Marvelous Margarita
Our Marvelous Margarita is so smooth and deliciously refreshing. It’s perfectly balanced, so it’s not too sweet, not too tangy, and just right! Made with only the best ingredients, this on-the-rocks cocktail recipe is sure to please. Finished with a chili salt rim, this delightful margarita might easily become your go-to recipe for margs!
This single serving cocktail recipe can easily be made for a crowd, so keep it on file for Game Day, Cinco de Mayo, or your next social gathering. To find out the history of margaritas and why they became so popular over the years, visit our Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/22/22
MARVELOUS MARGARITA
Ingredients
Instructions
- Spread out 1 teaspoon Tajin Clasico Chile Lime Seasoning on a small plate, and set aside. Onto another small plate, pour about 1 teaspoon of honey (or agave nectar), and swirl around to cover most of the plate (see Note #1). Then dip the rim of a 10 ounce rocks glass first into the honey, then into the Tajin, and set aside.
- Halve 2 limes, then cut one slice from the center of the lime for your garnish, and cut a notch in the slice, and set aside. Juice the remaining lime halves to yield 1 ounce of lime juice.
- To a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup of ice cubes, lime juice, Cointreau, Tequila (Reposado or Blanco), and 1 teaspoon of agave nectar (or to taste). Cover, and shake vigorously. Fill the prepared cocktail glass with fresh ice cubes, place the slice of lime on the rim of the glass, strain the margarita into the glass, and serve!
Notes:
- Instead of using a plate for the honey, you can dip the tip of your finger in a little honey, and wet the rim with your finger. Although you will not use a full teaspoon of honey for a single serving, this technique is helpful when serving multiple cocktails when entertaining. Just prep the rim of the glasses in advance so they are ready when your guests arrive.
- Reposado vs. Blanco Tequila: We prefer Reposado Tequila for our margarita recipes, but we have also made it with Blanco Tequila and it’s delicious both ways! It’s really a personal preference whether you like a more aged tequila with reposado, or a cleaner taste with blanco.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Although this is a single serving recipe, it’s easy to make ahead of time when you are entertaining a crowd. Prep the garnishes in advance by dipping rims of all the glasses into honey (or agave), then into the Tajin, and set aside. Pre-slice all the lime wheels, place them in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate until ready to use. To prepare the margarita mixture in advance, just add the lime juice, Cointreau liqueur, Tequila, and agave nectar to a pitcher, and stir to combine. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve. As guests arrive, fill prepared cocktail glasses with fresh ice cubes, and garnish with lime wheels. Then remove pitcher from the fridge, stir mixture, pour up to two servings at a time into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glasses, and serve!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
275.60Fat (grams)
0.20Sat. Fat (grams)
0.02Carbs (grams)
22.29Fiber (grams)
2.26Net carbs
19.98Sugar (grams)
13.53Protein (grams)
0.71Sodium (milligrams)
203.92Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: For the vegan version of this recipe, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips.
STEP 1
Spread out 1 teaspoon Tajin Clasico Chile Lime Seasoning on a small plate, and set aside. Onto another small plate, pour about 1 teaspoon of honey (or agave nectar), and swirl around to cover most of the plate (see Note below). Then dip the rim of a 10 ounce rocks glass first into the honey, then into the Tajin, and set aside.
Note: Instead of using a plate for the honey, you can dip the tip of your finger in a little honey, and wet the rim with your finger. Although you will not use a full teaspoon of honey for a single serving, this technique is helpful when serving multiple cocktails when entertaining. Just prep the rim of the glasses in advance so they are ready when your guests arrive.
STEP 2
Halve 2 limes, then cut one slice from the center of the lime for your garnish, and cut a notch in the slice, and set aside. Juice the remaining lime halves to yield 1 ounce of lime juice.
STEP 3a
To a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup of ice cubes, 1 ounce of fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 ounce Cointreau liqueur (we used this jigger), 2 ounces Tequila (Reposado or Blanco), and 1 teaspoon of agave nectar (or to taste). Cover, and shake vigorously.
Reposado vs. Blanco Tequila: We prefer Reposado Tequila for our margarita recipes, but we have also made it with Blanco Tequila and it’s delicious both ways! It’s really a personal preference whether you like a more aged tequila with reposado, or a cleaner taste with blanco.
STEP 3b
Fill the prepared cocktail glass with fresh ice cubes, place the slice of lime on the rim of the glass, strain the margarita into the glass, and serve!
SERVING
Although this is a single serving recipe, it’s easy to make ahead of time when you are entertaining a crowd.
Make Ahead Instructions: Prep the garnishes in advance by dipping rims of all the glasses into honey (or agave), then into the Tajin, and set aside. Pre-slice all the lime wheels, place them in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate until ready to use. To prepare the margarita mixture in advance, just add the lime juice, Cointreau liqueur, Tequila, and agave nectar to a pitcher, and stir to combine. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve. As guests arrive, fill prepared cocktail glasses with fresh ice cubes, and garnish with lime wheels. Then remove pitcher from the fridge, stir mixture, pour up to two servings at a time into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glasses, and serve!
VIDEO
How to Make this Delicious and Marvelous Margarita!
Blog Comments & Tips
Sure to be Your Go-To Margarita Recipe!
Whether you are making cocktails for game day, Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year, our Marvelous Margarita is simple and delicious. It’s sure to become your go-to margarita recipe! It is such a yummy cocktail, and is so smooth to drink. It’s perfectly balanced and easy to put together, making it a great cocktail to serve to guests when you are entertaining.
There seems to be significant debate about when and who invented this globally recognized cocktail. It is said that the margarita was invented somewhere between 1936 and 1942, and by various bartenders and hotel owners throughout Mexico. The stories vary greatly about who inspired this sweet and sour libation. One story claims this cocktail was inspired by the actress Rita Hayworth (aka: Margarita Casino). Another alleges that a restaurant owner created the margarita in honor of a Ziegfeld showgirl who would only drink tequila! And, the list goes on… Whomever invented this deliciously tangy, tart, and sweet cocktail, should be given a medal of honor! I’m sure you will agree that we are truly grateful to them for their contribution to cocktail history!
You are probably wondering how we came up with this version of a margarita recipe. After many months of pandemic isolation, my husband and I attended our first family gathering at my cousin’s home. We were welcomed with lots of smiles and hugs, and my younger cousin Evan and his fiancé McKenzie, offered us their signature cocktail - a margarita. After just one sip, we were smitten with this delightful cocktail! It had a chili salt rim, and the margarita was not too sweet or too tart.
To qualify my review of this margarita, I need to make it clear that I am a cocktail purest. I tend to like simple margaritas (the skinny version) with just some fresh squeezed lime juice and reposado tequila (and depending on my mood, maybe a touch of agave). However, I found Ev and Kenz’ recipe to be absolutely perfect! So, I begged them for the recipe and they generously gave it to us over the Christmas holiday.
We didn’t do much to change their recipe, as it was pretty much perfect as it was! The only change we made was the type of tequila. In their original recipe, they used Blanco Tequila. Since I prefer a more aged tequila, we used Reposado Tequila instead, which gave it a slightly smokier finish. The blanco version was delicious, but if you like a deeper and smokier tequila flavor, then go for the reposado.
Now you have the recipe, how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 3 tips to making a Marvelous Margarita:
Use high quality tequila, and fresh squeezed lime juice.
Don’t skip the chile salt rim, as it’s the perfect complement to this tangy cocktail.
Shake vigorously and enjoy!
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Less Sweet: Reduce the amount of agave syrup in the cocktail to taste (about ½ teaspoon agave should be the right amount for a tart and tangy margarita).
Make it Sweeter: Increase the amount of agave syrup to 1 ½ teaspoons (or more to taste).
Make it Spicy: Add a few slices of jalapeños to the shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into prepared glass.
Make it Less Spicy: This is not a spicy cocktail, but the rim does have a touch of chili. Replace chili salt rim (i.e., Tajin) with plain margarita salt.
Make it Vegan: Replace the honey on the rim with agave nectar. Both will work well to adhere the Tajin to the rim of the glass.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to use fresh squeezed lime juice and high quality alcohol for the best results.
A huge thank you to Micheline’s cousins Evan and McKenzie for sharing their recipe for this delicious margarita!
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