A great margarita is a paradox: Incredibly simple and incredibly complex to create. One of the best things about visiting my home state of Texas is being able to drink great margaritas almost everywhere you go. One of the best things you can bring back as a souvenir from Texas is an enjoyment of margaritas (and perhaps even tequila in a bottle shaped like the Lone Star State).
The perfect margarita recipe will have a balance of citrus from fresh lime juice, sweetness and orange from the Cointreau or triple sec, a depth (and an alcoholic kick) from the tequila and a tang from the salt on the rim.
Read on to learn more about formulating and serving delicious margaritas, or jump to the recipe now!
What kind of tequila for the perfect margarita?
Step one is choosing a tequila you like. Naturally you can use any kind of tequila at any price point to make a margarita. Even when they are bad, they’re good!
But I always use silver or blanco tequila that’s 100% agave. It’s unaged and clear like vodka, My favourite is Patron Silver. Gold tequila or reposado is also good. Anejo is high quality but better saved for sipping, in my opinion. I really do recommend trying a variety of tequilas over time and pick one that produces the best tasting margaritas for you.
An important margarita tip: Use fresh lime juice
Necessary for any margarita recipe worth its salt is fresh squeezed lime juice. Mixes and premixed versions are fun and easy but nothing beats the crisp flavour of natural juice. I have a special lime press that makes short work of squeezing enough limes for a party. You can also easily use a fork as well. Half the lime, stick a sturdy for in the centre, then squeeze and twist the lime and the fork in opposite directions — you’ll get some nice pulpy lime juice. Just be careful you don’t have any cuts on your hands because it can get messy.
What equipment do you need to make a margarita?
To make a margarita on the rocks you don’t need any special equipment. You don’t even need an official jigger or cocktail measure — it’s all about proportions. So to answer the question of how much tequila, how much triple sec or Cointreau, how much lime juice, you just need some element to measure and make sure you use the same one for all three ingredients.
That said, I do like to use the following equipment to make mine. There’s something delightful about a perfectly measured and executed recipe for margaritas.
I use:
- A jigger/cocktail measure. Mine has 1.5oz on one side and .75oz on the other
- A shaker. A silver shaker is elegant and classic. If you get one with an integrated strainer, then that’s one less piece of equipment rattling around in your kitchen drawer
- A long handled cocktail spoon — the kind with a curly handle. Even after I shake up my margaritas, I like to give them a little swirl in the glass
- A lime juicer — similar to a garlic press
What type of glass do you serve margaritas in?
This is a great question! There is of course the iconic wide-mouth margarita glass with a globelike bottom. I think this shape works best with frozen margaritas. For margarita rocks, I like to serve the drinks in low-ball or short cafe-style glasses with lots of ice. This is perfect when having them in the garden or in hot weather.
It can also be quite sophisticated to serve them in a martini glass, straight up. To serve your favourite margarita recipe in a martini glass, put a little ice and cold water in the martini glass to chill it while you’re mixing it. Pour the ice water out, rim the glass with salt if desired, pour the margarita in and serve immediately.
How to make the best margarita recipe for you
The great thing about this recipe — besides the fact that it’s simple and delicious — is that it’s so adaptable. So try my basic version, then adjust, make additions and tweaks and create a variety of recipes that you love. Some ideas of what you can add to the mix, so to speak:
- A splash of orange juice
- A splash of jalapeño juice, garnished with a fresh or pickled jalapeño
- A splash of olive juice and garnished with an olive to create a ‘dirty’ margarita
- A fruit puree, such as strawberries. In a rocks margarita these work best if they are very loose, very smooth purees, more like a coulis. Whizz up frozen strawberries then strain through a fine sieve
Can you make margaritas with lemons instead of limes?
The Houston Press says yes but advises using Meyer lemons. Here’s a recipe from a food blogger for making margaritas using regular lemons. I’ve done it — they are nice. Not margaritas, really, but still nice.
Without further ado: An easy delicious recipe for margaritas
The Perfect Classic Margarita
With a few simple ingredients you can mix a margarita perfect to have on its own, with snacks or with a Mexican meal. This recipe is for a margarita on the rocks (i.e. over ice) and is great as is or adjusted with some of your favourite flavours.
- 1 Measure of fresh lime juice (2 limes makes enough for 2 drinks)
- 1 Measure of tequila (I use a 1.5oz jigger)
- 1.5 Measure of Cointreau (You can also use Triple Sec)
- Ice
- Additional limes for garnish
- Salt for the rims (Fine table salt is easiest unless you want to specifically buy margarita salt, available in some off-licenses)
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Cut the limes in half and juice. Reserve the juiced halves to run around the rim of the glasses
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Fill a shaker or large glass with ice
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Pour in the lime juice, tequila and Cointreau, then stir or shake well
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Sift salt into a small flat plate, run the lime halves around the rim, then upend the glass to get salt on the rim
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Add fresh ice to the glass and pour over the margarita
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Garnish with a wedge of lime
I enjoy this as it comes, or sometimes I play around with it, by adding a bit of orange juice, some pureed strawberries, or a splash of jalapeno juice to make it spicy (that turns it into a ‘Mexican Martini’).
Well, that’s us sorted for our next picnic. Can’t wait to see you 🍸