A Classic Margarita made from scratch beats a slushy one from a mix every time - the fresh one is simply much more refreshing. Just 4 ingredients: tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup, mixed with lots of ice.
Classic Margarita - at a Glance
- ⌛ Total Time: 5 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 2
- 🍽️ Calories: 210
- 🍹 Ingredients: Silver tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, ice
- 👌 Why You'll Love It: A classic margarita made from scratch with fresh lime juice and no sour mix - stronger and more refreshing than anything from a bottle.
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If you've only had a margarita made from a bottled sour mix, you're missing out - a classic margarita doesn't need it. When you make a fresh margarita, you don't end up full and bloated and gross-feeling.
These margaritas are my go-to drink when I have taco parties - usually with guacamole or Smoky Cashew Dip as an appetizer, Slow Cooker Barbacoa for dinner, and a milky Tres Leches Cake for dessert.
Several years ago, my friend Kate noted that her dad "makes a killer margarita," and of course, we all had to get the recipe. She said, "I always go back to this. My dad has it written on a manila file folder. The 'serves 5' makes me laugh. That's 4 shots of tequila per person, and my parents rarely drink." When Ron lost his original recipe, he looked up several recipes, made a grid to compare amounts, and settled on this recipe.
I adore that scientific approach - I kept Ron's ratios but scaled the recipe down to serve two.
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Why You'll Love This Margarita
I love this classic margarita because it's:
- 🥂 Tart and refreshing, with just enough simple syrup to balance the lime.
- 💪 Just the right amount for two strong drinks.
- 🍋🟩 Easy to scale - just juice the limes and adjust from there.
Key Ingredients
Tequila: Use a clear or silver tequila; anything gold or aged has flavors that will interfere with the citrus. For me, brand doesn't matter; use your favorite tequila if you have one.
Cointreau: A higher-end, consistently good quality orange liqueur. Some recipes use triple sec, and that's fine if you don't use something bottom-shelf. If you don't have either liqueur, you can add the same amount of orange juice, but you'll need to add extra syrup to taste since Cointreau is sweetened.
If you want to experiment, my Campari Margarita adds in a bitter Italian liqueur for a different flavor profile.
Lime juice: Use freshly squeezed juice. Preservatives in bottled juice give drinks an off taste. One lime is usually enough, but juice it first to confirm. You can juice the limes a few hours in advance and keep the juice refrigerated.
Simple syrup: A basic 1:1 ratio of water to sugar by volume. You can buy or make it, and store it in the back of the fridge for up to one month, maybe longer. If you don't have simple syrup, halve the amount and mix that much sugar into the lime juice; it'll take a few minutes to dissolve.
Ice: A fifth, sometimes neglected ingredient. Shaking with plenty of ice dilutes and chills the drink - don't skip it.
How to Make a Classic Margarita
I typically use a cocktail shaker to make margaritas for two, but it gets too full if I scale the recipe up. If making larger quantities, make in batches or use a pitcher.
One: Cute but optional: sugar or salt the rim of your glass. Wet the edge of the glass with a bit of lime, then roll it in sugar or salt.
Two: Juice the lime. Once you know how much juice you have, you'll know how much you need of everything else. You get slightly more juice with room temperature limes, and if you roll them on the counter first.
Three: Shake tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup with plenty of ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled, about 30 seconds.
Four: If not serving immediately, strain into measuring cup and refrigerate without ice. Pour over ice when ready to serve. (From 1 lime yielding 3 tablespoons of juice, you'll get around 1 ⅓ cups of margarita as shown - enough for two strong drinks.)
Serving and Storage
Margaritas are best served immediately over plenty of ice. The recipe scales extremely well - I've made a pitcher of margaritas for friends on a summer evening. Store margaritas in the refrigerator without ice and pour over ice when ready to serve.
These pair well with a snacky dinner of tortilla chips, guacamole, and a black bean dip. For a fuller meal, I'd have Slow Cooker Barbacoa or Fajitas with Corn and Black Beans with Mango. In all cases, finish with Tres Leches Cake for dessert.
Classic Margarita FAQs
This classic margarita recipe uses a 2.5:1.25:1 ratio of tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice, plus simple syrup to balance the tartness. The most common margarita ratio is 2:1:1; the 3:2:1 rule produces a stronger, more spirit-forward drink.
Yes, stir all the margarita ingredients in a pitcher if you're scaling it up; otherwise, it does not fit in a cocktail shaker. Add plenty of crushed ice immediately before serving.
This recipe scales easily. Juice your limes, then use the table below to find the right amount of ingredients based on how much juice you have.
1.1 oz lime juice | 2.75 oz tequila | 1.375 oz Cointreau | 0.55 oz simple syrup or 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1.2 oz lime | 3 oz tequila | 1.5 oz Cointreau | 0.6 oz syrup or a heaping 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1.4 oz lime | 3.5 oz tequila | 1.75 oz Cointreau | 0.7 oz syrup or 2 teaspoons sugar
1.5 oz lime | 3.75 oz tequila | 1.875 oz Cointreau | 0.75 oz syrup or 2 ½ teaspoons sugar
1.6 oz lime | 4 oz tequila | 2 oz Cointreau | 0.8 oz syrup or a heaping 2 teaspoons sugar
2 oz lime | 5 oz tequila | 2.5 oz Cointreau | 1 oz syrup or 1 tablespoon sugar
0.375 fluid ounces = just over 2 teaspoons
0.5 fluid ounces = 1 tablespoon
0.75 fluid ounces = 1.5 tablespoons
1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons
2 fluid ounces = ¼ cup
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
More Refreshing Cocktail Recipes
I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.
📖 Recipe
Classic Margarita
Equipment
- citrus juicer (optional)
- cocktail shaker (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons silver tequila 3 ounces
- 3 tablespoons Cointreau 1.5 ounces
- 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice 1.2 ounces
- 3 ½ teaspoons simple syrup .6 ounces
- crushed ice
- salt or sugar optional, for the rim
Instructions
- Optionally, salt or sugar the rims of your glasses by rubbing a lime wedge along the rim of the glass. Roll the wet edge in a small plate of salt or sugar.
- Juice the lime and measure the juice.
- Combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker (affiliate link) filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 30 seconds. If not sweet enough, add more syrup to taste.
- Strain into the salt- or sugar-rimmed glasses filled with crushed ice.
Leona Konkel says
The only lime margarita recipe I make - and in fact, the recipe that made me like margaritas. I hope you also enjoy it.