Roasted Strawberry Margarita

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A classic cocktail gets a sophisticated twist with this roasted strawberry margarita! Fresh strawberries are roasted to make an extra fruity, impressive cocktail with a depth of flavor that will keep you refreshed all night long. This fancy margarita will be a hit at your next summer party or taco night.

A roasted strawberry margarita on a white wooden board with a pink napkin to the side.

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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Variations
Expert Tips
Perfect Pairing
Love Fruity Margaritas?
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Why You Need to Make This Recipe

While everyone loves a classic margarita, who doesn't love a fruity twist, especially when roasted strawberries are involved? If you made my roasted strawberry aperol spritz, you already know how good those delicious cooked berries are in cocktails, and you'll fall in love with this margarita after one sip.

More complex flavor. Although I love using fresh strawberry purée, roasting gives the strawberries a richer, sweeter flavor from the caramelization. That extra pop of sweetness is sure to make everyone happy.
Simple yet impressive. Roasting strawberries isn't hard, but it sure does make for a fancy-sounding craft cocktail that will leave your guests wowed.
Great for parties. Need a cocktail that can serve a crowd? This strawberry margarita has your back.

Ingredients

Roasted strawberries: To the left, we have our strawberries, vanilla and sugar. Those ingredients are for our roasted strawberries, and we'll review how to complete that process in the next section.

Tequila: On the right, we have our margarita ingredients. For the tequila, my preference is a reposado tequila, which spends anywhere from two months to up to a year aging in oak barrels. Not only does this give the tequila a more nuanced flavor but it makes for a smoother liquor.

Blanco tequila is the other most popular type of tequila. Also known as white tequila, this variety doesn't spend any time aging in barrels. You can certainly substitute blanco for reposado, and it's often found in many margarita recipes, but I think reposado makes for a tastier cocktail.

Orange liqueur: For the orange liqueur, your standard triple sec is the most common and economical option. However, if you'd like to make this a top-shelf margarita, go for the Cointreau or Grand Marnier. You'll be happy you did.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: First, we need our roasted strawberries. We begin by tossing hulled and halved strawberries with sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl (photo 1).

Step 2: Then, we spread the strawberries onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (photo 2) and roast in a 350-degree oven until they're nice and syrupy like so (photo 3).

Showing the process of roasting the strawberries until they're syrupy.

Step 3: Now we toss our roasted strawberries into a blender (photo 4) and process until they make a smooth purée (photo 5).

Blending the roasted strawberries until they make a smooth purée.

Step 4: And just like that, we're ready to make our margarita. We grab our trusty cocktail shaker and add the roasted strawberry purée, tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup and ice (photos 6-7).

Step 5: Now we put on the top and give it a good shake (photo 8). About 15-30 seconds will do the trick.

Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shaking to make the drink.

Step 6: This step is optional, but if you'd like a salted rim, run a lime slice along the edge of your serving glass to moisten and then swirl the glass into coarse sea salt (photo 9). While it's not necessary, it does make for a prettier, more professional presentation.

Swirling the glass into coarse sea salt on a wooden plate.

Step 7: All that's left is to strain our roasted strawberry margarita into a glass (photo 10), and we're ready to to start sipping. Let's drink to that.

Straining the strawberry margarita into the serving glass on a white wooden board.

Bonus: For more very berry margaritas, you'll also love my raspberry margarita, blackberry margarita and blueberry margarita!

Recipe FAQs

Can you make the roasted strawberries ahead of time?

Absolutely. The roasted strawberry purée should last two to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I love that you can prepare this ahead of time because it truly makes entertaining a breeze.

You can even freeze it. In fact, I have some in my freezer right now for future cocktails. It will keep for three to six months.

Can you make a pitcher of strawberry margaritas?

Most definitely. Simply mix the strawberry purée, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup in a pitcher and refrigerate until it's time to serve.

I recommend preparing the pitcher no more than a day before serving. If the lime juice sits too long, it will lose its brightness. You'll find exact proportions in the recipe card below.

Can you substitute bottled lime juice for fresh lime juice?

Honestly, I don't recommend it. Freshly squeezed lime juice is what makes a margarita, and bottled juice isn't as flavorful or bright. It takes hardly any time and effort to freshly juice limes, so don't skip this step for best results.

Variations

Love a spicy margarita? Muddle some fresh jalapeño or habanero slices with the strawberry purée before adding the other ingredients in the cocktail shaker. Boom! Just like that, you have a spicy strawberry margarita.
Try a flavored simple syrup. My ginger simple syrup is especially lovely with strawberry cocktails.
For a frozen margarita, swap the cocktail shaker for a blender, add a handful of crushed ice and blend away. Crushed ice blends better for a smoother finish.

Expert Tips

For proper shaking: To properly shake this margarita, use two hands to make sure you have enough force to agitate the mixture and combine the ingredients.

Get more juice: Before juicing the limes, firmly roll them on the counter to get the juice flowing and use a handheld citrus juicer to maximize production and efficiency.

Choose ripe limes: Pick limes that have a little give when you press into them. If they're hard, they're dried out.

Customize your sweetener: I like to add simple syrup to satisfy my sweet tooth. However, if you prefer your margaritas less sweet, you may find the strawberries offer enough sweetness on their own. Feel free to leave out the simple syrup in that case.

Perfect Pairing

I can't think of a better way to enjoy this roasted strawberry margarita than a big bowl of mango-habanero salsa with a serving of lobster tacos. Mango and strawberries are delicious together, and you'll love the fruity complement this margarita adds to the sweet lobster.

If you're looking for the perfect dessert, try this fresh strawberry poke cake, blueberry-strawberry shortcakes or strawberry mousse. These berry-forward sweet treats make the perfect match. You'll also love this strawberry cheesecake lush from my friend, Lisa, at Fun Money Mom — that tangy cream cheese filling is always a favorite with margaritas.

For a unique strawberry margarita, I hope you try this recipe. You'll adore every refreshing sip of this roasted strawberry margarita.

Cheers!

A hand holding the roasted strawberry margarita with fresh strawberries to the left.

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Recipe originally published in August 2018 and republished in August 2021.