Frozen Margarita

Frozen margaritas are the best kind of margarita! Grab your favorite tequila and your blender to whip up some restaurant-style icy margs at home.

About this Frozen Margarita recipe

My Friday night ritual includes dinner at different taco joints. My husband and I like to mix it up and visit different spots, but one thing that is always the same? Chips & queso and (at least) one round of margaritas.

Our favorite spot by far has amazing street tacos and they always have the best frozen margaritas (and frosé) at the ready, spinning in a big slushy machine behind the bar.

I crave those margaritas, but sometimes I just can’t wait until we can get back there. That’s how I’ve perfected making frozen margaritas at home!

This frozen margarita is a refreshing, icy version of your traditional margarita, a classic cocktail everyone should know how to make. Made with tequila, triple sec, lime juice and a sweet syrup like agave nectar ^*, these margaritas come together easily in the blender with ice.

More tequila cocktail recipes: Mezcal Mule • Bloody Maria • Tequila Mockingbird • Tequila Sunrise

Tools & equipment

To make these frozen margaritas, you’ll want to haul out the blender. The higher-powered blenders are great for churning through ice, but if you’re patient, most blenders should be able to create slushy margaritas with ease.

You’ll also want to get out a jigger ^* or measuring cups for pouring the ingredients, and a juicer for getting every last drop of fresh lime juice. (If you prefer, I’ve got more info on using bottled margarita mix ^* below). And if you’re planning to add a garnish, a knife for limes and a shallow dish or plate for that sugar or salt rim.

frozen margarita essentials

bottled margarita mix

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acacia salt rimmer

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blender spatula

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Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make these delicious frozen margaritas in your own kitchen. Here are the simple ingredients to pick up at the grocery store:

• tequila: I like to use blanco tequila (AKA silver tequila) for my frozen margs. Clear and colorless, it works really well in any margarita recipe.
• orange liqueur: A clear orange liqueur such as triple sec or Cointreau adds a deeper citrus flavor and a little sweetness. (If you skip this, replace it with more tequila.)
• fresh lime juice: Juice from fresh limes will give your margaritas the best zesty lime flavor. The bottled concentrate can be helpful, but keep in mind it tastes sourer than fresh juice.
• agave nectar ^*: This sweet syrup is made from the agave plant. It pairs beautifully with tequila, which is made from the same plant.
• ice: You will need a good bit of ice for this recipe (about 4 cups for that classic frozen margarita consistency, you get at restaurants) so be sure to grab a bag at the store if you’re planning to make a lot.

Big batch tip: When I need to make a large batch of frozen margaritas, I will either buy a bottle of organic lime juice or juice a bunch of whole limes with my electric juicer.

Garnish & rim ideas

Margaritas almost always come with a lime slice or lime wedge for added flavor plus a sweet or salty rim. The rim might be the best part of the margarita. You can have so much fun here!

1. Salt rims: Salt is traditional because it balances the tartness of the lime and bite of tequila. Sea salt or kosher salt are my favorites for a salt rim. I don’t recommend using regular table salt. Try to use coarse salt, but a flaky salt will be too coarse.
2. Sugar rims: You can use pure sugar on the rim, or a flavored sugar like lime sugar or strawberry sugar.
3. Spicy rims: In these photos, I used chili-lime seasoning which adds a little spiciness. I love it for its pretty color and delicious flavor!
4. Flavored salt rims: Flavored salts can be a fun way to dress up your margaritas. I also love making my salts with citrus zest, like this orange salt or lime salt.

For the lime garnish, cut it horizontally into slices, or from stem to end into wedges. You could also take it up a notch with a dehydrated lime slice.

margarita garnishes

citrus margarita salt

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Tajín

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dehydrated lime slices

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Best tequila for margaritas

Margaritas call for tequila, which is a transparent spirit made from the Blue Weber Agave plant in Mexico. You can use tequila for more than just margaritas, too. Try it in the Paloma or a Mexican mule. There are a few main types of tequila:

• Silver tequila for my frozen margs. Clear and colorless, it works really well in any margarita recipe.
• Gold tequila has added caramel color to make it seem aged, so I don’t usually recommend it, but it will taste just fine if you use it.
• Reposado tequila, meaning rested, has been aged in oak barrels between two months and one year and acquires a natural caramel coloring from the wood. Its flavor is more complex, and you can either mix with it or sip it straight. It’s more expensive than gold or silver tequila but is still affordable.
• Infused tequila, like this spicy jalapeño tequila, is an easy way to experiment with flavor.
• Mezcal is one more choice you can try. It has a smokier flavor than tequila — technically, tequila is a type of mezcal that tastes cleaner than other types of mezcal.

If you have one, mix your favorite tequila into these frozen margs. My favorite budget tequila brands right now are Sauza, Espolon, El Jimador and Lunazul, but there are tons more out there. For top-shelf margaritas, try Don Julio, Patron or Milagro.

Substitutions & variations

Here are some simple ways to tweak this recipe to fit your needs:

1. Margarita mix: You may use store-bought or homemade margarita mix (which is similar to sour mix, so that works too). Since it is already sweetened, skip the simple syrup if you make this swap. The amount of mix you add should equal the amount of lime juice plus the amount of syrup mentioned in the recipe.
2. Sweetener swaps: You have two main options for your homemade frozen margaritas. One is simple syrup, which is clear and very easy to make at home with sugar and water. The other is agave nectar, which adds a little color to the margarita as well, but not much, especially when blended with lime juice and ice. A homemade honey syrup would also be nice.
3. Top shelf frozen margs: Use a higher-end tequila like Don Julio, Patron or Milagro. Triple sec and curaçao are low-cost versions of orange liqueur, but for a more top-shelf choice, go for either Grand Marnier or Cointreau.

Flavored margaritas

• Other flavors: Dress your margs up with more flavors like jalapeño simple syrup or strawberry syrup. You can also mix in fresh or frozen fruit, like these strawberry margaritas.
• Blue margaritas: Or swap the orange liqueur for blue curaçao, which is orange-flavored, to make these into frozen blue margaritas.
• Frozen beeritas: Top your frozen marg with a Mexican lager like Tecaté or Corona to make it a frozen beerita.
• Skinny margarita: Use a splash of orange juice instead of orange liqueur, and use less sugar syrup to make this low-calorie.

favorite juicers

citrus press juicer

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glass citrus juicer

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electric juicer

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How to make frozen margaritas

Here’s how to make these easy blender margaritas:

1. In a high-speed blender, combine the tequila, lime juice, triple sec, simple syrup and ice. Blend until smooth.
2. If desired, rub a wedge around the outer rim of four glasses and roll in salt or sugar.
3. Pour in margarita mixture. Garnish each with a lime slice or a lime wedge.

Non-alcoholic frozen margaritas

If you wish for that tequila flavor without the alcohol content, use a zero-proof spirit with the vibes of tequila to make frozen virgin margaritas. Instead of orange liqueur, use orange juice or a zero-proof orange liqueur like Lyre’s Orange Sec ^*.

zero-proof tequilas

Spiritless Jalisco 55

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Seedlip Notas De Agave

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Ritual tequila alternative

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Food pairings

Margaritas hail from Mexico, so they go beautifully with all kinds of Mexican food.

Start off with some chips and salsa, with a bowl of green chile queso and guacamole to go with it. Homemade tortilla chips take it over the top.

For the main dish, serve them with your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex foods like pork tacos, enchiladas and elote.

FAQ

More frozen cocktail recipes

Try one of these frozen drink recipes to cool down on a hot summer day.

• For a tropical treat, try boozy Dole Whip made with rum and frozen pineapple.
• Frozen mango daiquiris are another tropical drink to try this summer.
• Who said rum and tequila could have all the frozen fun? These cherry bourbon slushies are made with Kentucky’s finest and cherry soda.
• The frozen grasshopper drink is a mint-green, mint-chocolate beauty to enjoy after dinner.
• Frozen gin & tonics are a delicious twist on the classic gin cocktail.