems off the ancho chilies and open it up to shake out the seeds. Discard the stems and seeds.

Step by step photos with pot of simmering sauce.

Do not rush the simmering

  • Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat a bit.
  • Watch the pot as it simmers because it can really bubble up as the sauce starts to thicken. Be careful that it does not bubble over. Stir it any time it starts to bubble up. Or turn down the heat a little lower.
  • Let it simmer for about 45 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about two thirds. It is better for the chamoy to be a little thicker at this point, because you can always add a little water as it blends to thin it to the desired consistency.

Overhead picture of blender with sauce pureeing.

Blend until smooth

  • Pour all the ingredients into a blender. I have tried a food processor, but find that it does not do as good of a job pureeing the sauce until smooth.
  • Turn the blender on low and slowly increase the speed until fairly high. You want the sauce to puree until very smooth with no chunks. If the chamoy seems too thick, pour in a little water as it is blending.

Plate of chopped watermelon and pineapple with bowl of chamoy sauce.

Serve the chamoy with some fresh fruit. My favourite fruit to have with chamoy is pineapple. It is so good and even better sprinkled with some Tajin seasoning and the sauce.

Other Mexican Recipes

This is a great addition to a Mexican feast. Serve this with fresh fruit as an appetizer before the meal, or as a healthy dessert after dinner. Here are some great recipes to go along with this chamoy for a delicious Mexican dinner.

Chamoy

4.87 out of 5
15 reviews
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How to make chamoy recipe - a classic Mexican sauce. Made with fresh apricots, limes, brown sugar and ancho chilies. Great syrup for fruit, vegetables and meat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 ancho chilies
  • 12 fresh apricots
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp , optional
  • 2 cups water

Instructions

  • Pit the fresh apricots and dice into small chunks.
  • Break the stems off the ancho chilies. Open up and shake out the seeds. Discard the stems and seeds.
  • Place all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat so that it is a light boil. Stir often as it simmers.
  • Let the sauce simmer for about 45 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about two thirds.
  • Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. If the sauce seems to thick, add a little extra water until it reaches desired thickness.
  • Serve as a dip for fruit and vegetables or even as a glaze or bbq sauce for meat.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 171mgFiber: 5gSugar: 45g

Nutrition Disclaimer

Categories

A bowl of Mexican Chamoy fruit sauce homemade with apricots, lime juice and more.

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Or, take a picture to share on Instagram and tag me @theblackpeppercorn.

4.87 from 15 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




23 comments

  • roasting the chile ancho in a dry pan would increase the depth of flavor of the chile

    • Reply
    • thanks for the tip!

      • Reply
  • 3 stars
    Try dry roasting your chilies before soaking them in water. You’ll get an earthier flavor that I think you’ll love.

    • Reply
  • This looks so inviting and easy to make.. will try it soon..

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This is delicious! We were on the hunt for a Chamoy recipe after trying it in Tucson. Husband is addicted to it and says it makes a good mixed drink too!

    • Reply
  • Made this in my hotel for a Mexican couple who are planning their wedding. The bride to be said it was better than her mothers! my breakfast cook who grew up in Mexico said his mom made it when he was a kid and hadn’t had it in over 20 years. He sat and ate almost a cup of it for his lunch.

    • Reply
  • Looking forward to trying this recipe! How long does it keep in the fridge?

    • Reply
    • Hmm – ours never lasts that long. Lol. I would say maybe a week or two?

      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This is awesome! I substituted fresh peaches for the apricots and it worked splendidly, it was a bit thick so I added a little bit of gratefruit minute maid juice instead of water and my oh my it works.
    Made it for my pineapple and introduced this candy food to my mum, she loved it!!
    Thanks for this recipe!
    Who needs to buy the bottle now?

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Recently our work had a potluck and one young man and his sisters brought a watermelon basket filled with chopped up fruit and peanuts along with what sounds like this sauce. It was incredible! So excited to try this recipe. I love the tangy sweetness with the fresh fruit. Thank you for this recipe. Yummmmmm!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    My husband made a sauce that he covered our fried chicken with and reading the recipe the same ingredients were used without him knowing and we loved it.. he calls it his Skylar sauce!!!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. Its Very helpful.

    • Reply
    • 5 stars
      I agree

      • Reply
  • Try it on chips especially on Doritos

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    i really haven’t tried making it but iv tasted it and its really good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……. YUMMY!!!..

    • Reply
  • Having grown-up in Mexico, I am familiar with the many different salsas and chiles, and I can say the “chamoy” salsa is very popular especially among kids and young adults (it is my favorite one!). It is typically poured over: mango, pineapple, watermelon, apples, jicama and cucumber. When it is poured over shaved iced, it is called “chamoyada” and it tastes awesome, especially when the base flavor is mango o tamarind. Now that I no longer live there I miss it like crazy so will definately make my own from now on! Thank for sharing the recipe!!!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Thank you very much for sharing this recipe! I just made it and it came out REALLY good! I live in a little town in Oregon coast and the closest Mexican store is 45 minutes north of me and they don’t carry Chamoy sauce, so I started researching recipes to try and make it, yours is the third one I try and definitely the best! Thank you!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I just made this recipe and tried it with a granny smith apple and it was delicious! A must try for any Chamoy lovers.

    • Reply
    • Thanks for sharing!! Glad you liked it

      • Reply
  • I love Chamoy!!! I usually get it on snow cone or shaved ice with mango being the base flAvor and chamoy the topping!!!

    • Reply
  • -1 stars
    I can just imagine the flavors…ancho is one of my favorites and w/the lime and jam…yes, this has many applications. Likey likey!! ally 🙂

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Spicy, sweet… yes.. I think I will definitely like this sauce. Have a great visit with your parents. 🙂

    • Reply
  • Very interesting! I like the combination of sweet spicy flavors here … I think I need to try this one … thank you Steve!

    • Reply

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