The Best Frozen Margarita Recipe


December 28, 2018

With this amazing frozen margarita, make the simple classic recipe or use Grand Marnier to make an epic cadillac margarita.

The Best Frozen Margarita Recipe:

If you’re looking for an incredible homemade frozen margarita recipe, this blend is epic! You can make a Classic Margarita with this recipe or use Cointreau and Triple Sec and make a Cadillac Margarita. Either way, this frozen margarita recipe will be a winner! I realized earlier this year that a stunning frozen margarita recipe was alarmingly absent from the site. So, here it is!

How To Make A Frozen Margarita:

To make a really incredible frozen margarita, ditch the margarita mix. Yeah, yeah, I know…those mixes are great for convenience. But, they make pretty average margaritas! And, the mixes typically use low quality ingredients and cheap sugar. Until somebody shows me an awesome quality pre-mixed margarita, I’m going to continue to say that, “Life is just too short to drink sub-standard margaritas made from crappy margarita mix.” (Feel free to prove me wrong.)

Until the day when a margarita-mix-super-fan proves me wrong and rocks my world, I’m gonna say, always assemble your ingredients from scratch to completely control the quality and flavor of every aspect of your margarita.

Frozen Margarita Ingredients:

I’m not going to pretend that I’ve reinvented the wheel with this margarita recipe. Most margarita recipes uses the standard ingredients. Rather, I’ve added the typical ingredients in the ratios that I think work the best. But, always  use high quality ingredients for the best-tasting margaritas.

Use high quality tequila, fresh lime juice (not pre-made from a bottle), Cointreau or high quality Triple sec (I prefer Cointreau every day of the week and twice on Sundays), and pure maple syrup or other natural sweetener. You can, of course, use regular cane sugar. But why? (Here is where I thought of inserting one of the memes some of you post on The Blendaholic Facebook page. But, I didn’t want to steal your thunder.)

If you want to make a crazy-amazing Cadillac margarita, add the Grand Marnier. (There is allllllways a large bottle of Grand Marnier in the house.)

The perfect consistency of a frozen margarita is a matter of personal preference. But, for my money, I like to blend as little as possible to keep the margarita thick and rustic so that it is so stiff you can tip the blender container upside down and the margarita doesn’t fall out. (So thick that you have to tap the container on the bench or with your hands in order to get the blend out into the glasses.) This way, the margarita melts gradually and gets more watery as you drink it.

For the best results, keep your ice cubes in the freezer until you’ve added all of the other ingredients. Then, add the ice, and pulse briefly and gradually in order to get the consistency juuuuust right. This recipe works well in any full-sized blender.

How To Make Lime Salt:

To Salt or Not to Salt: That is the question. Well, when you’re making homemade margaritas! I think salt is a non-negotiable element of any self-respecting recipe, even smoothies, drinks, and cocktails. With this margarita, whether you are making the classic or the cadillac recipe, the combination of tangy, zesty, sweet, stingy, and salty makes the most show-stopping homemade margarita experience.

And, just like with my Whole Strawberry Margarita, I’m adding lime zest to the salt for an added touch of magic. To make lime salt, just pulse 1 tablespoon of finely grated lime zest with 2 tablespoons coarse salt in a spice grinder or coffee grinder (that is well washed so it doesn’t taste like coffee or spices) or a mini chopper or food processor and pulse just a few times until slightly broken up and combined but so that the salt is still course.

If salt is not your thing, omit the salty ride. But, your margarita deserves a shot at greatness….just sayin.

Well, salty is how I prefer to get over-refreshed….

Let’s Just Drink Together!

You say, Classic, I say, Cadillac. You say, No Salt, I say, Salt! Classic, Cadillac, No Salt, Salt….

Let’s not Call the whole thing off. Let’s say, Cheers, and serve these anyway we like.

All joking aside, this frozen margarita blends up flavor fever no matter how you make it. Just don’t miss it.

Happy New Year! Here’s to an incredible 2019.

Craving Other Awesome Cocktails? 

Whole Frozen Strawberry Margarita
White Russian Milkshake
Frozen Grasshopper

Please let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments!
Your feedback is really important to me, and it helps me decide which recipes to post next for you.

 

The Best Frozen Margarita

With this amazing frozen margarita, make the simple classic recipe or use Grand Marnier to make an epic cadillac margarita. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Lime Salt:

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons high quality coarse salt

Margarita:

  • 4 oz (1/2 cup/120ml) silver tequila (100% agave)
  • 4 oz (1/2 cup/120ml) fresh lime juice, plus more to salt the glasses (if desired)
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup/60ml) Cointreau (or high quality Triple sec)
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup/60ml) pure maple syrup (or other sweetener)
  • 5 cups (625g) ice cubes
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup/60ml) Grand Marnier (optional, for Cadillac version)

Instructions

  1. To make the lime salt, throw the lime zest and salt in a coffee grinder (well washed) or spice grinder, and pulse just a few times until combined but so that the salt remains course. Place some lime juice on a plate and the lime salt on another plate. Invert each of the four glasses onto the lime-filled plate and then onto lime salt plate to coat the rim of each glass. 

  2. To make the margarita, add all of the ingredients into your blender, and blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth and frosty. 

  3. Pour equal parts of the margarita into each prepared glass. Enjoy immediately. 

Recipe Notes

Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak