You don’t have to be in Mexico this Cinco de Mayo to enjoy an impressive margarita! These easy margarita recipes bring a taste of the tropics to your home.
We like using a silver (also called blanco) tequila for the recipes below, such as Patron Silver or Milagro Silver. Reposado tequila, which has been aged and has an oak flavor, can also be used.
Before we get into the margarita recipes, here are some helpful tools to have on hand:
Citrus juicer – always use fresh limes in the recipes below! This tool makes juicing a breeze.
Jigger – a two-sided jigger makes measuring easy. Jiggers come in different measurements; we like this 1 ounce x 2 ounce version because it’s easy to adapt most recipes.
Cocktail shaker
Also, make sure to save half of the lime in each recipe to rub along the top of the glass if a salt rim is desired. Simply dip the glass edge into a plate of salt — either margarita salt or a regular coarse table salt will work here.
Each of our favorite margarita recipes below yields one serving.
Classic Margarita
You can’t go wrong with a classic margarita, on the rocks, with or without a salt rim. Classic margaritas use tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and triple sec, with the option of a sweetener like simple syrup or agave nectar. They are so easy to shake up, that there is no need for a pre-made margarita mix which can be too sweet or too sour.
Here is our favorite classic margarita recipe:
Ingredients:
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (generally one large lime)
½ oz. Triple Sec
Optional – agave nectar or simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil and then cooled). Start with one teaspoon and increase to taste.
Steps:
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and add tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and sweetener, if using. Shake until the shaker feels ice cold and pour into glass with ice.
Spicy Margarita
We promised easy margarita recipes and this one calls for a pre-made jalapeno simple syrup – but it’s super easy to make in advance, we promise! However, we also offer a shortcut of muddled jalapenos to make the recipe even easier.
Ingredients:
2 oz. tequila (silver or Reposado)
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (generally one large lime)
½ oz. pineapple juice
½ oz. jalapeno simple syrup (recipe below)
Steps:
Combine all ingredients into shaker over ice. Shake vigorously until the shaker feels ice cold and pour into glass.
To make the jalapeno simple syrup, cut one jalapeno in half (no need to remove seeds), and add to a pot with ½ cup water and ½ cup honey. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let steep for an hour. Strain the spicy simple syrup into a container and refrigerate.
To make this recipe without the jalapeno simple syrup, slice about half a jalapeno and add to the shaker before adding ice. Use a spoon or a muddler to smash up the jalapeno at the bottom of the shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake. Make sure to strain this into your glass.
Skinny Margarita
We love this skinny spin on the classic margarita. Omitting Triple Sec and sweeteners keeps the calories low, and adding sparkling water like Pellegrino makes it a light and refreshing cocktail.
Ingredients:
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (generally one large lime)
Sparkling water to taste (we suggest Pellegrino)
Steps:
No shaker is needed for this skinny margarita. Simply add the tequila and lime juice to a medium glass with ice and stir with a spoon. Fill the rest of the glass with Pellegrino and enjoy!
