Our greatest margarita recipe is straightforward and basic, bursting with recent lime balanced by crisp tequila and citrusy orange liqueur. Right here’s the right way to make it—in 5 minutes with 3 elements! A real fan favourite.
There’s a purpose the margarita is world’s hottest tequila cocktail! This basic drink hits simply the fitting steadiness of boozy tequila, zingy lime, and candy orange liqueur. Alex and I are cocktail specialists and licensed mixologists with over 300 cocktail recipes in our library, however guess what? We hold coming again to this basic system as considered one of our high cocktails of all time.
Why we love this margarita recipe: It takes simply 3 elements for the very best margarita recipe you’ll make over and over. The drink is refreshing and completely balanced: boozy, zingy, salty, and candy. Now we have made it numerous occasions, and even featured it in our newest cookbook! You’ll like it, we promise.
“It was good. So many recipes on the market are too candy. This can be a homerun!” -Rachel
Components on this margarita recipe
The margarita is without doubt one of the hottest basic cocktails of all time, doubtless invented in Mexico within the late 1930’s. Margarita means “daisy” in Spanish, so it was in all probability a spin on the Brandy Daisy. The Daisy is a historic household of drinks with base liquor, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and soda water. Swap in tequila and lime, and also you’ve acquired a margarita!
The margarita turned fashionable throughout the Prohibition period, when People would journey to Mexico to get alcohol. In fact, it’s achieved iconic standing immediately! You possibly can serve the basic straight up, or on the rocks in a lowball glass. The elements in a basic margarita recipe are:
- Tequila: A mid-price vary tequila blanco is right, however you can even make the drink with tequila reposado for extra nuanced, easy taste notes.
- Triple Sec or Cointreau: We like a margarita with Cointreau orange liqueur, which provides further subtle notes. You can too use Triple Sec, a extra cheap orange liqueur with extra simple taste.
- Lime juice: At all times use the juice of recent limes: bottled simply can’t examine to recent citrus.
Greatest tequila for margaritas
Most specialists say tequila blanco is greatest for margaritas. Tequila blanco (or “new” tequila) is unaged and has that basic tequila burn. However tequila reposado provides an intriguing depth of taste. Do this margarita recipe with each and benefit from the taste variations (we prefer it each methods). Listed below are just a few suggestions for selecting the greatest tequila for margaritas:
- Any mid-priced tequila tastes nice in a margarita. Search for 750 ml bottles within the vary of $22 to $35.
- Tequila blanco is right for margaritas. It has a simple agave-centric taste and spicy end. Some manufacturers we like are Espolon Blanco, El Tesoro Blanco, Patrón Silver, and Casamigos.
- Tequila reposado (aged) makes a easy, subtle margarita. Tequila reposado is aged 2 to 12 months in oak barrels. It has a easy taste and notes of oak, vanilla, and caramel. Some manufacturers we like embrace Casamigos, Milagro Reposado, and Suerte Reposado.
make a margarita: step-by-step
The easy margarita recipe is fast and simple: combine it up as a single drink, 2 drinks without delay, or make a margarita pitcher. Be certain that to arrange the glass rim and garnishes earlier than making the drink. Right here’s the right way to make a single drink (or go to the complete recipe):
- Step 1: Rim the glass with salt. A margarita salt rim enhances the drink’s candy and bitter flavors. Add the salt to a plate in a good layer, then take a lime wedge and slide it across the rim of the glass. Dip the surface fringe of the glass into the salt, rotating till it’s lined.
- Step 2: Shake the drink in a cocktail shaker. Place the 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau and ¾ oz lime juice in a cocktail shaker and add 4 ice cubes. Shake it till the drink is chilly.
- Step 3: Pressure into the glass. If serving the margarita on the rocks in a lowball or Outdated Usual glass, add clear ice. Serving straight up in a stemmed margarita glass works too. (Our private desire is in a lowball!)
Margarita rim concepts: salt, Tajín, and extra!
You should use easy kosher salt for the rim or step it up with colourful margarita salt with lime and orange zest. Or, attempt a Tajín rim: it’s a Mexican seasoning mix of chili peppers, lime, and salt that provides a burst of tangy, spicy taste.
A fast historical past of the margarita
🍹 A preferred story means that the margarita cocktail was invented in 1938 by Carlos “Danny” Herrera, a Tijuana-based bartender and head of the restaurant Rancho La Gloria. He claimed he invented the recipe for a buyer who wished a cocktail however was allergic to all alcohols besides tequila.
However based on VinePair, a extra doubtless origin might be a story in a 1939 Albuquerque Journal, which means that an Irish bartender named Madden in Tijuana could have invented the drink as a riff on the brandy Daisy. He by chance used tequila and in doing so creating a wholly totally different drink.
Strive our Casamigos Margarita or Patron Margarita recipes, every with several types of tequila!
Variation: make a margarita pitcher
Wish to serve this margarita recipe for a crowd? One of the simplest ways to make a number of margaritas without delay is to make a pitcher. The margarita pitcher makes for 8 servings and also you don’t have to shake up every drink individually, which is time consuming. Stir ice proper into the pitcher to sit back and dilute the drink. Right here’s what to do:
- Place 1 ½ cups tequila, 1 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec, and ¾ cup recent lime juice in a pitcher.
- Add 3 handfuls ice and stir till chilly.
- Pour into the ready glasses.
Use clear ice for margarita on the rocks
❄️ One of the simplest ways to make a margarita on the rocks? Use clear ice, artisanal ice that’s crystal clear and could be lower into lovely natural shapes. It’s a good way to take a cocktail from good to glamorous! You can also make your personal clear ice at dwelling utilizing a small cooler or clear ice tray. Go to Make Clear Ice.
A couple of margarita recipe variations
There are various variations on the basic margarita! Whereas the basic easy margarita stays our favourite, there are many nice methods to combine up the system. Listed below are a few of our high margarita recipes:
Ceaselessly requested questions
For essentially the most genuine taste, use a 100% agave tequila. Blanco (silver) tequila is the basic selection, however reposado (aged) tequila can add a smoother taste profile.
Whereas handy, pre-made bitter combine typically accommodates synthetic elements and added sugar. Contemporary lime juice offers the very best taste for a basic margarita.
Style your margarita as you go! Regulate the sweetness with agave nectar or easy syrup, and the tartness with recent lime juice. Begin with a small quantity of sweetener and add extra to style.
Run a lime wedge across the rim of your glass to moisten it. Dip the rim the other way up right into a plate full of coarse kosher salt or one other flavored salt of your selection.
Description
Right here’s the right way to make the basic margarita recipe! It’s straightforward with simply 3 elements: tequila, lime, and orange liqueur.
- 1 ½ ounces tequila blanco or reposado*
- 1 ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
- ¾ ounce recent lime juice
- Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim
- Lime wedge, for the garnish
- Minimize a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime across the rim of a glass. Dip the sting of the rim right into a plate of salt.
- Place all elements in a cocktail shaker with 4 ice cubes and shake till chilly.
- Pressure the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice and serve.
- For a margarita pitcher (8 servings): Place 1 ½ cups tequila, 1 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec, and ¾ cup lime juice in a pitcher. Add 3 handfuls ice and stir till chilly. Pour into the ready glasses.
Notes
- For a spicy variation, add 3 to 4 jalapeno pepper slices to the cocktail shaker, or go to Jalapeno Margarita.
- For a smoky variation, exchange half the tequila with Mezcal, or go to Mezcal Margarita.
- For a frozen variation, go to Frozen Margarita.
- For a virgin variation, go to Virgin Margarita.
- For fruity variations, go to Pineapple Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Mango Margarita, or these 25 Margarita Recipes.
- Class: Cocktail
- Technique: Shaken
- Delicacies: Cocktail
- Food plan: Vegan
Key phrases: Margarita, margarita recipe, margarita elements, the right way to make a margarita
