Many of you know that I lived for a year in Mexico. There are a million things I love about this country, but the most thirst quenching thing on that list is a delicious beer drink called a Michelada. My pal Oscar taught me the real deal recipe, and now we’re teaching you.
There are many michelada recipes on the web teaching people how to make
micheladas. And I’m here to tell you that all of these recipes are WRONG. So I’m going to teach you the right way to make a genuine Mexican Michelada. (Mi amigo Oscar, un Mexicano verdad, me lo enseno.)
For those of you who don’t like videos, or simply found it confusing, read the michelada recipe here:
How to Make Michelada:
Michelada Ingredients:
Lots of Limes
Don’t Skip Tajin!
Salsa Inglesa
Jugo Maggi
Pacifico or Corona (Doesn’t matter which one)
Tajin (A mixture of salt, lime flavoring and chile powder)
Clamato (optional)
Hot Sauce. (Also optional.) Use Valentino brand…not the American Tobasco. They taste different. I like a couple of drops. My pal Oscar doesn’t like any.)
Beer. Oscar thinks you should use Pacifico or Corona. But we’ve made them with a darker Negro Modelo and they are pretty tasty with that too.
Note: Where in the heck do you buy Tajin, Salsa Inglesa and Jugo Maggi? 
Well, as I write this I’m living in Mexico and they are as easy to find as catsup. But my guess is that no matter where you live, you’re not that far away from a Mexican grocery store or tienda. Go track one down and buy this stuff. You’ll be glad you did. Seriusly, I cannot imagine a michelada without the tajin. The lime juice and the Jugo Maggi and the Salsa Inglesa are pretty important. But the Tajin — or some substitute brand — is crucial.
Tajin is simply the most common brand of the dried chili, dehydrated lime and salt mixture. There are many other brands; I’ve tried 3 or 4..they are all good.
Michelada Recipe.
First, cut a lime and rub it around the rim of your glass. Then pour a bunch of Tajin (the chili / salt / dehydrated lime mixture) on a small plate. Invert your glass and rub the wet rim in the tajin, making it stick. (This is like salting a margarita glass, only substituting Tajin.)
Add the juice of 2 or three small limes, or perhaps 1 larger lime. Add more juice than you think. Now add some more.
Add a couple of shakes of Jugo Maggi. And a couple of Shakes of Salsa Inglesia.
Salsa Inglesa
This is a “to taste” sort of thing. I like to add extra Maggi. But it’s up to you.
If you like, add some Clamato. Just about 1/3 of a cup. But again it’s a to taste thing. If you like more, go for it. Less? Fine! Not at all…. sure, no problem.
(I’ve seen the difference of “chelada” and “michelada” described as with or without the Clamato. My my pal Oscar, who was born in and lived in Mexico City for 20+ years thinks they are both micheladas. So who am I to doubt him?)
Add ice. A bunch of ice.
Fill your glass up with beer.
Add a couple of pinches of Tajin.
Stir it up. Drink it up.
Repeat as needed.
Finally: Don’t be an idiot. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t over do it. And don’t….please don’t…. fail to get the right ingredients. You need the Jugo Maggi, the Salsa Inglesa, 
and especially the Tajin! It’s worth the trip. It will make your michelada genuine. And most important, it’ll make it tasty!
Cheers! Salud!
See the how to make a michelada recipe video on YouTube
Read a post about how to make a michelada on my other blog.
Leave comments with questions or results.
Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Friend of Oscar Montes de Oca, Lover of Micheladas
This is awesome! I’ve been wondering exactly how to make these drinks. Recipes for Micheladas seem to be everywhere recently so this one makes me happy with its authenticity! I’ll be making some for the family very soon.
muchas gracias, Brad and Oscar
I can’t wait to try Michelada!!! That sounds really great! I have never heard of it before. Is Oscar a chef? I’m thinking about maggi Jugo. It’s usually a cube. We use it to cook rice and chicken.
Well, I guess I just need to try Michelada. I wonder if I might be able to find it at a Mexican restaurant. Maybe I can try it first. Of course, I know it’s not going to taste the same as the homemade one.
Totally love this! Thanks for bringing us a piece of Mexican culture, Brad.
Awesome drink. Tajin is the best. I like to make mine with different, more refreshing, beers though.
Brad makes a killer mojito, so you know this recipe will make your Micheladas rock!
Awesome instructions cabrones. Thanks for the tips. Salud!
yujuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ya soy famoso amigo!!! tu eres cabron!!!
I had a michelada tonight. No maggi though. No tajin. I’ll look for them.
I make a similar Michelada, but with Marguerita Mix instead of clamato juice. I learned to make it in the town of Bucerias, Mexico I am definitely going to try your recipe. I always have the tajin in my cupboards as I enjoy it on fruit. Is the Maggi in the recipe different from the one we get in Canada?
Joan! Love it. Guess what? The How to Make a Michelada was filmed here on our terrace. I’m in Bucerias right now…. we’ve been here for about a year..the kids are in Colegio Bucerias. And my wife and I are having blast, learning a new culture and language, and perfecting the perfect michelada recipe. Love the idea of bloody mary mix… though my pal oscar would frown.
Maggi in Canada…no idea if it is the same but I think so. A friend told me it was the same, and it also available in Africa…Ivory Coast. Weird, huh? Not so easy to find in the States.
Cheers from Bucerias.
Belly up to the bar, amigos!
It’s Michelada Time!
For a wannabe beer buff like me, this is one great recipe.
And video. Drink up.
Salud!
Fred
Awesome instructions amigo. Thanks for the info. Salud!
Been drinking them for 35yrs all over mexico, seems that all over the net have really botched up recipe. This one is good. Wish I had paid closer attention to one I had at the guadalajara airport a number of years ago it was the best evrr