It’s a Monday holiday, and that calls for a Skinny Margarita! In addition to being one of my favorite drink recipes, this simple, four-ingredient cocktail has become one of yours too. I added a fun video for a single serving, but you can easily scale this recipe for a crowd. A few of you (hi Jordan and Jamie!) have even told me that, after you made these Skinny Margaritas once for ladies’ night, your friends started requesting you bring it to every gathering. Cheers. Also, if you have room for one more lady, you know who to call.
If I could only have one cocktail for the rest of my days (a semi-alarming prospect indeed), it would be a fresh margarita. No mixes, bottled juices, or frozen mumbo jumbo here. Give me my rim salted, my ice cubes large and in charge, and an extra splash of tequila for good luck.
When made properly—meaning the recipe ingredients include only fresh juices, liquor, and agave or simple syrup—a margarita is one of the most refreshing, satisfying drinks you’ll taste.
Margaritas make me think of sunny, relaxed afternoons outside, long vacations, and nights out with my sisters. They remind me of Taco Tuesdays (and Taco Thursdays) at our favorite Mexican joint in Milwaukee and beaches where I’d like to dig my toes into the sand. I never tire of those feelings, and I certainly never tire of a well-made margarita.
About This Skinny Margarita
Margarita romance runs in our family. They are one of my mom’s favorite drinks, so when she visited Milwaukee last year, I took her out for Taco Thursday, where she requested a “skinny margarita.”
I’ve witnessed my mom order a skinny margarita at numerous restaurants on numerous occasions, and unless it’s a drink the restaurant already has on its menu, the server usually doesn’t know what she means (and when asked, she isn’t quite sure herself).
For her benefit, our servers’ benefit, and the benefit of margarita drinkers the world over, I did a bit of digging to determine what exactly makes a margarita recipe a skinny margarita recipe.
The results of my salt-rimmed research: a skinny margarita is comprised of fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice (in place of the more calorie-laden triple sec), tequila, and agave nectar. The exact ratio of these four ingredients is at your discretion, though most suggested more lime juice than orange juice, equal parts tequila and lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of agave.
I like my margarita to bite me back a bit, so I lean heavier on the lime juice and lighter on the agave, which this skinny margarita recipe reflects. Please feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your own margarita needs and preferences.
Recipe Adaptations
This Skinny Margarita recipe is also an excellent base for all sorts of adaptations.
Recommended Tools to Make This Margarita Recipe
- I used a simple citrus juicer like this one for the original recipe photos, but after upgrading to this one, I’m never going back.
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
Skinny Margarita
Ingredients
For One, Classic Skinny Margarita:
- Kosher salt & lime wedge, to rim the glass
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila about 3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 large or 1 1/2 small limes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice about 1/2 medium orange
- 1 teaspoon light agave nectar add 2 if you prefer a sweeter margarita
- Ice
For a Pitcher of Skinny Margaritas (5 Drinks):
- 8 ounces silver tequila (1 cup)
- 8 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (1 cup, from about 5 medium/large limes)
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice (1/2 cup, from about 4 medium oranges)
- 2 tablespoons light agave nectar or simple syrup, more if you prefer a sweeter margarita
Instructions
- Rim the glass: Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the top edge of your glass to moisten it, then dip the glass into the salt so that it sticks, tapping all the way around. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
- For one (or two) drinks: fill a small cocktail shaker with additional ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, and agave. Tightly close and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds (it’s longer than you think). Strain into the rimmed glass over the ice. Enjoy immediately.
- For a pitcher: In the bottom of a pitcher, stir together the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, and agave (do not add ice to the pitcher). Serve immediately (prepare the glasses as in Step 1) or place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the pitcher and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Nutrition
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I love this drink and it’s simplicity. I unfortunately did not have any Agave Nectar so I used Simple Syrup. Until I get to the store to get some Agave Nectar would you recommend Simple Syrup or something else?
Thanks Catherine! You likely could use something else, I’ve just only tested the recipe as written. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!