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Two Italian margaritas with a bottle of amaretto in the background with fresh orange and lime slices around them.
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The Best Italian Margarita

Bring on the margaritas! Made popular from the Olive Garden, this Italian margarita with amaretto comes with the perfect sweet and sour balance for one refreshing cocktail. This easy margarita recipe takes just a few minutes to whip up, and you only need a handful of fresh ingredients.
Course Beverages
Cuisine Mexican-Italian Fusion
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 drink
Calories 235kcal

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker or jar with solid lid
  • Citrus juicer
  • Jigger or small measuring cup

Ingredients

  • Lime slices for garnish, optional
  • Coarse sea salt for garnish, optional
  • 2 ounces tequila preferably reposado
  • 1 ounce amaretto
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime about 1 lime
  • ½ ounce simple syrup see note
  • Ice

Instructions

  • Cut a lime slice in the middle to make a slit and run it along the rim of your serving glass. Pour coarse sea salt onto a small plate and swirl the moistened rim in the salt. Add ice to the glass.
  • In a cocktail shaker, add the tequila, amaretto, orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup and ice. Put the top on and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds.
  • Strain into serving glass. Garnish with an additional lime slice if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Pitcher recipe: For eight servings, add 2 cups tequila, 1 cup amaretto, 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 16 limes) and ½ simple syrup to a large pitcher and stir. Cover and refrigerate up to one day. Stir again before pouring. If you need to customize your servings, simply multiply the ounces by the number of servings and divide by eight to get the cup measurement. 
  • If you prefer a less sweet drink, feel free to skip the simple syrup. You can always pour it in afterward if you change your mind.
  • You can buy simple syrup or make your own. To make your own, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.
  • I recommend first rolling the lime firmly on the countertop a few times. This gets the juice flowing. A handheld juicer is also helpful.
  • Get limes that have some give when you squeeze them. If the limes are hard, they're dried out. 
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g