Every day calls for a Skinny Margarita! In addition to being one of my favorite drink recipes, this simple, four-ingredient cocktail is easy to whip up for a single serving, and you can easily scale this recipe for a crowd.

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 blender-mixed 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, beachy vacations, and nights out with my sisters.
I never tire of those feelings, and I certainly never tire of a well-made margarita in a glass with a salt rim.

About This Skinny Margarita
My friends and I have ordered a skinny margaritas 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 we mean.
For our benefit, the server’s 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, this is what a skinny margarita is comprised of:
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh orange juice. This is a low calorie alternative to a more calorie-laden orange liqueur (like triple sec).
- Your favorite tequila
- Agave nectar (one of my favorite natural sweeteners).
- Salt on the rim of your glass, of course. And a slice of lime for garnish.
The exact ratio of these 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 flavor variations.
- Skinny Jalapeno Margarita
- Skinny Blackberry Margarita
- St. Germain Margarita
Recommended Tools to Make This Margarita Recipe
- Citrus Juicer. 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. It’s one of my best purchases!
- Cocktail Shaker. Blends the flavors together and strains them into the glass.
- Jigger. Ideal for measuring.
Don’t wait for the weekend. With little prep time required, this skinny margarita is easy to whip up any day of the week!
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.
Video
Nutrition
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I don’t have a favourite cocktail I would drink for the rest of my life, but this sounds quite nice! I love the variations you added, perfect for all types of occasions.
Thank you so much Vivian!
Mhm, huge fan. You’re making me want cinco de Mayo all the time-o
My 21st birthday is Cinco de Mayo….ALL OF THE MARGARITAS. Definitely need to make this skinny version!
MEAN TO BE Marina. I hope you love this recipe!
It surprises me that restaurants don’t know what a skinny margarita is. Actually, it surprises me that they haven’t caught on more with health trends in general.
On the list for the weekend, thank you!
I do highly recommend this juicer- total game changer for me. To use for oranges, I just quarter them first and it works great.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/chefn-citrus-juicer-press/?cm_src=AutoRel
Thanks for passing the recommendation along Mayre! I am definitely in need of a new juicer, and this one looks perfect.
This is EXACTLY how I like my margaritas!!! I love adding fresh squeezed oranges to it too!
That sounds d-lish Aggie. Cheers!
love these skinny margs WITHOUT all the preservatives!!!! great recipe for the weekend Erin
how can i make this in a pitcher for about 20 people?
Hi Nana! The recipe yields enough for 1 margarita, so just multiply away!
Nana, did you figure out the measurements for this?
3.75 cup Tequilla
3.75 cup lime juice
1.5 + 6 tablespoons Orange Juice
6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Agave
At least thats what it translate to exactly. Feel free to round up or down to make it cleaner.
Thanks for chiming in Kelly!
These were DELICIOUS! (I did use half a stevia packet in place of the agave though). I will say that each drink was on the smaller side, but that was okay. They are so much better than those giant sickeningly-sweet margaritas you can get at a cheap restaurant, that you actually enjoy taking your time sipping on them! I will definitely be making them again. Love, a Texan who’s tried plenty o’ restaurant margaritas in our many Tex-Mex restaurants :)
Blair, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this margarita! Thanks so much for trying it out and taking the time to leave this great review! :)
I found a classic Margarita was a bit too strong so I like how you added the agave nectar and the orange juice (:
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy it :)
thank you so much for breaking down this recipe and posting it! I don’t like those gallon jugs of margarita mix either – way too sweet! So very happy to have this!
You’re welcome, Sabrina! I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try!
I love a good, fresh margarita, and your recipe sounds great, except I will not buy or use agave syrup. I would probably try coconut nectar (I know agave is flavorless, which is preferable).
Susan, I’d love to hear how it turns out with coconut nectar!
Love love love this margarita recipe! After making it for multiple gatherings this past weekend, I’ve decided this will be my go to marg recipe all summer! Took your suggestion of fresh squeezed blood orange juice instead of regular orange juice – divine!
Your blood orange version does sound delicious, Melissa! So happy to hear that you enjoyed these. :)
I had a Skinny Marg atThe Brigantine ( Escondido, Ca, near San Diego ). Very nice, but was $12.00 on the Bill. (House Margs were $5.95).
I complained; they reduced it to $6.00, but from now on i will ask how their’s are prepared. AND I will ask the price!! Lol.Thanks for a great recipe.
All the more excuse to make them at home, Patti! ;)
Patty, The brigantine has skinny’s on their happy hour menu. SO GOOD with a fish taco too. Our fav place when visiting San Diego.
I’m lame to ask but can I just use juice? Not fresh squeezed?? I’m guessing it won’t be as good :(
Kara, I am afraid fresh really makes a BIG difference in this recipe, especially for the limes. I promise it will be worth it!!!
The proportions for the individual and pitcher are not consistent.
Hi Brett! A few of the measurements for the pitcher are rounded to the nearest teaspoon for convenience, but if you’d like to multiply it more precisely, please feel free!
Too sour. I understand wanting to make a lower calorie Margarita, though. Maybe less lime juice and add a little water to balance it. 1.5 oz is alot of lime juice for one drink.
Hi Mark! Many people have enjoyed the recipe as written, but you can certainly adjust to your taste preference!
Delicious! I muddled a jalapeño in the agave, and rimmed the glass with Tahin
It’s superb!
Sounds delicious, Christina! Thanks for sharing this review!
Curious, I plugged in the ingredients into My Fitness Pal and got 172 calories per serving. I like your calorie count better. How did you configure yours?
Hi Holly! I also use My Fitness Pal, but the calorie count is just an estimate. The closest estimate will probably be yours if you’ve customized it to the specific brands and ingredients you use. I hope that helps!
I wonder if there is a way you could cut the calories down even more without sacrificing too much of the flavor… where do you think most of the calories come from? Do you think substituting half of the lime juice for a little lime la croix or lemon Perrier might do it?
PS I’m doing all lime, no orange juice.
I would love to find a way to get it at/or under 100 calories!
Just use stevia or splenda instead of agave!
Thanks for sharing this tip, Lavinia!
Hi Lindsay, most of the calories are from the tequila (about 100). The agave is the next biggest, and the lime is pretty minimal. This ingredient ratio is the one I prefer, but you’re welcome to experiment if you’d like!
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!
This was absolutely delicious. My husband and I loved it. It was very refreshing and went perfect with our healthy shrimp tacos. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Just tried this but with blood oranges and it’s a good tart drink!!! Definitely recommend
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This has become my go-to recipe for margs! I can easily adjust ingredients and customize. Like that its simple. For frozen I blended with 4 cups of ice and it was perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Hi LJ! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
What is the handheld ‘juicing’ device used in the video to get the lime and orange juice out? Where to get it?
Hi Cheryl, It’s a ceramic dome citrus juicer. You can find something similar on Amazon but I don’t think this one is available anymore. I’ve upgraded my juice to this one and love it: http://amzn.to/26fzy7K Hope this helps!
Yahoo! Delish!
Hi Casey! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was delicious!! I’m having a party this weekend and I was looking for a recipe that I could easily make into a large batch. It’s perfect :)
Hi Austin! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This margarita is super delicious and very simple to make. Love it.
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made these for my family on cinco de mayo and we all enjoyed! I added some extra lime and orange juice because they tasted a little strong. All in all I loved the freshness and will definitely make these again!
So glad you enjoyed it Catherine! Thank you for this review!
Surprisingly good and refreshing. I liked it so much better than traditional margaritas. And, less calories! Great job.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
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!
Does the ratio of ingredients change if you blend with ice to make a frozen margarita?
Hi Faith! I don’t think they would but I haven’t tried it myself. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Thanks for the tip Doug! I still think this version is pretty good!
That makes sense. I pretty much order “skinny” so that I can get fresh citrus and not that sugary, sweet and sour mix stuff that is terrible. I top my fresh margaritas with a little bit of soda water for an effervescent kick. Love it!
We have made skinny margs for awhile and they are nothing like what you’d get at a restaurant that uses sweet and sour mix. They are truly terrible! Fresh squeezed juices are the only way to go. I now prefer mine with OJ and not the Cointreau. The only problem is, they go down way too fast!
Hi Lori! Haha! So true! ;) Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m planning to make this later today. I know the measurements in the pitcher instructions are wrong – I’m assuming the 24 oz of tequila and lime juice are wrong, but the one cup is right – correct?
OK, I see what happened. I had at first tripled the recipe to 3 drinks, and then saw the pitcher recipe (which it also tripled). Are you sure about the 1 cup of lime juice for the pitcher? Seems excessive. Has anyone else tried this?
Hi Sandy! Yes! I’m sure about the 1 cup of lime juice for the pitcher. Enjoy!
Erin, made them (the pitcher) and they were great! I did add considerable more agave nectar to counteract the tartness. I like them tart – but not that tart😊! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sandy! Great to hear! Thank you!
No lie! This IS delicious. And I thought there was no substitute for Cointreau.
Hi Jessica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I always make a 47 oz of margaritas and put in freezer for “frozen” margaritas for any pop up occasion/guest. Is there any reason I couldn’t freeze this recipe like that?
Hi Debra! It seems like it could work, I just haven’t tested it out myself. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!