A Mexican Candy Shot is sweet, spicy, and delicious. Watermelon schnapps, tequila, and hot sauce combine to make one seriously tasty shot.
Looking for more fun and tasty shot and shooter recipes? Try my Pink Starburst Shot! It's bright pink and also uses Watermelon Pucker for color and flavor. My Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot is fun and fruity, too. And let's not forget about the sweet and adorable Mini Beer Shot. It looks like a wee pint of beer!
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🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It's easy to make. If you can shake up a few ingredients in a cocktail shaker, then you can make these shots.
It's sweet and spicy. Such a delicious combination of contrasting flavors.
It is the perfect addition to a party menu. Cinco de Mayo celebration? Make 'em. Casual gathering with friends? You know what to do.
💭 What are Mexican Candy Shots?
A Mexican Candy Shot (sometimes called a Paleta Shot) is a sweet-spicy little shooter that gets its unique flavor from a combination of watermelon schnapps, tequila, and hot sauce. A tajín rim adds a little savory, salty element to this shot.
It's named after a Mexican lollipop (paleta means lollipop or popsicle in Spanish) that's watermelon-flavored and coated in chili powder.
📝 Mexican Candy Shot Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this tasty little shot. They're pictured and discussed below. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Tajín seasoning: What is tajín? It's a Mexican spice blend that combines chili spice and citrus. Rim your shot glasses for a little extra flair and flavor.
- Watermelon schnapps: Watermelon Pucker is easily accessible at the liquor store.
- Tequila: You can use whatever blanco tequila (sometimes also called silver tequila or plata tequila) that you prefer.
- Hot sauce: Use (almost) whatever hot sauce that you prefer. Stick to something that's along the lines of tabasco, and avoid heavily flavored (e.g., chipotle) hot sauces. I used a Mexican hot sauce (Cholula) to be as authentic as possible.
🔀 Substitutions or Variations
- Make it a cocktail. Double or triple the ingredients and serve it shaken over ice if you'd prefer a larger cocktail instead of a shot.
- Switch up the rim. Use sugar, salt, or any other seasoning that you'd prefer.
- Use mezcal. Want a smokier tasting shot? Try mezcal instead of tequila!
👩🏻🍳 Mexican Candy Shot Recipe
Step 1. First, spread the tajín seasoning onto a small plate in an even layer. Moisten the rim of the shot glass with a lime wedge and dip the moistened rim into the tajín, coating the rim. Set it aside.
Step 2. Next, pour watermelon schnapps into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Step 3. Pour tequila into the cocktail shaker.
Step 4. Shake two drops of hot sauce into the cocktail shaker.
Step 5. Last, cap the shaker and shake until very cold (5-10 seconds). Strain the shot into the prepared shot glass.
❓ Recipe FAQs
A Mexican Candy Shot is a shot (or shooter) that's flavored like a popular Mexican lollipop. It's bright pink and tastes like watermelon candy that's been spiced with chili powder.
A Paleta Shot is another name for a Mexican Candy Shot. "Paleta" means lollipop or popsicle in Spanish, and this shot mimics the flavors of a popular Mexican lollipop candy.
Sure! Just double or triple the amount of ingredients, shake 'em up, and divide the liquid between the appropriate number of shot glasses.
Yes. Just double or triple the amount of ingredients, shake them up, and pour them into a glass over ice. Sip away!
Use whatever you prefer. I went with a Mexican hot sauce: Cholula. Whatever you use, stay away from anything that's flavored, like a chipotle hot sauce.
Use your favorite blanco (aka silver or plata) tequila here.
🔗 Other shot and shooter recipes
Click any of the photos below to go straight to the recipes. Or if you're looking for another "Mexican" recipe, try my Mexican Mule! It's super popular on this blog for a good reason.
I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!
✨ Recipe
Mexican Candy Shot
Equipment
- Cocktail jigger
- Boston shaker
- Hawthorne strainer
- Shot glasses
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Tajín seasoning for rim
- 1 Lime wedge for rim
- 0.5 ounce Watermelon schnapps
- 1 ounce Blanco tequila
- 2 dashes Hot sauce
Instructions
- Spread the tajín seasoning onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your shot glass and dip the moistened rim into the tajín. Set it aside.
- Add the watermelon schnapps, tequila, and hot sauce to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until very cold (about 10 seconds).
- Carefully strain the shaken shot into the prepared shot glass.
Notes
- You can double or triple the amount of the ingredients, shake them up, and make a full-sized cocktail served over ice.
- Use mezcal instead of tequila if you'd like a smokier shot.
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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