A classic, cold, refreshing frozen margarita recipe made with lime juice, honey, tequila, triple sec, and ice, surely to cool you off on a hot summer day and, whoah, the crowd at parties and social events.
Ive been in the mood for a frozen Margarita lately, so this recipe had to be done. I’ve made a few before but never made an actual recipe out of it until now, which was needed because I have a shortage of cocktail recipes on the site.
Plus, I love my frozen margaritas and wanted to share this delicious recipe with my PBJs. So here it is finally and right on time for the summer which is when frozen cocktails are most trendy. Lol!
My first frozen Margarita
My first margarita had to have been around 2017-2019 or so because I stayed eating out at restaurants with my friends during that time, and cocktails were always one of our drinks to order.
Margarita and Daiquiris were my faves, although sometimes I’d order a Berry Sangria. But for some reason, the Margaritas never really hit the spot, I’d always have to tell them to make it sweet.
So that’s when I did a little research and became acquainted with cocktails, all the ones I love, and learned how to make them myself, and over the years, I’ve done a lot of experimenting.
I tried different combinations of ingredients and different mixes and variations to perfect my recipes, and so I’ll finally be sharing a whole bunch with you this summer.
Now, some of you may be saying to yourselves, “I know Philly boy Jay in his mid to late 30s, so just 7 years ago, he was well above legal to drink, so why were his first cocktails so late?
Well, as I said in my Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe here, I was always anti-alcohol and never liked drinking until I got into my late 20s or early 30s. Let’s just say I was a late bloomer when it came to alcohol.
Why I love this recipe:
- Easy to make: What I love most about this drink is how easy it is to make because as much as I love to cook, I’m not trying to do much of anything that involves cooking and heat during the summertime.
- Quick and under 15 minutes: This recipe is simple and literally takes less than 15 minutes unless you’re just slow. That’s what I love the most… I can make it without much of a sweat even when I’m lazy.
- Refreshing: With the fresh lime juice and slush, it chills you and cools you down quickly, which is what you want after a long jog around the park or on a scorching hot summer day. I call frozen cocktails body coolers lol…
- Crowd Pleasing: Margaritas are incredibly popular… popular is probably an understatement. Lol! I would go out on a limb and say it’s the most popular cocktail drink in the US and Western culture.
What’s a frozen Margarita made of?
Ok, so for those out there wondering what exactly a Margarita is and what it’s made of, let’s start with the liquor because all cocktail drinks contain liquor, but they’re made using different kinds.
- Liquor: Tequila and Cointreau, such as Triple Sec (which is an orange-flavored sweet wine with a consistency that resembles a thin syrup), are the liquors used in Margarita drinks.
- Fruit Juice: Cocktails consist of sweeteners and fruit juice, and a classic Margarita is made with lime juice. And did I forget to mention ICE to chill the drink or to create a slush if you’re making a frozen margarita like we’re doing with this recipe here.
- Sweetener: When it comes to sweeteners, you have an array of options. You can use agave, which is basically similar to honey, honey, sugar, or a simple syrup.
There are so many different variations and combinations of ingredients people use, so feel free to customize it and make it yours. But yea, Tequila, Triple Sec, Lime Juice, and Agave are the traditional ingredients for a Margarita.
Facts about Margaritas
What’s the origin of Margaritas? There are quite a few stories about the origin of this fan-favorite cocktail, but it’s commonly accepted that it was first served in Mexico or Texas.
In 1942, a man who went by the name of Francisco “Puncho” Morales was bartending and was asked by a customer to make a popular drink called “Magnolia,” but he couldn’t remember the ingredients.
Unable to admit he didn’t know how to make it, he mixed Tequila with Cointreau and named it after a daisy, which is Margarita in Spanish, and that’s how the drink came about.
The drink has since then evolved, and over the years, other ingredients were added to the drink until it was perfected to become what it is today.
- Meaning of the name: Did you know the name Margarita means Daisy in Spanish?
- Flavor profile: Margaritas are basically a sour drink and are supposed to be sour, which is why lime is the preferred fruit and main flavor. Its sour taste is pretty much its identity and what makes it stand out from other cocktails.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Alcohol: Tequila and Triple Sec
- Sour Juice: Lime Juice
- Sweetener: Honey and Sugar
- Slush: Ice
Cookware and utensils you’ll need:
- Measuring Cups: Make sure you have a measuring cup on hand, especially if this is your first time trying this recipe, to ensure you’re using the exact amounts.
- Measuring Spoons: Have measuring spoons for exact measurements as well, mainly for the food coloring if you decide to use any.
- Large Knife: You’ll need a knife to slice the lime in half.
- Citrus Juicer: You can squeeze lime juice from a lime, or you can use a juicer to extract the juice.
- Blender: Most importantly, have a blender on hand, as you can’t make the margarita without it.
Lime juice and alternatives
Ok, so as you know, you gotta have lime juice if you want to make an original classic margarita, whether it’s frozen or not. But you have a few options.
- Fresh lime juice: You can use fresh lime juice extracted from a lime. Squeeze the juice from the lime using your hands or a citrus juicer.
- Bottled lime juice: You can use lime juice from out of the bottle as well. As long as it’s 100% lime juice, you’re good to go. I’ve used fresh lime juice from out of the bottle and didn’t notice a difference.
- Lime Syrup: If you take this route, you might want to reduce the amount of sugar you use or omit it altogether if you want because the syrup is already pretty sweet.
- Lime Tequila: You also have the option of using lime-flavored Tequila, just to make everything simpler, but I like using lime juice because the lime flavor in the liquor isn’t always potent enough.
Sweeteners and alternatives
As I stated earlier, there are a bunch of sweetener options… you can use what you want it’s not like most people will be able to tell anyway. The person who supposedly made the first Margarita just use sugar!
But, commonly, Agrave is used, which is syrup from a plant by the same name. It tastes very similar to honey, which is what I use. It all depends on your tastebuds and what you like the most.
But you can use AGRAVE, HONEY, SUGAR, SIMPLE SYRUP, or even LIME SYRUP. You can even use a combination of these sweeteners. Personally, I use both honey and sugar in equal amounts.
Whatever I have on hand is what I use… I don’t really follow my own recipe all the time. I use what I have around the house at the time I find myself wanting some. I’ve used lime syrup maybe once.
How lime syrup made its way into my house, I don’t know. I think I bought some strawberry puree syrup, which I used in my Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe, and decided to buy the lime syrup and try it. Lol!
Tequila + alcohol ratio
Now, the alcohol.. when it comes to the alcohol, I like to use 3-4 shots. A shot in the US, although not really defined, is typically 3 to 4 tbs, which is about 1/4 cup.
I use a 1/2 cup of Tequila, plus 1/4 cup of triple sec, which is only 30 proof, unlike the Tequila, which is 80 proof, which totals 3/4 cups of alcohol. This is the ratio that works best for me.
Now, if you’re trying to get lit, use more… but be mindful that the more liquor you use, the thinner the margarita will be, and you may need to use more ice than what the recipe calls for to get a nice thick slushy consistency.
Again, customize it to your liking, don’t be afraid to DO YOU because making your tastebuds happy is the key here since you’re the one who’ll be drinking this. Lol!
Decorating and rimming the glass
For a classy decoration, rimming the glass is a must. Rimming the glass is when you apply something sticky like HONEY or syrup around the rim of the glass, and then sprinkle it with salt or sugar.
What I do is rub honey around the rim of the glass and then dip it in a big bowl of sugar, sometimes green sugar or salt, then I slice a piece of lime 1/8th inch thick in width.
Then cut it from the center to the edge to create a slit and place it on the glass, as you can see in the photo below. This is a common decoration for margarita drinks.
You can use lemons, too, but lime is commonly and preferably used for margaritas. It depends on what type of margarita you’re making, though. Strawberries and pineapples are commonly used too.
How to make a classic frozen Margarita
- Add lime juice, honey, and sugar to blender.
- Add in your liquor and ice.
- Blend well, serve, and enjoy. You can even add a pinch of green dye for some color.
Frozen Margarita Variations:
- Strawberry Margarita: For a strawberry margarita, you use the same ingredients but also blend in some strawberry juice and or puree. Sometimes, I add some strawberry syrup, and sometimes, I add a few strawberries to the blender and blend them in.
- Christmas Margarita: It’s all a matter of color and flavor, so since we’re going for Christmas colors like a rich green and red, and or not, strawberry and lime flavors… you have 2 common options here.
- You could either just make two batches, add red food coloring to one and green food coloring to the other, then alternatively pour both into the cup until it’s full.
- If flavor is important to you, and you’re not just going for color, then make a red strawberry margarita and a batch of classic Margarita using green food coloring.
Then, if you want to decorate it, you can rim it with red and green sugar. Slice some lime and strawberries and put them on the rim of the cup for the classic Christmas colors.
Non-Frozen Version
For just a regular chilled Margarita, all you do is add water and add it to a cup of ice. Give it a few shakes to chill it, then pour and serve. You can serve it with ice, which is called “on the rocks,” or have it simply as is, which is called ‘straight up.”
You will use all the same ingredients for either, though; they’re not entirely different, as some newbies may think. You’re just blending it with ice to create a slush for a frozen margarita or just adding ice cubes for a chilled margarita. Lol!
Storage and remake
- How to store a frozen margarita: Storing the frozen margarita is simple. If you don’t end up drinking it all at once, or say you made it for a get-together or party and your folks never came through, just put it in the freezer.
- How to remake a frozen margarita: All you do is sit the frozen margarita you stored out at room temperature for a while until it melts and gets a slushy consistency like in the photo below and drink away.
- Are you in a rush? If you forever reason don’t feel like waiting until it thaws out, you can simply blend the frozen margarita with a little juice or water, and that will soften it up and make it slushy like a freshly made frozen margarita.
Okie dokie, we’re all done here. Please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it, and share it with your friends on social media if you do. Also, giving me 5 stars will help me a lot on these crazy Google streets.
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Later, enjoy!
PBJ~
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The Best Homemade Frozen Margarita Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 Mins
- Total Time: 10 Mins
- Yield: 6
Description
A classic cold, refreshing frozen margarita made with lime juice, honey, tequila, triple sec, and ice, surely to cool you off on a hot summer day and, whoah, the crowd at parties and social events.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Lime Juice
- 1/2 Cup Tequila
- 1/4 Cup Triple Sec
- 1/2 Cup Honey
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 6 Cups of Ice
Instructions
- Get a blender and add in the lime juice
- Poor in the honey and sugar.
- Add in the tequila and triple sec.
- Add in the ice and blend for 45 secs or until smooth.
by 