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    Home » Recipes » Cocktail Recipes

    Refreshing Triple Citrus Margarita

    Modified: Apr 30, 2025 · Published: Oct 27, 2019 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

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    Skip to Recipe Watch the Video
    Citrus Margaritas.

    Bright and refreshing, this Citrus Margarita recipe is the perfect tequila cocktail to sip with your favorite happy hour snack, on Taco Tuesdays, or to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

    A hand holding a citrus margarita.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients 
    • How to Make a Citrus Margarita
    • How to Serve Citrus Margaritas
    • Looking for More Delicious Margarita Recipes?
    • Tips on Using Citrus in Your Cocktails
    • More Delicious Tequila Cocktail Recipes You'll Love
    • Print the Recipe Card
    • Citrus Margaritas

    There are many margarita recipes on this website, but this citrus margarita recipe ranks as my favorite. It’s the one I make whenever I’m asked to bring margaritas for family taco night or simply want good margaritas for happy hour. 

    A step beyond the classic margarita, we’re combining fresh citrus juices for a triple citrus drink  that will be the best homemade margarita you’ve ever made. 

    Skip the margarita mix (forever!) and make a delicious round of these citrus margaritas. Made with lots of fresh-squeezed juice from fresh citrus, the flavor in this delicious cocktail is bright and refreshing. 

    Ingredients 

    Ingredients for triple citrus margaritas.
    • Fresh grapefruit, lime and orange - Squeeze a fresh citrus fruit for this recipe. Using fresh juice instead of bottle juice is the biggest difference between a good margarita and a great one. Make fresh citrus a priority in your drinks!
    • Silver tequila or blanco tequila - I prefer the flavor of silver (clear) tequila in this recipe, but if gold tequila is your preference, then go for it!
    • Orange liqueur or triple sec - This adds a sweet orange flavor. If you want to reduce the liquor content in your margarita, you can swap the orange liqueur out for my orange simple syrup.
    • Simple syrup - You can make your simple syrup days before you're planning to have these citrus margaritas. Get the recipe on my simple syrup recipe page - you only need white sugar and water!
    • Coarse salt (for garnish) - I love a salted rim, but it you don't - skip it!

    How to Make a Citrus Margarita

    Run a lime wedge - cut side down - around the rim of the glass. Pour salt into a shallow dish and gently run the rim of your glass through the salt.

    The rim of a glass being dipped in a shallow dish of salt.

    Fill the glass with ice and set aside.

    Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

    Lime juice being poured into a cocktail shaker.

    Shake well and strain into your prepared glass. 

    Sip and enjoy! 

    A glass of citrus margarita.

    How to Serve Citrus Margaritas

    • Garnish: While the salt rim - or sugar rim, if you prefer - definitely counts as garnish, feel free to add on one or two citrus wedges, orange slices, or lime wheels to up your garnish game.
    • These citrus margaritas are designed to be served “on the rocks” over lots and lots of ice cubes (or one giant ice cube). If you absolutely MUST have a frozen cocktail, make this drink as instructed - including pouring it over ice - then dump the whole thing into the blender and blend until smooth.

    Looking for More Delicious Margarita Recipes?

    Two of my favorite twists on the classic margarita are these watermelon margaritas (perfect for summer!) and the slightly floral elderflower margarita. Or make a Spicy Pineapple Margarita with fresh jalapeños or a Blood Orange Margarita with raspberry oranges.

    • A rocks glass filled with watermelon margarita, garnished with fresh lime and watermelon slices.
      Fresh Watermelon Margarita Recipe
    • Elderflower Margaritas
      Easy Elderflower Margarita Recipe
    • Margarita
      Classic Margarita Recipe with Fresh Lime
    • Glasses filled with spicy pineapple margaritas.
      Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Margarita

    Tips on Using Citrus in Your Cocktails

    What kind of orange liqueur should I use? 

    I prefer Cointreau over Grand Marnier for the orange liqueur in my margaritas. You can use triple sec if that’s better for your budget or what you have on hand. If you don't want to use liqueur, you can swap it out for my orange simple syrup.

    Where can I buy simple syrup? 

    You make it! Combine ½ cup hot water with ½ cup white sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then let the mixture cool completely in the refrigerator before using it. Simple syrup will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge, so feel free to make it ahead of time.  

    Should I use white grapefruit or red grapefruit? 

    This is completely up to you. I use red/pink grapefruit in my citrus margaritas, so that’s what the recipe is written with. If you can’t find any or prefer a more tart drink, use white grapefruit. 

    What kind of oranges should I use? 

    There are so many different types of orange available, especially during winter citrus season, so feel free to experiment. As written, the recipe is made with navel oranges. Cara cara oranges are sweeter, have amazing flavor, and would be a delicious swap in this recipe. 

    Sliced of grapefruit, lemon, orange and lime.

    More Delicious Tequila Cocktail Recipes You'll Love

    • Glasses of Paloma cocktails garnished with large slices of grapefruit.
      Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail Recipe
    • A glass of strawberry margarita.
      Fresh Strawberry Margarita On The Rocks
    • Prickly Pear Margarita
      Prickly Pear Margarita Recipe
    • A glass of frozen mango margaritas.
      Easy Frozen Mango Margaritas without Ice

    Print the Recipe Card

    A glass of citrus margarita.

    Citrus Margaritas

    Katy McAvoy
    Delicious and refreshing, Citrus Margaritas use three citrus fruits - orange, lime and grapefruit - to create the perfect tequila cocktail to sip with your favorite chips and salsa.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Servings 1 cocktail

    Equipment

    • Cocktail Shaker
    • Jigger
    • Rocks Glasses
    • Citrus Reamer
    • Citrus Press

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 oz grapefruit juice fresh squeezed
    • 2 oz lime juice fresh squeezed
    • 1 oz orange juice fresh squeezed
    • 2 oz silver tequila
    • 0.5 oz triple sec or orange liqueur
    • 1.5 oz simple syrup
    • Salt

    Instructions
     

    • Prep your glass by running a slice of lime around the rim of your glass. Pour salt into a shallow dish and gently run the rim of your glass through the salt.
      Salt
    • Fill your prepared glass with ice cubes. Set aside.
    • Combine remaining ingredients together in a cocktail shaker full of ice.
      2 oz grapefruit juice, 2 oz lime juice, 1 oz orange juice, 2 oz silver tequila, 0.5 oz triple sec, 1.5 oz simple syrup
    • Shake well and strain it into your prepared glass.
    • Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    Fresh squeezed juice is super important in this drink. 
    For the simple syrup, combine ½ cup hot water with ½ cup white sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Chill the mixture completely before using. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 28mgPotassium: 246mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 89IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

    I love when you share my recipes!

    262 shares

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com and Homemade Happy Hour. Since 2017, she's been crafting recipes for easy-to-make cocktails and delicious snacks while sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ruth Moore says

      October 28, 2019 at 10:42 am

      It sounds and looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Martha Beckman says

        September 26, 2020 at 11:15 pm

        This is one of the most refreshing and delicious cocktails I have had in a long time! So yummy!

        Reply
    2. Jaenell says

      March 20, 2021 at 6:40 pm

      This is seriously the best margarita I’ve ever had. I have dreams about this margarita. And it’s so easy to make. If I could give it 10 stars, I would ????

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy says

        March 20, 2021 at 7:48 pm

        So happy to hear this! Cheers!

        Reply
    Katy McAvoy, mixologist and photographer

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that everyone deserves a delicious drink. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

    More about me →

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