Making your own flavored salts at home is a fantastic way to amp up the flavor in any dish, from drinks to desserts. It's super simple to use seasonal ingredients to flavor salt, right in your own kitchen. This recipe for homemade lime salt is quick and easy, and when stored properly, it can last for months!
This lime salt recipe was inspired by my homemade sweet and sour mix. I was making some pineapple margaritas, and I wanted to give the cocktail glasses an extra special garnish. Regular salt just wouldn't cut it, so this lime salt was born! Whether you want to use this in your cooking and baking, or as a garnish for cocktails, this flavored salt will definitely spice up your life!
Jump to RecipeJump to:
💕 why you'll love this recipe
☀️ bright & zingy. This lime salt adds a burst of zingy flavor to anything you add it to!
♻️ versatile. Use it however you use salt, in any recipe you wish! It works especially well in taco recipes and as a garnish on margarita glasses! 😛
⏱️ quick & easy. Make your own homemade seasoning in less than an hour, from start to finish, with most of the time being hands-off!
🛒 ingredients
The best part about this recipe is how simple it is. All it takes is two ingredients! Make sure to use quality ingredients wherever possible, because when a recipe is super simple, each ingredient really shines.
- flaky sea salt - I love using Maldon brand sea salt. The large, flaky pieces are the perfect canvas for flavorings. Also, you can leave the salt pieces large or break them down into smaller pieces by rubbing the salt between your fingers before serving. The large flakes of salt make the perfect finishing seasoning to any recipe.
- limes - opt for organic limes if you can find them. Since you will be using the zest of the limes, it's ideal if you do not have to worry about pesticides within the skin of the fruits. Also, be sure to wash and scrub the limes. Most fruits have a wax coating on them that, while technically edible, isn't ideal to have in the finished dish.
🍳 instructions
Making this homemade lime salt couldn't be easier! Preheat your oven to 200º F, then follow the steps below. Don't be surprised if your lime salt loses its bright green color while baking; that's exactly what you want to see happen! If your oven doesn't go to 200º F, just go as low as it can and leave the door cracked open a bit!
Step 1: Wash and dry two whole limes. Grate each lime with a microplane grater, being careful only to get the zest, not the white part (the pith). You'll get about one heaping tablespoon of lime zest.
Step 2: Pour ½ cup of flaky sea salt onto the pan with the lime zest. I like to use Maldon brand sea salt. It's extra flaky, which means it's a great finishing salt or perfect for rimming a cocktail glass.
Step 3: Mix the lime zest and the salt together on your baking pan, really rubbing together all the salt and zest. Don't worry about breaking up the crystals of the salt!
Step 4: Bake in the oven at 200º F for 25 - 30 minutes, until the lime zest is completely dried out. Allow the mix to cool, and store it in an airtight container once it's completely cooled.
After about 20-30 minutes, your salt will be ready to be removed from the oven. The color will dull slightly and the zest will appear dried out. Baking the moisture out of the salt mixture is the reason is can be stored for so long!
💡 tips and tricks for getting it right
🍽️ Serving Tips - Use this lime salt to rim margarita glasses, season taco meat, or top popcorn!
ℹ️ Troubleshooting Tips - Be careful only to zest the outer peel of the lime, taking care not to get the pith (the white part) of the lime. The pith can be bitter, which will negatively impact your finished salt.
⚖️ Scaling Tips - This recipe can easily be scaled up or down. This is a great recipe to make for gifting during the holiday season. It's also a great way to use limes if you have a lime tree in your backyard!
🔆 top tip
If you want a more incorporated lime salt, pulse the lime zest and salt in a food processor for a few seconds to really blend the two together! You can do this before or after baking!
♻️ substitutions
Out of an ingredient? Looking for a swap? Don't worry. Try one of these tested alternatives!
- kosher salt - you can use kosher salt in this recipe instead of sea salt, but I would not recommend using regular table salt. Feel free to use fine kosher salt, like Diamond Brand, or coarse kosher salt, like Morton's.
- fine sea salt - using a finer grain salt is a-okay in this recipe! You could even season your own popcorn salt!
🎛️ variations
Feeling like a rebel? 😈 Try one of these off-menu variations, or come up with your own! Leave a comment below if you do!
- other citrus - you can make this salt using whatever citrus you have on hand. Lemons and oranges would work well in this recipe!
- smoked salt - using smoked maldon sea salt gives this lime salt a smokey flavor perfect for bbq season!
- add spices - by adding spices like garlic, pepper, or cumin, you can create a specialized spice blend all your own!
- add sugar - adding ½ cup of sugar will give you a sweet, salty and zesty blend of flavors!
🧰 equipment needed
The only special equipment you need for this lime salt is a zester grater. Otherwise, you likely have everything already! If you don't have a quarter sheet pan, you can use what you have on hand.
- zester grater - this Microplane zester grater is the perfect tool for zesting any and all citrus. It also grates chocolate and parmesan cheese finely and can be used to grate spices like nutmeg.
- baking sheet - this set of quarter sheet baking pans is perfect for smaller baking projects like this homemade lime salt.
- parchment sheets - once I found these individual parchment sheets for quarter sheet pans, I've never bought another roll of parchment again!
- airtight storage jar - I love using Le Parfait storage jars for this recipe because the hinged design makes it easy to open and close, while the gasket keeps things airtight. You can also store it in a mason jar, or other airtight container you have.
🫙 storage tips
Store your homemade lime salt in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Technically, it can last even longer, but the flavor will start to deteriorate after 3-6 months.
💬 q+a
I recommend using either kosher salt or sea salt. Table salt contains other ingredients besides just salt, like anti-caking agents, which means your salt isn't as salty, or you'll have to use more of it to get the right saltiness. You can use coarse or fine salt for this recipe.
Use this homemade lime salt on popcorn, add it to your favorite recipes, or rim a cocktail glass with it. I love adding it to chicken, black beans, and taco meat! In any recipe where you'd add some lime juice to boost flavor, this lime salt will work great!
While this lime salt can last well over a year when stored properly, the flavor will start to deteriorate after about 3-6 months. I recommend storing it in an airtight container, like a glass jar with a good seal.
The lime salt is done when it loses a bit of color and appears dried out, or shriveled up. Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature of your oven, and don't go much higher than 200º F. If your oven doesn't go that low in temperature, leave your oven door cracked open a bit at the lowest temperature it will go to.
🍽️ recipe
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment! I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
🥣 recipe
Lime Salt
Equipment
- 1 microplane zester grater
- 1 quarter sheet baking pan
- 1 airtight storage container
Ingredients
- 2 whole limes washed and dried
- ½ cup flaky sea salt Maldon brand
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200º F.
- Wash and dry your limes, then using a Microplane grater, zest both limes. You should have about 1 heaping tablespoon of zest.
- Line a quarter sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
- Pour ½ cup of Maldon flaky sea salt onto the baking pan, and then add in the lime zest. Mix well to distribute the zest evenly.
- Bake on a baking sheet for 20 - 30 minutes, just until the zest is dehydrated and dried out.
- Remove from the oven and allow the salt mix to fully cool before transferring to an airtight container for storage.
- Store for up to six months.
Leave a Reply