Perfect Passion Fruit Margarita

Treat yourself to a taste of the tropics with this absolutely perfect passion fruit margarita! With just the right balance of sweet and tart notes, this passion fruit cocktail is one drink you’ll want to sip on all summer long. Plus, this party favorite takes only a matter of minutes to whip up, and you can easily batch it to make a pitcher of margaritas.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• How to Make a Pitcher of Margaritas
• Recipe FAQs
• Variations and Substitutions
• Expert Tips
• Perfect Pairing
• Up Your Margarita Game With More Recipes
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Instantly whisks you away to Hawaii: Also known as lilikoi in Hawaii, passion fruit is a favorite of the island. One taste of this lilikoi margarita and you’ll think you’re on a relaxing Hawaiian vacation without ever leaving your backyard.

No mixes: We use only fresh ingredients here to make a superior margarita. A great cocktail should never rely on some sticky-sweet, fake margarita mix.

Simple for home bartenders of all skill levels: Whether you’re new to home bartending or an expert mixologist, this recipe will guide you in making the perfect margarita. The process couldn't be easier.

Pitcher-perfect recipe: Want to make a pitcher of passion fruit margaritas? No problem. This recipe is great for batching. Summer entertaining doesn’t get easier than this.

Related: For more passion fruit drinks, make sure you also try my passion fruit daiquiri, passion fruit martini and passion fruit mojito.

Ingredients

Tequila: The most common types of tequila for margaritas are blanco and reposado, also known as silver tequila and gold tequila, respectively. I much prefer reposado for my margaritas. Blanco tequila goes straight into stainless steel barrels while reposado tequila ages in oak barrels for two months to a year. The barrel-aging process makes for a smoother finish with more complexity. 

Passion fruit purée: You can use fresh or frozen passion fruit purée. Fresh passion fruits aren’t always available, and they’re a bit pricey. Frozen fruit goes into the freezer at peak ripeness, so you’re still getting good-quality passion fruit purée with this option.

You might also come across passion fruit juice. While it can work in a pinch, highly recommend opting for frozen or fresh passion fruit purée if possible for the best flavor. This alternative just isn't quite as brightly flavored as the real deal.

Orange liqueur: For a house margarita, triple sec works just fine. If you prefer a top-shelf margarita, however, use Cointreau or Grand Marnier.

Lime juice: Don’t skimp and use bottled juice. We want freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor. And, of course, don't forget a lime wedge for serving.

Simple syrup: With the tart lime juice and passion fruit, this adds just the right touch of softness. You can substitute it with agave nectar if you prefer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Salted Rim

Step 1: Before we make our very best margarita, let’s prepare that fun salted rim. For this step, we dip the glass onto a small plate with water or run a lime slice along the rim to moisten, and then we swirl the glass in coarse sea salt or kosher salt (photo 1). We set aside the glass for now.

Tip: If you'd like to add extra flavor to your salt rim, mix in a little chili powder for a kick or freshly grated orange and lime peel for a zesty touch. You can even combine salt with sugar for a little sweetness.

Mix the Drink

Step 2: Now we grab our cocktail shaker and add the tequila, passion fruit purée, fresh lime juice, orange liqueur, sugar syrup and a handful of ice (photo 2). 

Step 3: From here, we put the cap on the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about 15-30 seconds (photo 3).

Step 4: After shaking, we remove the cap and strain the margarita into our salt-rimmed, ice-filled margarita glass (photo 4).

Add the Garnish

Step 5: For our finishing touch, we add a lime wheel to the rim of the glass (photo 5). A passion fruit slice floating in the center of the glass also makes for a nice presentation. Who doesn’t love a pretty garnish? 

In a few easy steps, we now have the perfect passion fruit margarita ready for sipping. Grab some chips and mango salsa, find a spot on the patio and enjoy the evening.

How to Make a Pitcher of Margaritas

Want to make multiple margaritas in one swoop? Here’s how to prepare a pitcher.

• Stir together the tequila, passion fruit purée, orange liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup in a large pitcher.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You don’t want to go longer than that because the lime juice will start to lose its brightness. 
• When it's party time, stir the drink again and shake the margaritas as originally directed (plan for about ¾ cup per serving). I recommend this method so that you still get the proper dilution and aeration for a better texture.
• If you prefer for guests to serve themselves, add a couple handfuls of ice, stir for about 15-30 seconds and use a slotted spoon to remove the remaining ice. This accounts for the dilution you get with shaking, but you won't get the aeration.

You can find the exact proportions for the pitcher in the notes section of the recipe card. 

Recipe FAQs

Variations and Substitutions

If you’d like to put your own stamp on this recipe, these are some fun ideas to try. Please let me know if you add your own spin. I always love hearing new ways to make a unique margarita.

• Instead of simple syrup or agave nectar, use a flavored sweetener, such as passion fruit syrup for even more tropical flavor or this ginger syrup for a touch of warm spice. Cream of coconut would also be fun.
• Give it some heat by first muddling jalapeño slices with the syrup and then build the drink as directed.
• Or give it a sweeter touch and muddle some fresh fruit, like strawberries or peaches.
• Substitute orange liqueur for passion fruit liqueur — I'm especially partial to Chinola.
• Turn it into a frozen passion fruit margarita. I like to blend ½ cup crushed ice per drink — crushed ice blends much more easily than whole ice cubes. Make sure you use frozen, unthawed passion fruit purée here too.

Expert Tips

Get juicy limes: You don’t want rock-hard, dried-out limes. Instead, look for limes that have a bit of give when you press your fingers into the peel.

Make your own seedless passion fruit purée: To do this, blend the fresh pulp with a splash of water and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the passion fruit seeds. Alternatively, you can add the fresh passion fruit pulp right to the cocktail shaker, and then you can double strain those crunchy seeds with a fine-mesh cocktail sieve.

Use a citrus juicer: This helps maximize your juice output.

Shake hard: For the proper shaking technique, use two hands to get enough force behind the shake. Think of it as a quick arm workout before indulging.

Quality matters: Use the best tequila that fits your budget. By no means should you get the most expensive tequila, but let’s avoid anything that comes in a plastic bottle, like the stuff I used to drink in college. These days, I’m partial to Corralejo, but here’s a list of the best tequilas for margaritas if you need some ideas for your shopping list.

Perfect Pairing

Obviously, this margarita calls for some beachy Mexican food. As a starter, you’ll love this tropical pico de gallo, and then follow that with some lobster tacos, salmon tacos or both — hey, you can never have too many tacos. You can serve some coconut-lime rice on the side and then finish with this orange-spice tres leches cake.

Or maybe you'd like to play up the passion fruit flavor. In that case, try my passion fruit curd or swirled passion fruit cheesecake.

For those times you’re ready to kick back with the ultimate tropical cocktail, you’ll come back to this passion fruit margarita recipe over and over again. It’s sure to be your favorite cocktail for summer.

Cheers!

Up Your Margarita Game With More Recipes

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