Pineapple-Coconut Margarita (Pina Colada)

Let’s give tonight’s happy hour a beachy touch with this pineapple-coconut margarita! Sweet pineapple, cream of coconut, tequila and fresh lime juice come together to make a cocktail that’s full of tropical flavor. This pina colada margarita will be your go-to cocktail for pool parties and summer barbecues.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Expert Tips
• Perfect Pairing
• Get More Margarita Recipes
• Pineapple-Coconut Margarita (Pina Colada)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Vacation in a glass: One sip of this coconut-pineapple margarita and you’ll feel like you're relaxing at a beach resort. Everyone will appreciate the tropical escape.

Ideal for home bartenders of all skill levels: New to mixology? No problem here. This easy margarita recipe takes no advanced skills.

Makes for an ultra summery presentation: Add a toasted coconut rim with a couple fresh pineapple leaves, and you have a drink that will instantly deliver summer vibes and turn heads. Can you imagine a more fun drink to serve for guests?

Prepare it on the rocks or frozen: A margarita on the rocks is the traditional preparation method, but if you want to play up the pina colada nod, you'll find instructions for making a frozen version as well — your choice.

Pitcher perfect: If you’re mixing just a handful of cocktails, you can make this drink in a cocktail shaker, but you can also easily turn this into a pitcher recipe. That makes this tropical margarita great for serving a crowd, and entertaining is as simple as can be.

Bonus: For more beachy cocktails, you’ll also love my mango mojito, coconut margarita and Painkiller cocktail.

Ingredients

Tequila: While you can use your favorite variety, I much prefer reposado tequila over blanco tequila. Reposado tequila spends two to 12 months aging in oak barrels while blanco tequila goes straight into stainless steel barrels. This gives reposado a smoother finish with a more nuanced, complex flavor.

Cream of coconut: Please note that we use cream of coconut, not coconut cream or coconut milk. These are all three distinctly different products. A classic pina colada ingredient, cream of coconut cream is a thick syrup that delivers serious coconut flavor with the perfect sweetness. You can find cream of coconut in the drink mixers at the grocery store with Coco Lopez and Coco Reàl being the most popular brands.

Lime juice: Put away the bottled juice and reach for fresh limes instead. Bottled juice lacks the flavor and brightness of fresh-squeezed lime juice.

Orange liqueur: Want to make a top-shelf margarita? Use Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Otherwise, triple sec works.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s show you how simple it is to prepare this pineapple-coconut margarita recipe.

Step 1: To begin, we pour some agave nectar or honey on a small plate and spread some toasted coconut on another plate. First, we swirl the rim of the glass in the agave nectar or honey, and then we dip the sticky rim in the toasted coconut (photo 1). For now, we set the glass aside.

Step 2: With our garnished rim prepared, we’re ready to start on the drink. Let’s grab our cocktail shaker and add the tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and a handful of ice (photo 2).

Step 3: Now we put on the top and shake vigorously (photo 3). About 15-30 seconds is standard.

Step 4: We remove the cap from the cocktail shaker and strain into our margarita glass (photo 4).

Step 5: For the perfect finishing touch, we add a couple real pineapple leaves to the glass as a garnish like so (photo 5).

And that’s it! Now take a sip, close your eyes and pretend you’re on the beach. It feels like vacation, doesn’t it?

Related: For more fruity margarita recipes, try my blackberry margarita, strawberry-kiwi margarita and raspberry margarita! 

Recipe FAQs

Expert Tips

Use two hands when shaking: For the proper shaking technique, use two hands to get enough force behind the shake.

Roll limes before juicing: Place the lime on the countertop and firmly roll it under the palm of your hand several times. This helps get the juice flowing to ensure a perfectly citrusy margarita. I also find using a handheld juicer makes the process more efficient.

Get creative with your garnishes: While I love the toasted coconut rim and pineapple leaves, feel free to put your own spin on it. A cute tiki umbrella is fun, and a fresh pineapple wedge would make a welcome addition. You could even add a maraschino cherry.

Use ripe limes: Get bright green limes that have some give when you squeeze them. Hard limes are a sign they’re dried out.

Perfect Pairing

Of course, you can’t go wrong with a big plate of tacos with your margarita, and I especially love these blackened salmon tacos with pineapple pico de gallo with this drink. That pineapple pico de gallo beautifully matches our tropical vibe. Serve with a side of coconut-lime rice and you have yourself the perfect summer meal.

I’m also a big fan of enjoying this pina colada margarita with some jerk chicken or jerk pork. Or for a fun variation of the two, try my jerk chicken enchiladas or jerk pork nachos with a side of mango-habanero salsa. Sounds like a beachy pairing, doesn’t it?

For the ultimate summer cocktail, I hope you whip up this easy pineapple-coconut margarita. You want to drink it over and over again all summer long.

Cheers!

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