Spicy Margarita
Spicy Margarita is my absolute favorite margarita recipe and as soon as you try it, you will understand why. The sweetness from fresh squeezed orange juice is mixed with a spicy bite of jalapeno and of course, tequila. It’s a simple jalapeno margarita but so tasty!
Table of Contents
Spicy margarita is one of the best variations of a classic margarita because it combines the sweetness of a fresh orange, tang of lime, and spice of a jalapeno. Choose your favorite tequila for this delicious cocktail and it will be the star. Remember, even in the mixed cocktail, a good choice of liquor makes quite a difference.
The key to this margarita is the simple combination of fresh squeezed orange juice, spicy jalapeno juice, tequila, and orange liqueur is absolutely perfect. I found the best way to incorporate the jalapeno juice smoothly into the cocktail.
When you muddle the jalapenos or press them through a garlic press, you get chunks of jalapeno in the cocktail. It’s less than pleasant to accidentally bite into the little jalapeno chunk while drinking. So the way I incorporate the jalapeno juice is to press it with the lime juice.
Ingredient Notes
Tequila – choose your favorite tequila, whether it’s silver or reposado. Just remember, your cocktail will be as good as ingredients you put in it!
Orange liqueur – my personal favorite is Cointreau. It has a great and bright orange taste and aroma without the excessive sweetness.
Orange juice – use FRESH orange juice from a sweet and aromatic Naval orange. It will truly give you a better result than bottled.
Lime juice – use FRESH lime juice instead of the bottled alternative, the flavor can’t be beat.
Jalapeno – jalapeno is the milder of the chili peppers. If you want spicier margarita, use an older jalapeno. Young jalapenos are less spicy and they have smooth, deep green skin. Older jalapenos get spicier as they age and they will have brown veins running along the skin. The more veins, the spicier the jalapeno.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make It
Cut jalapeno into thin rings and place the rings into the lemon juicer (I find that 3-4 jalapeno rings per cocktail is enough but you may like it spicier.)
Squeeze the lime juice through the jalapenos to incorporate the spicy jalapeno juice with the lime juice. Squeeze orange juice as well and add both juices into the cocktail shaker.
Add tequila, orange liqueur, and agave nectar to the shaker. Add some ice into the cocktail shaker. Shake the mixture vigorously for approximately 20 seconds.
Salt rim: Rub the rim of your glass with a lime wedge, then dip it into some salt to create your salt rim. Set aside.
Strain the margarita mixture into the prepared glasses. You can serve it over ice or straight up.
Recipe FAQs
Silver tequila is a very young tequila, it is not aged at all. This tequila is bottled right after the distillation process.
“Reposado” means “rested” in Spanish, which basically means that this type of tequila is rested/aged anywhere from two months to a year before it’s bottled. The golden color of this tequila comes from the barrels where it’s rested, and it also really takes in that flavor.
Yes! Typically, all margaritas are gluten free, as tequila is made with agave, therefor making it a gluten free liquor. All of the other ingredients listed here are also gluten free, so it’s a safe cocktail to drink if you’re on a strict no-gluten diet. As always, do check labels of the liquors you choose to be safe!
You can always serve some snacks like salsa, salsa verde, queso dip, or nacho cheese. All those make a great compliment to a spicy margarita.
For dinner, make some pork carnitas, enchiladas, carne asada tacos, or shrimp tostadas.
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Spicy Margarita Recipe
Equipment
- Lime press/juicer
- Jiggers
- Cocktail Shaker
Ingredients
- 4 oz silver tequila
- 1 oz orange liqueur Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- 3 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz fresh orange juice
- 3/4-1 oz agave nectar
- 1 jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Cut jalapeno into thin rings and place the rings into the lemon juicer (I find that 3-4 jalapeno rings per cocktail is enough but you may like it spicier.)
- Squeeze the lime juice through the jalapenos to incorporate the spicy jalapeno juice with the lime juice. Squeeze orange juice as well and add both juices into the cocktail shaker.
- Add tequila, orange liqueur, and agave nectar to the shaker. Add some ice into the cocktail shaker. Shake the mixture vigorously for approximately 20 seconds.
- Salt rim: Rub the rim of your glass with a lime wedge, then dip it into some salt to create your salt rim. Set aside.
- Strain the margarita mixture into the prepared glasses. You can serve it over ice or straight up.
Notes
- Remember, the best ingredients make the best margaritas. Try to get the best tequila and orange liqueur and squeeze fresh lime.
- Based on personal preference, you can serve margarita over ice or neat.
- Add more or spicier jalapenos to make your margarita more spicy.
Nutrition
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Absolutely my favorite margarita recipe!