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Watermelon Margaritas are the ultimate warm-weather cocktail. They're light, refreshing, and giving off all the summer vibes. Serve them at backyard barbecues, poolside afternoons, or as a fun kickoff to a weekend happy hour with friends. They’re just the right mix of fruity and festive, making them a go-to drink when you want something that feels special but is super simple to make.
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These margaritas are also incredibly food-friendly, pairing well with all kinds of summer snacks and small bites. Think salty homemade tortilla chips with restaurant-style salsa or a bright black bean mango salsa. They also go great with a tray of pineapple pork tacos or mushroom tacos so the spices can help to balance out the sweetness of the margs.
Each ingredient in this recipe plays a key role in creating a balanced, flavorful margarita that doesn’t rely on artificial mixers or lots of added sugar. Fresh watermelon provides natural sweetness and a gorgeous pink hue, making it the perfect fresh fruit base. Lime juice adds brightness and acidity, enhancing the watermelon’s flavor while bringing that classic margarita tang. A touch of orange-flavored liqueur adds depth and a subtle citrusy sweetness, rounding out the sharpness of the lime.
Whether you're celebrating the weekend or just soaking up the sun, this easy watermelon margarita recipe will bring a little extra joy to the table. Make a big batch the next time you're hosting a summer party or shake up a couple just for you and a friend. They're the perfect margarita for a hot summer day.
What's in a Watermelon Margarita
- Silver tequila - Blanco tequila (aka silver tequila) lets the watermelon flavor stand out in this recipe. If you have a strong preference for reposado tequila, feel free to use that.
- Watermelon juice - Make this yourself in less than 5 minutes by blending fresh seedless watermelon and straining the watermelon puree through a fine mesh strainer. Store-bought watermelon juice has other flavors in it that don't work as well as fresh watermelon juice. >Get detailed instructions for making watermelon juice
- Orange liqueur - Choose your favorite depending on budget and personal preferences. Triple sec, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier are all good choices.
- Simple syrup - This adds a nice, clean sweetness to your margarita. You can easily make simple syrup at home with just 2 ingredients and a microwave. (Get all the details on my simple syrup recipe page.) Feel free to you agave syrup instead, if you prefer.
- Lime - Fresh lime juice is the difference between a good margarita and a great one, so skip the bottled lime juice and squeeze fresh lime for this drink. You'll need about 1 lime per cocktail.
- Coarse Salt (garnish) - If you don't like a salted rim on your margarita, feel free to swap this out for sugar or a sugar/lime zest combination.
How to Make Watermelon Margaritas (Step by Step)
Run a slice of lime around the top of a rocks glass.
Pour some coarse salt onto a small plate and dip the rim of your glass into the salt. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine tequila, watermelon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lime juice.
Shake well and strain into your prepared glass.
Garnish with a fresh lime wedge or lime wheel, or even a small piece of watermelon.
Sip and enjoy!
Make it a Frozen Margarita
Turn this summer cocktail into a frozen watermelon margarita by substituting a half cup of frozen watermelon chunks for the watermelon juice. Add your cocktail ingredients into a blender instead of a cocktail shaker along with a quarter cup (small handful) of ice cubes. Blend until smooth and pour into a salt-rimmed glass.
Make it a Mocktail
Turn this delicious margarita into a watermelon margarita mocktail by using fresh orange juice in place of the triple sec and swapping out the tequila for club soda. In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine watermelon juice, fresh orange juice, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Shake well and strain into your prepared glass. Top with club soda. Stir, sip and enjoy!
Make Homemade Watermelon Juice
Blend up fresh watermelon cubes into a quick watermelon juice that's free from added sweetener and other extra ingredients. Check out my step by step instructions on my how to make watermelon juice page. It's quick and easy to do!
Don't Miss These Margaritas
I love a good margarita and have so many variations on this website! Try my super popular coconut margarita or fresh strawberry margarita. Want something different? Try a prickly pear margarita or an elderflower margarita.
Happy Hour Snack Pairings
Make it a Mexican-themed happy hour with some of my favorite snack recipes. Whip up a batch of my 5 minute blender salsa or creamy refried bean dip. Want to really impress your taste buds? Make some black bean mango salsa and serve it with homemade tortilla chips.
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Fresh Watermelon Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz silver tequila
- 2 oz watermelon juice
- 0.5 oz triple sec
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- 0.75 oz lime juice
Instructions
- Run a slice of lime around the top of a rocks glass.
- Pour some coarse salt onto a small plate and dip the rim of the glass into the salt. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine tequila, watermelon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lime juice.2 oz silver tequila, 2 oz watermelon juice, 0.5 oz triple sec, 0.75 oz simple syrup, 0.75 oz lime juice
- Shake well and strain into your prepared glass.
- Garnish with a fresh lime wedge or lime wheel, or even a small piece of watermelon.
- Sip and enjoy!
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