Margaritas are the ultimate summer cocktail when you do them right. And I am here to tell you that this easy four ingredient from scratch skinny spicy margarita is so easy and fresh, you'll never go back to mixes again.
Before I really got into making from scratch cocktails, I always avoided margaritas in abrs. Most often bar or restaurant margaritas are mix with mixes that are loaded with sugar and taste too sweet and nothing of a fresh and bright lime juice. They were always a hard pass for me.
But much like an old fashioned, once I learned how to craft a decent cocktail and developed this recipe for a skinny spicy margarita, I fell in love. Refreshing and not too sweet, you'll be in love too, and once you see how simple these are to make, you'll be hooked.
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How is a skinny margarita different?
What makes a margarita 'skinny' is the use of simple, fresh and natural ingredients. Making from scratch allows you to control the sweetness, and the quality of the ingredients. There is much less calories in my recipe than you will find in a premade mixes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Simplicity. There is something about less is more when it comes to making a cocktail recipe. And this skinny spicy margarita has only four drink ingredients, plus a jalapeno for a little kick.
- It is fresh. I used fresh squeezed juices to make this recipe.
- No sugar or corn syrup. Traditionally margarita recipes call for agave, but I use honey. Most people are more likely to have honey on hand, and I think honey is such a compliment to the heat from the jalapeno.
- The tajin rim adds great color and flavor.
Ingredients
Minimal ingredients really let all the fresh flavors shine in this skinny spicy margarita recipe. Here's what you need
- Lime juice. Really try to use fresh squeezed.
- Orange juice. Using orange juice instead of triple sec really brightens the flavor in this margarita recipe, and it also cuts a lot of calories.
- Tequila. I use Casamigos, but any blanco will do.
- Honey. You can alternatively use agave nectar, but honey is easy and I like it better with the spice.
- Jalapeno. Remove the seeds, slice and add one slice when mixing to give the entire drink an overall subtle spice.
- Tajin. I love this instead of salt on a rim. It is salty, citrusy and has a bit of chili powder mixed in.
Instructions
Making a margarita really could be easier. Everything except the tajin goes into the shaker, and fully mixed.
Place the tajin (or salt if you prefer) on a plate. Take a slice of lime and rub it around the rim of the glass and then place dip the glass in the tajin, which will stick to the lime juice.
Add ice to your glasses and pour in the margarita, jalapeno slice and all.
Ingredient swaps and variation
When you're making a cocktail fresh and from scratch it is easy to vary the drink. Here's some ideas:
- Add other fresh fruit or fruit purees. A tablespoon or so of my strawberry coulis is a great addition to this skinny spicy margarita recipe to give a light strawberry flavor.
- Choose a different sweetener. If you have or prefer, def use agave nectar, it is interchangeable in the exact same amount as the honey.
- Make it extra refreshing with watermelon puree. Watermelon is amazing and so unbelievably refreshing in a margarita, you will love it.
Tips for success
A few things to give you the best skinny spicy margarita
- Really try to use fresh juices. But , if you are in a bind and can't find great oranges or don't have enough limes, you can totally use frozen juices or bottled juices, just make sure whatever you use is thawed and properly mixed together.
- Use a decent tequila. This is a fresh margarita and the flavor of the tequila will come through because it won't be masked with overly sweet drink mixes.
- You can make these frozen by blending with ice, but I think they are best served on the rocks, ice cold with a gorgeous taco.
Other refreshing cocktails to try
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon tequila blanco
- 6 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 slices fresh jalapeno seeds removed
- Tajin and a lime wedge to salt the rim
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the tajin and lime wedge and shake to combine.
- Place the tajin (or salt if you prefer) on a plate. Take a slice of lime and rub it around the rim of the glass and then place dip the glass in the tajin, which will stick to the lime juice.
- Fill each glass with ice and pour the margarita evenly, over the ice, including one jalapeno slice in each glass.
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