When warm weather calls, you’ll love these 16 fruity margarita recipes for the perfect relaxing evening on the patio. Grab a bowl of chips and salsa and a plate of tacos and enjoy a fun margarita night. You’ll love each and every one of these delicious fruity cocktails.
Why You'll Love These Recipes
Have you ever ordered a delicious-sounding margarita at a restaurant and found the flavor seriously lacking? Perhaps it was sticky sweet without the bright pop you'd expect from a lime-based cocktail.
This is what happens when your margarita is prepared with a pre-made mix, and nothing is quite as disappointing as a bad margarita. Don't worry -- that's a problem from another time.
Each and every margarita in this list is prepared with freshly squeezed lime juice and real fruit. You will love every fruity, citrusy sip. Now let's get to drinking those fruity margaritas!
Best Tequila for Margaritas
When it comes to tequila, these are the three most common types: blanco tequila, reposado tequila and añejo tequila. Let's review the differences.
Blanco tequila: Also known as silver tequila, blanco tequila goes straight into stainless steel barrels. This makes for a sharp, clean-tasting tequila with an agave-forward flavor profile.
Reposado tequila: Reposado translates to "rested," which is exactly what this tequila is. Unlike blanco tequila, reposado tequila ages in oak barrels for two to 12 months. This makes for a smoother spirit and imparts some vanilla, spice and almost honey-like notes from the aging process.
Añejo tequila: Like reposado, añejo spends time in oak barrels but for even longer -- one to three years. That also infuses the spirit with those oaky qualities but with even more prominent barrel notes.
So which is the best tequila for margaritas? I much prefer reposado tequila. Blanco tequila is delicious in my lighter tequila lemonade while añejo is more of a sipping tequila. That said, añejo is also great in a tequila sour or tequila smash, where it takes more of a center-stage role
Reposado offers the perfect balance of showing off agave notes with a more nuanced, complex flavor and ultra smooth finish. Of course, you can use any of the three tequilas in these margarita recipes, but I've done many side-by-side taste tests over the years, and reposado always comes on top.
Expert Tips
Making a margarita is as simple as can be, but make sure you follow these tips to make the best drink.
Use fresh lime juice: Bottled juice is not nearly as flavorful and bright as freshly squeezed lime juice. Quality matters for the perfect margarita.
Pick the right limes: Choose limes that have a bit of give when you press them with your fingers. If they limes are hard, they're too dry.
Shake with two hands: Using two hands is the proper shaking technique. Shaking with one hand might look snazzy, but you get more force behind your shake with two hands.
Roll the limes: To get the most out of your limes, firmly roll the limes on the countertop under the palm of your hand before juicing. This gets the juices flowing. A handheld citrus juicer also helps.
Chill your glasses: For the most refreshing drink, place your margarita glass in the freezer 30 minutes before serving. Alternatively, you can fill the glass with cold water and ice as you mix. When you're ready to strain, stir the ice and water for 30 seconds and then dump that contents. You're left with a chilled glass.
Recipes
1. Coconut Margarita
2. Fresh Blackberry Margarita
3. Strawberry-Kiwi Margarita
4. Cherry Margarita
5. Blueberry Margarita
6. Jalapeño-Mango Margarita
7. Roasted Strawberry Margarita
8. Blood Orange Margarita
9. Raspberry Margarita
10. Plum-Thyme Margarita
11. Cara Cara Margarita
12. Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Margarita
13. Raspberry-Peach Margarita
14. Pineapple-Coconut Margarita
15. Sparkling Apple Cider Margarita
16. Passion Fruit Margarita
Perfect Pairing
Of course, margarita night is not complete without a good salsa, platter of tacos and other favorites. These recipes are always favorite crowd pleasers.
Appetizers
- Tex-Mex meatballs
- Mango-habanero salsa
- Jerk salsa
- Roasted tomato-chipotle salsa
- Tropical pico de gallo
- Jerk pork nachos
- Mediterranean cucumber pico de gallo
Dinner Ideas
- Chorizo tacos
- Beer-braised Mexican beef
- Lobster tacos
- Beef enchiladas with red sauce
- Jerk chicken enchiladas
- Lamb tacos
Desserts
When you need a refreshing, fruity margarita made with real ingredients, you'll love these recipes. They were made for patio nights.
Cheers!
Please let me know how you enjoyed these recipes in the comment section and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
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