A margarita is a margarita is a margarita? I don’t think so! There are countless ways to concoct a margarita recipe, whether you use a margarita machine or on the rocks.
Depending on the types of fresh fruit, fruit juices, liqueurs, liquors, mixes and syrups you have handy, the possibilities for your perfect margarita recipe are endless.
Here is a collection of some of the tastiest margarita recipes we’ve burdened ourselves with testing (hic!).
We also included a few virgin, kid-friendly recipes. None of these margarita recipes below requires a home margarita maker, though most can be made with one to make them oh-so-smooth.
Enjoy!
[Note: if you like your margarita recipe frosty, check out our Margarita Machine reviews.]
Basic Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
8 ounces of silver tequila
-
4 ounces of triple sec
-
8 ounces of fresh lime juice
-
Ice cubes and salt (optional), for serving
Directions
Combine tequila, triple sec, and lime juice and shake well. Dip the glasses in salt if desired and fill them with ice. Strain the drink into the glasses.
Peach Margarita
Ingredients
-
1 pound of ripe peaches (about 3), bottoms scored, plus 2 extra peaches for garnish
-
3 tablespoons of (2 1/2 ounces) orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
-
2 tablespoons of sugar
-
1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
-
3/4 cup (6 ounces) of silver tequila
-
3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
-
2 cups of bottled peach nectar
-
8 mint sprigs for garnish
Directions
1. Prepare a bowl full of ice water. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the pound peaches to the boiling water and cook for one minute. Transfer to the ice water bath to cool. Remove the peaches from water.
2. Peel and halve peaches and the remove pits. Slice the peaches into wedges and put them in a medium bowl. Toss the wedges with the orange liqueur, sugar, and salt. Cover and set in a warm spot until peaches give off juice, which should take about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the peach mixture in a blender or a food processor until it is completely smooth. Immediately stir in tequila and lemon juice. Transfer this to a pitcher and stir in peach nectar.
4. Fill eight tall glasses with ice and garnish each with a mint sprig. Cut the extra two peaches into eight wedges, cut a small slit into inside curve of each wedge, and place one wedge on rim of each glass. Divide the margarita among glasses.
Margarita recipe courtesy of MarthaStewart.com
Strawberry Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
1 cup of frozen whole strawberries
-
6 tablespoons of tequila
-
1/4 cup of frozen limeade concentrate
-
2 tablespoons of triple sec
-
2 cups of crushed ice
Directions
Place four 8-ounce glasses in the freezer to chill. Place the strawberries, tequila, limeade concentrate, and triple sec in a blender and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add the ice and blend until liquid is smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.
Margarita recipe courtesy of Mo’nique’s “Never Trust a Skinny Cook”
Guava Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
1 3/4 cups of freshly squeezed lime juice, plus wedges for serving
-
2 3/4 cups of tequila (such as Don Julio Anejo)
-
1 1/3 cups of Grand Marnier liquer
-
2 3/4 cups of guava puree (such as that from SOS Chefs)
-
Margarita salt for the glass rims
Directions
1. Stir together lime juice, tequila, Grand Marnier, and guava puree in a large pitcher. Stir to combine and refrigerate until chilled.
2. Just before serving, rub a cut lime around the rim of each glass. Fill a saucer with the margarita salt. Turn each glass upside down and dip it into the salt.
3. Pour margaritas into glasses. Garnish each drink with lime wedges and serve immediately.
Margarita recipe courtesy of Chef Sue Torres
Coconut Margarita Recipe (my latest fav)
Ingredients
-
1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
-
1/2 teaspoon of salt
-
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice plus 2 tablespoons for glasses (about 5 limes)
-
3/4 cup of Coco Lopez or cream of coconut
-
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of tequila
-
1/4 cup of Cointreau or another brand of orange liqueur
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the coconut with the salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast this in the oven, stirring frequently until golden brown, which should take 8 to 10 minutes. Once the mixture is cool, crush it with your hands until it is crumbly.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of lime juice into a shallow dish. Dip the rims of the cocktail glasses in lime juice, then into coconut mixture, coating it well.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients with 1 cup ice in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth. Pour evenly in prepared glasses and serve immediately.
Margarita recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Virgin Banana Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, plus lime wedges
-
Sanding sugar for the glasses
-
Ice cubes
-
3 peeled bananas
-
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
-
1/4 cup of milk
Directions
1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of two glasses. Fill a saucer with the sanding sugar. Turn the glasses upside down and dip them into the sugar.
2. Fill blender half full of ice cubes. Add the lime juice, bananas, granulated sugar, and milk and blend it all together. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar, if desired. Blend a few seconds more
3. Pour the drink into the sugar-rimmed glasses and serve immediately.
Margarita recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Watermelon Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
2 limes
-
4 tablespoons of tequila
-
2 tablespoons of vodka
-
1 tablespoon of triple sec
-
2 cups of watermelon with the seeds removed
-
1/4 cup of sugar
-
3 cups of crushed ice
Directions
1. Rub the rims of two glasses with a slice of lime and dip the glass rims in salt.
2. Blend the juice of the remaining limes with the other ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Add more crushed ice and blend until the drink is slushy.
Margarita recipe idea courtesy of Martha Stewart
Margarita Granita
Ingredients
-
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
-
3 ¾ cups of water
-
1 tablespoon of finely grated lime zest
-
6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
-
3 tablespoons of tequila
-
2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
-
Margarita salt
-
Lime wedges for serving
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, cook the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved, which should take about one minute.
2. Stir in the lime zest and juice, tequila, and orange juice. Season this with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
3. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Let it cool and then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze until set, at least six hours or overnight. Scrape the mixture with a fork until flakes form. Freeze (covered) until you are ready to serve it. Garnish the drinks with lime wedges.
Margarita recipe idea courtesy of Everyday Food Magazine
Blue Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
Margarita salt
-
1 lime cut into wedges
-
4 ounces of tequila
-
1 ounce of triple sec
-
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
-
2 ounces of Blue Curacao
-
1 teaspoon of superfine sugar
Directions
1. Pour the salt into a shallow dish. Rub each glass rim with a lime wedge. Dip the rims in the plate of salt and rotate to coat evenly. Place a lime wedge on each salted glass.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Place the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, Blue Curacao, and sugar in shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
3. Fill the prepared glasses with ice cubes. Strain the margarita into the glasses and serve immediately.
Margarita recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Virgin Pink Grapefruit Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons of colored sanding sugar
-
1 lime
-
6 teaspoons of pomegranate syrup or grenadine
-
1 1/2 cups o pink grapefruit juice
Directions
1. Place the sugar in a shallow dish or plate. Slice six thin rounds from the middle of lime and set aside.
2. Rub a lime wedge around rims of six glasses. Turn the glasses upside down and dip each rim into the sugar. Pour 1 teaspoon of pomegranate syrup or grenadine into the bottom of each glass.
3. Place the grapefruit juice and 2 cups of ice cubes in a blender. Mix these on high speed until the ice is crushed. Pour the frozen mixture into glasses and stir to combine it with he syrup. Garnish with reserved lime rounds and serve immediately.
Margarita recipe idea courtesy of Martha Stewart