Spicy Jalapeno Margarita is an easy homemade recipe to enjoy the best sweet and spicy cocktail around. Choose your favorite version – skinny, muddled with fruit, traditional, or a shortcut hack to make a spicy margarita in a jiffy!
Ingredients
A smooth-tasting margarita is dependent on the perfect proportions of the same basic flavors. This jalapeno version melds all these components in perfect unison for a great tasting cocktail.
- Tequila – There’s a variety to choose from, such as silver, gold, aged, agave, and dozens of brands within each category. So how do you choose? Consider your price point. Extremely expensive tequila is best for sipping straight, and its quality would be masked in a margarita. Therefore, I go for the middle ground, something smooth and affordable, such as Patron or Hornitos.
- Orange Liqueur – These include triple sec, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier. Which orange liqueur to use also depends on how much you are willing to spend. For a spicy jalapeno margarita, I stick with triple sec or Cointreau.
- Fresh Lime Juice – This is where the quality and taste of a homemade margarita shines through. Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
- Sweetener – For a traditional version use sour mix, a skinny margarita uses freshly squeezed orange juice and a low carb sweetener, for the shortcut version use Limeade.
- Jalapenos – Bring out the spice with freshly sliced jalapenos, which are either shaken in a cocktail shaker or muddled at the bottom of a margarita glass.
How To Make A Jalapeno Margarita
- Fill cocktail shaker with ice, tequila, lime juice, triple sec, sour mix, and 2-3 slices of fresh jalapenos.
- Secure on the lid and shake vigorously. This releases the essence of the jalapenos and flavors the drink. (If you don’t own cocktail shaker can also muddle jalapeno at bottom of glass.)
- Strain into a glass filled with ice and a salted rim, if desired.
Making a Skinny Spicy Margarita
A traditional margarita uses sour mix to sweeten and add flavor. A skinny jalapeno margarita relies on lighter ingredients, while maintaining taste and flavor.
For a lighter version, I adapted my favorite skinny margarita recipe, using the same amount of freshly squeezed orange juice in place of the sour mix.
To add sweetness, add a touch of simple syrup or a low carb sweetener to keep calories at a minimum.
Are Jalapeno Margaritas Spicy?
Even if you aren’t a fan of spicy food, I believe this cocktail can still be appealing and go down easy!
Spicy margaritas aren’t overwhelmingly so and add a great balance of flavor to the sweetness. If spicy is your thing, though, you can elevate the spiciness by adding more jalapenos or rimming the glass with a combination of salt and cayenne pepper.
Adding Complementary Flavors
Give your jalapeno margaritas an extra boost of flavor with a variety of fresh fruits, herbs, and mix-ins to make it the best!
Choose one, or a combination, to muddle with the jalapenos at the bottom of the margarita glass. The fruit may be fresh or frozen.
- Cucumber
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Mango
- Watermelon
- Fresh herbs – Cilantro, mint, basil, lemon verbena
Can I Make a Frozen Jalapeno Margarita?
Yes, it is possible to make a frozen version, but there is a word of caution.
Instead of shaking jalapeno slices with the ingredients to release its juices, it will be blended, which can really amp up the spiciness.
To tame the flavor, halve the jalapeno and remove the seeds, which is the source of a lot of its heat. Also add less jalapeno than you would if you were just shaking or muddling it into the drink.
Spicy Margarita Pitcher
It is also possible to make a pitcher of jalapeno margaritas. To do this you’ll want to scale the recipe to make 6 cups, or 48 ounces. This will yield about 6-12 drinks, depending on the size of the glass.
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 2 cups tequila
- 2/3 cup lime juice (about 5-7 limes)
- 2/3 cup triple sec
- 2 cups sour mix
First muddle the jalapeno at the bottom of a pitcher. Add the other ingredients, mix well, and add ice. Serve with glasses of ice, rimmed with salt, and additional lime wedges.
More Tips For Making the Best Spicy Jalapeno Margarita
- For an extremely quick and easy jalapeno margarita use Limeade Margarita recipe, muddling jalapenos at the bottom of the glass.
- Make a Skinny Spicy Margarita by replacing sour mix with freshly squeezed orange juice and sweetening with a low carb sweetener.
- Rim the glass with coarse salt mixed with one of these spices to salt to amp up flavor – Tajin, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
- Make flavored versions by muddling pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, mango, cucumber, or fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, or lemon verbena, with the jalapenos.
- Using a cocktail shaker releases the essence of jalapenos into the drink. Another option is to muddle them at the bottom of the margarita glass.
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Spicy Jalapeno Margarita
Ingredients
- 2-3 slices fresh jalapeno
- 1 ½ ounces tequila
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1 ½ ounce sour mix, (see recipe notes for other options)
- coarse salt, for glass rims
Instructions
- If you like a salt-rimmed glass, use a lime slice to wipe around the top of the glass and then turn over onto a plate filled with course salt. Fill glass with ice.
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and add a few cubes of ice. (If you don't have a cocktail shaker, muddle the jalapenos at the bottom of the glass and stir in other ingredients.)
- Shake cocktail shaker vigorously and strain into prepared glass. Garnish glass with lime slice.
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Equipment Needed
Recipe Notes
Frozen Jalapeno Margaritas
It is possible to make a frozen version, but there is a word of caution. Instead of shaking the jalapeno to release the juices, it will be blended, which can really amp up the spiciness. To tame the flavor, halve the jalapeno and remove the seeds, which is the source of a lot of its heat. Also, add less jalapeno than you would if you were just shaking or muddling it into the drink.Spicy Margarita Pitcher
This will yield about 6-12 drinks, depending on the size of the glass.- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 2 cups tequila
- 2/3 cup lime juice (about 5-7 limes)
- 2/3 cup triple sec
- 2 cups sour mix
More Tips for Making the Best Margarita
- For an extremely quick and easy jalapeno margarita use Limeade Margarita recipe, muddling jalapenos at the bottom of the glass.
- Make a Skinny Spicy Margarita by replacing sour mix with freshly squeezed orange juice and sweetening with a low carb sweetener.
- Rim the glass with coarse salt mixed with one of these spices to salt to amp up flavor - Tajin, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
- Make flavored versions by muddling pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, mango, cucumber, or fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, or lemon verbena, with the jalapenos.
Nutrition
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