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 ½ ounces silver tequila about 3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 large or 1 ½ small limes
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice about ½ 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 (½ 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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Can’t wait to try this out! Is there a way to make this a frozen margarita? Poolside calls for frozen drinks!
Hi Sheila! You could try blending this with ice to make a frozen one. I haven’t done it myself, so I don’t have an exact amount of ice to suggest, but similar recipes call for 6 cups of ice for the pitcher proportions of the recipe. I hope that helps!
I made the pitcher exactly as described and they are way too tart!
Hi Jeffe! As the post states, this definitely yields a tart vs. sweet margarita. If you’re more of a sweet fan (like what’s often served in restaurants) simply use more agave next time, until they are perfect for you! Regardless, I know it’s a bummer to try a recipe and not love it, so I’m sorry these didn’t hit the spot.
Yummy
Thank you for this kind review, Virginia! I’m so happy you loved this recipe!
Beautiful ideas for receipe, Thank you for share! i like this
Thank you for this kind comment! I hope you love the recipe!
This recipe sounds wonderful and I agree I like a bite also and with my margarita. Recently I’ve added a half Meyers lemon to the lime and OJ.
That sounds delicious, Johanna! I hope you enjoy this recipe if you try it!
Kept searching to find the perfect margarita recipe and finally found it here!! I made these a few times and they have turned out awesome each time! Easy to make and so tasty!
Add more agave if you like it sweeter, and less if you want a more tangy/lime margarita.
SO happy that you’ve enjoyed the recipe, Molly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
So good and refreshing! Subbed honey for the agave! Will make again!
I’m so pleased that this drink was a hit, Amanda! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Just made this to see what it was like. I love love love! Just in time for Cinco de Mayo :-)
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Holly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Oh my gosh hit the spot and was absolutely delicious! So easy too! Thank you 🤗
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Laura! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Feel like we literally discovered gold with this recipe. Could not get enough of these!! Added more agave for our sweeter taste.
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Morgan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this for my daughters 18 (legal drinking age in 🇬🇧) they went down a treat! We’re in lockdown over here so we couldn’t go out, so we had a afternoon tea and cocktails. Thanks for your recipe.
I’m so happy that they were a hit, Beth! Thank you for sharing this kind review!