Watermelon Margarita
Published 5/2/2024
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This watermelon margarita recipe is made with fresh watermelon juice, lime juice, triple sec, and tequila. You won’t believe how refreshing and delicious they are! Mix one up today!
PS: we recently made this recipe, but FROZEN as a blended slushie, and we’re sharing instructions in the recipe card.
The Best Watermelon Margarita Recipe
If there is one rule to live by when you make margaritas it is this; always use fresh fruit juice!
This watermelon margarita uses fresh watermelon juice and lime juice. It is a refreshing drink that you can enjoy on the rocks or blended!
We prefer to drink this watermelon margarita on the rocks just like our spicy grapefruit margarita. The sweetness of the watermelon combined with the tartness of the lime juice makes sipping this margarita a dream.
Ingredients You Need
You only need 4 ingredients to make this watermelon margarita! Let’s get down to business so you can shake up these margs and get out on a patio.
- Fresh watermelon cubes: We recommend buying a seedless watermelon or picking out seeds of the watermelon you buy. This recipe serves 1 and only calls for 1 cup of watermelon cubes, so cube up your whole watermelon and freeze the rest for later! Or?
- High-quality tequila: There are so many great high-quality (and affordable) tequilas out there. Our favorite tequila is Espolon tequila, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Fresh lime juice: Use a hand juicer or a stand up juicer to juice yourself some fresh lime juice. We highly recommend using fresh lime juice and not store bought.
- Triple sec: Triple sec is an orange flavor liquor that adds a little sweetness to whatever cocktail you’re making.
Ingredient substitutions
Whether you’re wondering what can i use instead of triple sec in a margarita? Or what you can substitute for other ingredients, we’ve got you covered!
Fresh watermelon cubes –> pre-cut watermelon cubes from the grocery store.
Tequila –> mezcal (it will add a bit of smokiness to the margarita.)
Fresh lime juice –> simply limeade
Triple sec –> Cointreau
How to Make a Watermelon Margarita
Yes, you have to use a blender to blend the fresh margarita so you can make the most refreshing watermelon juice for this recipe. Otherwise this watermelon margarita recipe uses very few tools. Let’s get blending.
Blend fresh watermelon cubes
Place your watermelon cubes in a high speed blender until smooth! It is important that you blend long enough for the watermelon to be completely pulverized!
Pour watermelon through a sieve
Once the watermelon has basically turned into juice, you are going to pour the watermelon through a sieve into a glass.
Let’s chat sieve. You want to use a very fine sieve so that you end up with a smooth watermelon juice with no clumps.
Add all ingredients to a shaker
Finally, add watermelon juice, lime juice, triple sec, and tequila to a shaker with ice and shake! You don’t have to shake until the cows come home, but long enough for all of the ingredients to combine and become cold.
Serve over ice
Pour your watermelon margarita into glasses over ice!
fun serving ideas
These margaritas taste delicious in whatever glass you serve them in. However, if you want to take serving these watermelon margaritas up a notch, we can help.
- Salt the rim. Before you pour the margaritas into the glass, wipe the rim of your glass with a lime wedge. Then, pour 2 tablespoons of coarse salt onto a plate. Dip the rim into the salt.
- Add some spice. If you like things spice, add a little bit of chili powder to your salt mixture for the rim of your glass.
- Change up the ice. Before mixing up these margaritas, stick some watermelon cubes in the freezer to freeze (they freeze in about 15 minutes). After you make your margaritas, add the frozen watermelon to your glass and use them as ice instead of ice cubes.
- Serve with fresh fruit. Make your glass really pop by serving your margarita with lime wedge or a wedge of watermelon with the rind on.
Watermelon Margarita Tips + Tricks
Make Blended Watermelon Margaritas
We recently made this recipe at the Fit Foodie studio, but made it FROZEN as a blended slushie. If you love our frozen margarita recipe, you will love making these watermelon margs frozen, too.
Make sure to freeze the watermelon cubes and blend everything together along with 1 cup of ice. Feel free to double or triple the recipe!
Make it ahead of time
These watermelon margaritas are the perfect drink to make ahead of time.
Whether you are making these margaritas for a crowd or just for one, make them the night before, throw them in the fridge, and save time serving them the next day!
Turn them into Pitcher Margaritas
You can combine the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, and triple sec in a pitcher ahead of time— just shake the individual portions (about 1/2 cup) with ice right before serving.
Here is a quick recipe to serve 6!
- 6 cups fresh watermelon cubes
- 12 oz. high quality tequila (1.5 cups)
- 6 oz. fresh lime juice (3/4 cup)
- 6. oz. triple sec (3/4 cup)
Fill a pitcher halfway full of ice and then add all of the ingredients to the pitcher and stir with a spoon. Add ice to separate glasses and pour pitcher watermelon margaritas in the glasses. Serve with a lime wedge.
Make them a little sweeter
Sometimes you get stuck with a watermelon that isn’t very sweet. If your watermelon isn’t as sweet as you would like, add of agave or simple syrup to taste.
We recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it is sweet enough if making a margarita for one.
Spice your margarita up
If you want to balance the sweetness of your watermelon margarita with some spice, add some rounds of jalapeño (with seeds for extra heat) to the cocktail shaker when you are shaking all the ingredients up a bit.
How do I make these virgin margaritas?
Skip the tequila and make this a virgin margarita by mixing the lime juice, watermelon juice, and triple sec together. Then, pour over ice and top with bubbly water. It is so refreshing and delicious!
Storage
The watermelon juice can be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days if stored in an air tight container.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these watermelon margaritas along side one of these delicious dishes below!
- Mexican Street Corn Salad: Our Mexican Street Corn Salad is made with grilled corn, tomato, onion, and the most delicious cotija yogurt sauce with lime juice.
- Homemade Chicken Enchiladas: These chicken enchiladas are made with rotisserie chicken, monterey jack cheese, and a delicious salsa verde. You will never make another homemade chicken enchilada recipe again!
- Mexican Beef Skillet: Whether you make this on game day or eat it as a main meal, this Mexican Beef Skillet requires one pan only and only 40 minutes of your time!
- Mexican Quinoa Salad: Make this light and refreshing quinoa salad recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand! This flavorful Mexican salad is vegan and gluten-free and the perfect vegetarian meal to add to your rotation.
Watermelon Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh watermelon cubes, or frozen if you're making it frozen
- 2 oz. high-quality tequila
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1 oz. triple sec
- 1 cup ice, (if making frozen margs)
Instructions
Watermelon Margarita on the Rocks
- Add the watermelon chunks to a high-speed blender and blend for 15-20 seconds, or until fully liquified. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine-mesh sieve and place it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- To make the margarita, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 1-oz. watermelon juice, along with the tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. Shake until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain the margarita into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of watermelon and serve immediately.
Frozen Margarita
- Place fresh watermelon cubes on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 2 hours or until completely frozen.
- Add all of the ingredients including ice into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately! Feel free to double or triple this recipe.
Tips & Notes
- The watermelon juice can be kept in the fridge for up to one week.
- You can combine the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, and triple sec in a pitcher ahead of time— just shake the individual portions (about 1/2 cup) with ice right before serving.
- If your watermelon isn’t as sweet as you would like, add agave or simple syrup to taste.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This drink is so tasty. Best choice for summer!
We agree!