Mexican Margarita

Sara Kate Gillingham
Sara Kate Gillingham
Sara Kate is the founding editor of The Kitchn. She co-founded the site in 2005 and has since written three cookbooks. She is most recently the co-author of The Kitchn Cookbook, published in October 2014 by Clarkson Potter.
Jan Valdez
Jan ValdezAssistant Recipe Producer at The Kitchn
I got into this field by spending 10 years working in Research & Development and Product Development test kitchens, testing new products and recipes. For nearly eight years, I was the Senior Culinary R&D Specialist at Weber headquarters, where all the grills are designed, engineered, and tested. I've helped launch numerous best-selling, top-rated grills across the globe (you should see my grill collection at home!). One of my proudest accomplishments happened years earlier, when I had the opportunity to visit the Good Housekeeping Institue in NYC after developing an award-winning Tropical Citrus Shrimp recipe that jumpstarted my career in test kitchens and food editing. Since then, I've worked at Serious Eats (one of my favorite food sites) and EatingWell as an updates editor. I'm passionate about both classic recipes and new, unique twists. I'm constantly learning and that's what makes food and cooking so fun (just ask me how to bake light and airy pavlovas on the grill – I've tested them countless times!).
updated Apr 18, 2024
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angled shot of two margaritas in large blue rimmed margarita glasses, garnished with lime wheels
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

Serves1

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angled shot of two margaritas in large blue rimmed margarita glasses, garnished with lime wheels
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

San Francisco chef and tequila expert, Joanne Weir, makes a margarita at her Bay Area restaurant Copita that is known as one of the best in the region. She says — and I agree wholeheartedly — that the biggest mistake people make with their margaritas is that they use too many ingredients like Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau.

A perfect margarita has a balance of sweet and tart, and it just has three ingredients: 100% agave tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and agave nectar. With a recipe this simple, there’s no hiding behind sub-par ingredients. Here’s how to make the perfect margarita.

Why You’ll Love It

  • This is as pure margarita as you can make. Agave is in the spotlight by using tequila from agave and the sweetener from agave.
  • You only need 3 ingredients. Leave the Triple Sec and Cointreau behind. This margarita is all about the tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and agave nectar.

Key Ingredients in a Mexican Margarita

  • Tequila: Look for 100% agave tequila blanco. Tequila blanco (also called silver tequila) is considered the purest form of tequila, as it’s typically bottled directly after distillation.
  • Lime juice: Use freshly squeezed lime juice.
  • Agave nectar: Sweeten the margaritas with agave nectar or simple syrup.
  • Kosher salt: Garnish the glass rim with kosher salt.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

How to Make a Mexican Margarita

  1. Salt the glass rim. Before filling the glass with ice, moisten the rim with lime juice and dip it in a dish of kosher salt.
  2. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake the tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, and water vigorously with ice.
  3. Strain and serve. Strain into a chilled rocks glass or coupe filled with ice. Garnish with the wheel of lime.

Helpful Swaps

  • Use key limes. A tweak on Joanne’s recipe uses key limes. They are a major pain to juice, but worth the effort for its uniquely tart flavor.
  • Use simple syrup. If you can’t find agave nectar, substitute it with simple syrup, which is made with equal parts granulated sugar and water.

Margarita Variations

Comments

Mexican Margarita Recipe

Serves 1

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces

    (1/4 cup) tequila

  • 1 ounce

    (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 3/4 ounce

    (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons) agave nectar or 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Simple Syrup

  • 3/4 ounce

    (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons) cold water

  • 1

    lime, sliced crosswise into wheels

  • 1 tablespoon

    kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Before filling the glass with ice, moisten the rim with lime juice and dip it in a dish of kosher salt.

  2. Shake 2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, 3/4 ounce agave nectar, and 3/4 ounce cold water vigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass or coupe filled with ice. Garnish with the wheel of lime.

Filed in:
Beverages
Cocktails
Latin American
mexican