25 Margarita Recipes to Make at Home

January 31, 2020
Time Inc. Video Studio
Listen: It's no secret that we love a classic margarita. One of our most popular recipes of all time just so happens to be The Best Damn Big-Batch Margaritas Your Party Has Ever Seen—and we're damn proud of it. But when we see a basic margarita, we also see a blank canvas. From sweet recipes (like this Blackberry-Orange Margarita) to savory ones (this Jalapeno Margarita isn't for the faint of heart), there's something for everyone in our collection of best margarita recipes.  
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Easy Margaritas for a Crowd

Photo: Emma Crist; Styling: Emma Crist
Easy Margaritas for a Crowd Recipe
Look no further than these large-batch margaritas when you're hosting your next big fiesta and can't spend hours juicing limes. This margarita recipe is a revelation--the secret ingredient is a can of frozen limeade concentrate which, once emptied, doubles as a measuring cup for the remaining ingredients.
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Classic Frozen Margarita

Meredith Food Studios 
Classic Frozen Margarita Recipe

It's time to let go of the sweet and sour mix. These easy margaritas are mostly sour with a bit of sweetness and make your mouth water before you even take a sip. It's not overly sweet and heavy, but refreshing and even a little potent. Squeezing your own lime juice makes all the difference, so don't take any bottled shortcuts. 

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Jalapeño Margarita

Photo: Caroline Arcangeli; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin
Jalapeño Margarita Recipe
Trust us, you’re gonna like this jalapeño margarita. It hits all the flavor receptors—sweet, salty, tart, and boozy—and balances them so that no single flavor overwhelms. You end up with a margarita that’s very refreshing and has plenty of interesting flavor notes.
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Super Skinny Margarita

Meredith Food Studios 
Super Skinny Margarita Recipe
When you’re in the mood for the perfect sweet-and-sour skinny margarita, fake and sugary pre-made mixes won’t cut it. This skinny margarita recipe is fresh and flavorful without being dense in carbs and calories. Freshly-squeezed juices are worth the extra effort, adding the perfect touch of acidity and sweetness.

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Blackberry-Orange Margarita

Caitlin Bensel
Blackberry-Orange Margarita Recipe

This fruity sipper has sweet-tart flavor with a subtle burn from the serrano-infused tequila. Tender-tongued? This drink is equally delicious without the chile. Blackberries are fiber-packed and contain antioxidants called polyphenols that might ward off cognitive decline and keep your heart healthy.

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Salted Melon Margarita Pops

Photo: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin
Salted Melon Margarita Pops Recipe

The tequila is subtle in these beautiful light green ice pops, but don’t underestimate it: They pack a punch. The lightly sweetened, subtly salty flavor almost feels like Gatorade, but these are nothing like a recovery drink. 

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Apple Cider Margarita

Time Inc. Video Studios
Apple Cider Margarita Recipe

This autumnal twist on a summer favorite is the perfect, easy-to-shake-up cocktail for your next fall happy hour or holiday party. 

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Cilantro-Lime Margaritas

Victor Protasio
Cilantro-Lime Margaritas Recipe
Skip the super-sugary margarita mix and welcome the warmer weather with this twist on a classic margarita. Lime and cilantro could be no better partners. This is a great use for cilantro stems, which have all the flavor of cilantro but are often overlooked.

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SoCal Fruit Cart Margarita

Jennifer Causey
SoCal Fruit Cart Margarita Recipe
The inspiration for this tropical cocktail comes from ensalada de fruta con chile, Mexico's spicy fruit salad. Pack the heat with Tajin Clasico’s chili pepper and lime seasoning and a grilled pineapple ring garnish, infuse fruity flavor with papaya-pineapple nectar, mango liqueur, and finish with reposado tequila.
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LaCroix Margarita

Sara Tane
LaCroix Margarita Recipe

For a lighter spin on the classic margarita, look no further than a can of lime LaCroix, of\r your favorite lime-flavored seltzer water of choice. With no added sugar, this skinny version is super easy to make and comes with significantly less guilt. Serve in a festive margarita glass rimmed with salt, if desired.

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Roasted Strawberry Margaritas with Aquafaba Whip

Caitlin Bensel
Roasted Strawberry Margaritas with Aquafaba Whip Recipe

Aquafaba, the viscous fluid from canned chickpeas, is the surprising key to making a plant-based whipped topping. The process is pretty miraculous: The liquid whips up to a thick, fluffy foam that mimics whipped cream. Just be sure to use the liquid from unsalted chickpeas for the best results (we like Eden brand).

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Margarita Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio
Margarita Cake Recipe

It’s everyone’s favorite refreshing tequila cocktail… in cake form. Truly, what could be better? With tart lime curd and tequila syrup, this festive show-stopper cake does justice to the flavors of an authentic margarita. 

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Honeydew-Jalapeno Margaritas

PHOTO BY JENNIFER CAUSEY
Honeydew-Jalapeno Margaritas Recipe
Meet your new favorite poolside cocktail. This slushy sipper offers sweet, floral honeydew flavor with a nice slow burn from jalapeño-infused tequila.

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Kale Margarita

Photo by Teresa Sabga, Styled by Jiselle Basile
Kale Margarita Recipe
The bloody mary has had a nearly uncontested run as brunch’s go-to healthy-ish cocktail since its invention in the 1930s, but Spencer Elliott, head mixologist at Bounce Sporting Club in Manhattan, is out to dethrone it. “I had a customer who liked to come to brunch, then go directly to a workout. She wanted to enjoy her brunch, not drink water, so I wanted to created a solution,” says Elliott.

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Raspberry "Sangre" Margaritas

Photo by Kelsey Hansen; Prop styling by Audrey Davis; Food styling by Torie Cox
Raspberry "Sangre" Margaritas Recipe

Serve this margarita for a party—you can make the raspberry mixture up to a day ahead, then simply add tequila and triple sec and blend with crushed ice before serving. Add a sugar rim and fresh raspberry garnish, and call it this summer's signature cocktail.

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Fiery Mango Margarita

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas 
Fiery Mango Margarita Recipe
Sweet and spicy is oh-so-nice. If you can appreciate the heat--but are tired of jalapeno--this red chile simple syrup is exactly what you've been looking for. Instead of mango, you could try pineapple in this refreshing summer drink.

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Cucumber, Honey, and Thyme Margarita Slush

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Claire Spollen
Cucumber, Honey, and Thyme Margarita Slush Recipe
This simple margarita comes together in no time flat.  The cucumber infuses the slush with a cool flavor, which balances the sweet notes from honey at the end of each sip.

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Blueberry Margaritas

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Blueberry Margaritas Recipe

To get a half-salted rim, you'll need to start with a tablespoon of salt--but only about 1 teaspoon ends up sticking to the glasses.

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Mezcal Margarita

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Claire Spollen
Mezcal Margarita Recipe

Mezcal gets its signature smoky flavor from the slow-roasted and distilled hearts of agave plants.

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Frosty Raspberry-Lime Margarita

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Erynn Hedrick Hassinger
Frosty Raspberry-Lime Margarita Recipe

Have a little fun with your traditional margarita recipe by adding fresh raspberry and lime flavors.

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Cantaloupe Margarita with a Hint of Mint

Photo: Hector Sanchez Styling: Claire Spollen
Cantaloupe Margarita with a Hint of Mint Recipe

Want to make a bigger batch? Doubling the melon should yield enough juice to make 6 drinks. Process and strain in 2 batches, and then mix up 3 times the rest of the ingredients in a pitcher.

 

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Smoky Mezcal Margarita

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Smoky Mezcal Margarita Recipe

Mezcal, like tequila, is an agave-based spirit. When making mezcal, the heart of the agave plant (the piña) is slow roasted in pits, lending a more rustic, smoky tone reminiscent of a beach bonfire. I add dried crushed red pepper to the kosher salt on the rim of the glass for heat.

 

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Watermelon-Mint Margarita

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Watermelon-Mint Margarita Recipe

Try a new twist on a classic margarita with watermelon and mint flavors.

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Watermelon Margaritas

Watermelon Margaritas Recipe
This refreshing Watermelon Margarita is summer in a sugar-rimmed glass. Watermelon is naturally sweet so little sugar is needed in this fruity cocktail. It’s the ultimate beverage for a summer get-together.
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Whole-Lime Margaritas

Time Inc. Video Studio
Whole-Lime Margaritas Recipe

 

These refreshing big-batch margaritas using entire limes—peel, pith, flesh, and all—take food waste reduction to the next level. Just dump all of your ingredients into a blender, give them a good whirl, and strain into a pitcher for the easiest, and likely most delicious, batch of margaritas you’ve ever made. 

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