Italian Margarita

Nutty, sweet, and perfectly balanced, the Italian Margarita is a tasty twist on a traditional marg. This refreshing cocktail gets its sweetness from two fresh juices and is made with just 4 ingredients. Grab your shaker because happy hour begins in 10 minutes!

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.

Italian food and margaritas are 2 of my favorite things, so when I tried an Italian Marg it's not surprising I fell in love. After all, Italians do a lot of things right, and this Italian Margarita made with just 4 ingredients is definitely one of them.

Jump to:

Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
FAQs
Expert Tips
Substitutions and Shortcuts
More Great Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

Why you'll love this recipe

It uses just 4 ingredients that are easy to have on hand.
An Italian Margarita gets its sweetness from the fresh juices and amaretto liqueur - no simple syrup is required!
It's easy to make one or a batch! Surprise your friends with this tasty twist on the traditional margarita!

Ingredients

You only need 4 ingredients for this cocktail.

Bottle of amaretto, tequila, oranges and limes to make Italian margarita.

Ingredient Notes

Tequila: Reposado tequila is best for this drink. Blanco can be used as well with good results.
Fruit juices: Fresh is a must for this marg. Bottled juices contain preservatives that alter the flavor.
Amaretto: This almond-flavored Italian liqueur that can be found in the cordial section where you buy alcohol.

Instructions

It only takes a few minutes to shake up an Italian Margarita.

Juice being poured into a shaker filled with ice.

Step 1: Fill a shaker with ice and add all of the liquor and juices.

italian margarita ingredients being ready to mix.

Step 2: Cover shaker.

margarita shaken in shaker ready to serve.

Step 3: Shake vigorously until well combined.

Step 4: Rim the edge of a glass with a lime wedge.

Glass inverted in a plate filled with salt.

Step 5: Invert glass on a plate filled with salt.

Margarita being poured into salt rimmed glass.

Step 6: Strain contents of shaker into salt rimmed glass.

FAQs

What kind of oranges are best for this Italian Margarita?

We used regular oranges for this recipe because of their year-round availability, but also tested the recipe with Cara Cara oranges and blood oranges. All of them are delicious, but your cocktail will be different colors based on the juice used. You can get about 4-5 tablespoons of juice in one orange.

What is the best tequila for Italian Margaritas?

Reposado tequila. This tequila has aged for 2-12 months and gives a more complex flavor than Blanco tequila. Add in amaretto and fresh fruit juices and you have one smooth marg.

How much juice is in a lime?

There are generally 2 tablespoons (1 ounce)of juice in a lime depending on the size of the lime.

Salt rimmed glass filled with Italian Margarita and garnished with orange and lime, with shaker in back.

Expert Tips

Squeeze your fresh juices ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to make the drinks. A reamer works well for one cocktail or use a juicer for a batch.
Use good tequila. Always make sure it is 100% agave. Reposado tequila is best for this drink. There are a lot of fabulous tequila brands out there, but Don Julio is one of our favorites.
Salt the glasses ahead of time, set out with an ice bucket and the pitcher of margaritas, and let guests serve themselves.

Substitutions and Shortcuts

Don't have any amaretto on hand? Limoncello or Aperol can also be used in an Italian Margarita for a different Italian twist.
Serving a group? Mix up the margaritas ahead of time without ice and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Buy fresh squeezed orange juice at the grocery store, but not just a regular carton of orange juice from concentrate and made with preservatives.