A spicy margarita recipe with juicy lime, good tequila, just a hint of serrano chile, and finished with Tajin seasoning! In other words, a perfect spicy marg.
The Best Ever, Super Fresh & Juicy Spicy Margarita Recipe!
While there’s always a special place of honor for an OG margarita recipe, we cannot deny spicy margaritas’s allure! Cool and icy, with a solid tequila burn and a lime juice zing—plus a salty rim, because you’ve gotta—classic margaritas are a thing of beauty as-is. But add a hit of chile pepper heat and they come to life in a whole new way!
For lovers of chiles, hot sauce, and all things spicy, it simply doesn’t get any better than a spicy margarita. Pair your perfect spicy margarita with a big bowl of salty chips and creamy guacamole and you’ll be in full-blown cocktail hour heaven.
For a lighter refresher, try Ranch Water, for something sweeter, check out our Frozen Strawberry Margarita, or for a n/a Mexican quencher, check out how to make agua frescas!
Spicy Margarita Ingredients
The best margarita recipe in the world—and, TBH, ours is way up there—is only going to take you so far. What will ultimately decide the quality of the drink you imbibe will be the quality of the ingredients. Fresh lime juice is a must! No pre-squeezed nonsense, OK? And for this spicy margarita recipe.
Tequila. You should use a great tequila, honestly. But the good news, price-wise, is that you don’t want the pricy aged tequilas (reposado and añejo tequilas). For a margarita, Blanco tequila is the name of the game! Look for 100% agave tequila, and when in doubt, ask someone for guidance. Familiar brands like Espolòn or Hornitos are always a good bet.
Triple Sec. Triple sec can be really good—think Cointreau or Combier—or it can be kind of yucky. You just need to not buy the absolute bottom shelf, here, but you don’t have to break the bank.
Bitters. Not just any bitters, but the OG, the classic, the one and only Angostura bitters. Do not substitute those weird bitters that your mother-in-law gave you for your birthday last year. It’s gotta be Angostura, end of story.
Tajín. OK, this is our favorite little trick—not a must, exactly, but guaranteed to make your spicy margarita the BEST spicy margarita that your friends have ever sipped. What is Tajín?
It’s a glorious Mexican seasoning blend that includes chile powder, salt, and dehydrated lime—tangy, spicy, and a bit salty. In other words, it perfectly echoes and enhances this spicy margarita! Yes, you could just do a salt rim (or none at all), but where’s the fun in that?
How To Make a Spicy Margarita
Round up your very favorite people—all of them—and mix up a big batch of these spicy margaritas! And then do it again the next weekend. And then the next weekend and the next, and you know what?
Now that we mention it, why not call it a standing plan all summer? Standing in the sunshine, sipping this margarita with your best friends—what could be better than that? And best of all, these are easy to mix up!
Even if you’re new to DIY cocktails, a margarita is a great place to start because it’s such a simple cocktail. Just a few ingredients, and no fussy techniques—combine, shake, strain, sip! Here’s how:
- Muddle the chile pepper into the lime juice. Muddle is just fancy cocktail-making talk for ‘smash’. Smash that serrano until all that lovely heat swirls into the lime juice.
- Add the tequila, triple sec, cilantro, bitters, and ice, close the shaker, and shake like CRAZY until you can feel the shaker get frosty.
- Strain the spicy margarita over fresh ice in your Tajín-rimmed glass. Sip away!
Ingredients
- 1 serrano pepper, sliced
- 1½ ounces fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 2 ounces tequila blanco
- ½ ounce triple sec (we like Combier or Cointreau)
- 3 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Tajín seasoning, for serving
- Lime wedge, for serving
How to Make Spicy Margarita Recipe
- Rim It. Rim the glass and fill it with ice (you also can serve your margarita up. Warning: it will be STRONG).
- Shake It. Add the spicy margarita recipe ingredients and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into the glass. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Spicy Margarita Without Alcohol. While the alcohol is a major component of the margarita, you could try swapping the tequila for unflavored sparkling water or soda.
- Frozen Spicy Margarita. Craving a frozen jalapeño margarita instead? Instead of shaking the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, combine the mixture in a blender with a handful of ice. Blend until you reach your desired consistency. Enjoy!
- Jalapeño Margarita With Vodka. Not a fan of tequila? Try this spicy margarita recipe with vodka instead.
Storage Tips
- To Store. This spicy margarita recipe is best enjoyed right after it is made, but you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day.
Recipe!
Spicy Margarita Recipe
Equipment
- pan
- juicer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and a lime wedge to rim the glass
- Ice
- 2 ounces silver tequila about 3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 large or 1 1/2 small limes; do not use bottled lime juice as it will have a very off flavor
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice about 1/2 small/medium orange
- 1 ½ teaspoons light agave nectar add 2 if you prefer a sweeter margarita
- ¼ to ½ jalapeño pepper cut into thin round slices (use more for more spice)
- Lime wedges additional jalapeño slices for serving
Instructions
- Rim the glass: Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the top edge of your glass to moisten it, then dip the glass into the salt so that it sticks, tapping all the way around. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
- Fill a small cocktail shaker with additional ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, agave, and jalapeño slices.
- Tightly close and shake vigorously for 30 seconds (it’s longer than you think). Strain into the rimmed glass. Enjoy immediately, garnished with lime wedges and additional jalapeño slices.
Notes
Notes
- TO STORE: This drink is best enjoyed right after it is made, but you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 day.