Jalapeño Margarita
Perfectly refreshing with just the right amount of spice, this Jalapeño Margarita is made with just 5 simple ingredients for an incredibly tasty cocktail. An easy drink that comes together in less than 10 minutes and is great for date night in or serving guests at your next gathering. Options to make one drink or a pitcher to share!
Whether it’s taco Tuesday or a Cinco de Mayo party, this Jalapeño Margarita will be your go-to cocktail recipe! It’s loved by all! With fresh ingredients, like orange juice, lime juice and fresh jalapeños, your favorite tequila and a sweetener, this drink is both savory and sweet and packs the perfect spicy punch. It’s also lower in calories than most cocktails and can easily be made without the jalapeños for those sensitive to spice. Let’s shake one up!
This margarita was spot on — just what I needed! Spicy, yet tart, and just enough sweetness.
— Ashley
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- So tasty. This spicy margarita recipe is tart, slightly sweet, and has the perfect kick of heat.
- Easy to make. You only need 5 key ingredients and about 5 minutes to whip this up! Make one drink or whole pitcher!
- Great for any occasion. This cocktail is our go-to alcoholic beverage for happy hour, Cinco de Mayo, taco night or summer entertaining. Pass the chips and salsa!
Ingredients needed
This refreshing jalapeño margarita recipe is the perfect balance of spicy, tart and a little sweet using simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Tequila. The higher quality the tequila the better tasting your margs will be. Silver tequila or blanco tequila is our go-to for this margarita recipe. Reposado tequila can work in a pinch. We really like this brand, but feel free to use your favorite!
- Freshly squeezed orange juice. We recommend freshly squeezing your orange instead of buying orange juice. It’s so much more fresh and flavorful! Feel free to sub the orange juice with triple sec or Grand Marnier.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice. Just like with the orange juice, freshly squeezed lime juice is a must!
- Jalapeños. Use as much or as little jalapeño as you like. Of course, the more you use, the spicier your drink will be. To add a touch more spice to your beverage, add about 1 teaspoon of the jalapeño juice from jarred jalapeños.
- Sweetener. We like using honey to sweeten margaritas for the flavor, but agave or simple syrup work great too. To lower the calories, simply use a packet or two of stevia.
- Ice. Margaritas are best ice cold!
Tools needed
How to make this recipe
Making margaritas at home is easier than you might think. Just a few simple steps and you’ll be sipping on an incredible cocktail! Here’s the simple process:
- Rim your glass. Rub the rim of your glass with lime and then dip it in a plate filled with coarse sea salt. Fill your glasses with ice, unless you’re prepping glasses ahead of time.
- Fill the cocktail shaker. Add ice, tequila, fresh orange juice (or triple sec), and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Add several jalapeño slices. Do more or less depending on how spicy you want your drink. You may also want to remove the seeds, if you’re sensitive to the extra heat.
- Shake it up! Shake for about 30 seconds and until the outside of the shaker gets super cold. You’re looking for it to be so cold, that it’s almost hard to hold.
- Serve & enjoy. Strain into a glass and garnish with a few extra fresh jalapeño slices and a lime wedge. Bottoms up!
Expert tips
- Using freshly squeezed citrus is a MUST! Please don’t buy bottled lime juice for these margs… it’s just not the same as squeezing your own.
- High quality tequila is essential! Using high quality tequila tastes better and it’s less likely to give you a tequila headache.
- Cocktail shaker. We highly recommend using a cocktail shaker to make this drink extra cold, but if you don’t have one, you can stir the ingredients together in the glass.
- Less alcohol. To make a lighter drink, fill the glass halfway with the margarita mixture. Then, top it off with a pour of sparkling water, Fresca or Sprite.
- Taste and adjust. If when you taste the drink, you want it sweeter, add a bit more sweetener or orange juice. For more tartness, squeeze in extra lime. If you want it spicier, add extra jalapeño slices and let it sit for a few more minutes.
Variations
Because this recipe is made with just a few ingredients, it’s easy to customize based on your taste preferences. Here are some ways to make it your own:
- Salting the rim. These margs are great salted with a mixture of sea salt and Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning or Tajín Clásico Seasoning. You can even make your own fancy rim mixture! Try a mix of sea salt, paprika and sugar with a dash of cayenne pepper. Yum!
- Make a pitcher! If you’re serving more than two people, try making an extra large batch and stir it up in a pitcher. Simply double, triple or quadruple this recipe.
- Omit the jalapeños. If you’re serving someone that’s sensitive to spice, simply leave the jalapeños out of their cocktail.
- Add an egg white. Adding an egg white with the other ingredients in the cocktail shaker gives this margarita a lovely smooth texture and foamy top. (the pictures seen here do not have the addition of the egg white)
- Frozen margarita. If you prefer a blended spicy margarita, add your ingredients to a high-powered blender with ice and blend for a minute. Then serve following the same steps as the on the rocks version.
Frequently asked questions
Most commonly spicy margaritas are made with a combination of tequila, fresh lime juice, orange juice, some type of sweetener, slices of jalapeño and ice. In many recipes, you’ll also see an orange liqueur, like Cointreau, triple sec, or Grand Marnier used instead of the orange juice.
A skinny margarita, like this one, is a low-calorie version of the classic cocktail. Instead of using an orange liqueur like triple sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier, skinny margaritas use fresh orange juice and a small amount of agave nectar, honey or another sweetener
If your jalapeño margarita tastes stiffer than you’d like, it may help to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature. The melting ice will dilute the drink. If it’s still too strong, top your glass with sparkling water or add extra orange juice.
Serving suggestions
These are great served with any Mexican meal or just chips and salsa. Here are pairing options we love:
More drink recipes
- Vodka Cranberry Cocktail (my personal favorite!)
- Vodka Watermelon Cocktail
- Cherry Vodka Spritz
- Lemon Drop Martini
- Strawberry Margarita
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if you love these as much as I do, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Jalapeño Margarita
Ingredients
- Fresh limes and coarse sea salt for garnish on the rim of the glass (or a mix of coarse sea salt and Tajín Clásico Seasoning)
- 3 tablespoons silver tequila
- 3 tablespoons lime juice , freshly squeezed is best
- 2 tablespoons orange juice* , freshly squeezed is best
- 1.5 teaspoons honey, agave or simple syrup**, (more for a sweeter margarita)
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 egg white , (optional)
- Ice
Instructions
- Rub a lime around the edge of the glass and then dip into salt. Fill with ice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add tequila, lime juice, orange juice, honey and jalapeño slices. Shake until very cold about 30 seconds. If using an egg white, add it in after about 15 seconds of shaking and then shake for another 20 seconds.
- Strain into prepared glass and garnish with jalapeños and fresh limes.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I’m crazy for this margarita. This is the second time I’ve made it (drinking it now). Thank you for sharing this with us. It is delicious.
So GOOD! This is the BEST jalapeño margarita I’ve EVER had! Thank you!
this is the best margarita recipe I’ve tried! I love topping it off with some seltzer water!
This was just delicious!! The perfect amount of spice and sweet and tart!
This is my new favorite drink! So simple and so delish. Gave me a chance to use jalapeno from my garden.
Great recipe! Easy to follow and delicious!
Quick, easy, and tasty. Just what I like in a marg recipe!
I love a hint of heat in my margarita and this recipe is so refreshing and perfect for the upcoming summer. I will be making it on repeat!
I have made many many margaritas, and this is my favorite way to make a jalapeno margarita. Super easy recipe and it is delish.
These are so GOOD! I couldn’t only have one. The chilli just makes them so extra special.
I was a little skeptical of jalapenos in a drink. But I’m so glad I tried it because it’s amazing!
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed!
This margarita was spot on — just what I needed! Spicy, yet tart, and just enough sweetness.