If you are a margarita lover who loves to try new flavors, these Key Lime Margaritas are right up your alley. You only need 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to instantly transport yourself to the tropics with this tasty twist on a classic recipe.
Does anyone else love tequila as much as we do? We are ALWAYS in the mood for a tasty margarita and these Key Lime Margaritas only need 4 ingredients. Can a homemade marg get any easier? Hello, Happy Hour!
Don't forget chips and homemade chunky guacamole - a proper happy hour with margaritas isn't complete without it!
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Why you will love a Key Lime Margarita
✘ It's a tasty twist on a classic! Fresh Key Lime juice instantly puts you in vacation mode. The subtle sweetness of the key lime juice is perfect with tequila.
✘ It's a restaurant-quality cocktail! Homemade margaritas are one of the easiest cocktails to master at home, giving you bar-worthy drinks any day of the week.
✘ It's party friendly! Margaritas and parties go hand in hand. It's easy to make one key lime margarita or a pitcher to serve at your next fiesta!
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make a perfect margarita.
Ingredient Notes:
Tequila: Blanco tequila is used for the margarita. Be sure to grab one that it is 100% agave. High quality ingredients yield high quality drinks.
Cointreau: Cointreau is our orange liqueur of choice for this drink but Triple Sec and Grand Marnier can also be used.
Agave: Agave is the perfect sweetener for tequila and is a great pantry staple to have on hand.
Key Lime Juice: Fresh juice is a must for cocktails! Depending on the limes, you will need about 7 key limes to make this drink. If you can't find key limes, you can use equal parts of fresh lemon and fresh lime juice in its place.
Instructions
Margaritas are one of the easiest cocktails to make from scratch.
Fill a shaker with ice and add the key lime juice, tequila, agave and Cointreau. Shake vigorously to combine and emulsify the agave into the tequila and juice.
Rim the edge of the glass with a lime wedge and invert onto a plate of salt. Fill the glass with ice and strain the margarita into the prepared glass.
FAQs
Key limes are smaller in size and the skin is more yellow vs green. When you slice a key lime you will find that they have thinner skin and many seeds. The juice of key limes is sweeter than regular lime juice making it perfect for this tasty margarita.
I prefer to use high-quality silver or blanco tequila in my margaritas. It’s a young tequila that is not aged for very long, which also makes it less expensive than a reposado or añejo tequila. Silver tequila mixes well with other liqueurs and juices, which is why you'll often see it in mixed drink recipes.
The most important thing to remember is to buy 100% agave tequila. It's the smoothest tequila, regardless of age.
▶︎ Blanco Tequila has not been aged and is commonly used in flavored margaritas. We love to make a tequila mojito with blanco tequila.
▶︎ Reposado Tequila is a tequila that has been aged in an oak barrel giving it a smooth, more complex flavor.
▶︎ Anejo Tequila has been aged for 1-4 years and is rich in flavor. It is good to drink on the rocks or in a tequila old fashioned.
Expert Tips for the best margaritas
✔️ Fresh key lime juice is a MUST for the best margaritas. Bottled juices contain preservatives that impact taste. It takes just a few seconds to squeeze your own lime juice. This handheld juicer is one of our favorite kitchen tools. It even has measuring marks so you can easily see how much juice you've squeezed.
✔️ Use good tequila. The tequila taste shines through in this drink. Use a blanco that is 100% agave.
✔️ Shake your drink over lots of ice. Shaking the drink for at least 30 seconds not only combines the juice with the alcohol but chills it at the same time. Cold drinks are the best drinks.
✔️Cointreau is a premium orange liqueur and makes this drink a top-shelf cocktail that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
Shortcuts and Substitutions
▶︎ We prefer Cointreau in this cocktail but don't worry if you don't have it at home. Swap Triple Sec or Grand Marnier instead and you'll still get great results.
▶︎ We love the taste of the agave in this recipe but simple syrup can be used if that is what you have on hand.
▶︎ Can't find key limes? Use equal parts of fresh lemon juice and fresh lime juice instead. Remember fresh juice is always best.
▶︎ Serving a group? Mix up a batch ahead of time and refrigerate (without ice) until ready to serve.
More Margarita Recipes
It's hard to find a marg we don't love! Check out these reader favorites or all of our tequila drinks!
Did you make this recipe? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Recipe
Key Lime Margaritas
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Key Lime Juice
- 1 ounce Agave
- 1½ ounces Tequila
- 1½ ounces Cointreau
- Kosher Salt
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Fill shaker with ice and add tequila, orange liqueur, key lime juice and agave. Shake vigorously to mix.1½ ounces Key Lime Juice, 1 ounce Agave, 1½ ounces Tequila, 1½ ounces Cointreau
- Shake vigorously to mix.
- Rim glass with a lime wedge and invery on a plate filled with kosher salt.Kosher Salt, lime wedges
- Fill the glass with ice, strain contents of the shaker into the glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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