A spicy margarita recipe that is the perfect sidekick to so many of your favorite Mexican-inspired dinners! This jalapeño margarita recipe has the perfect amount of spicy pepper flavor – just enough kick, but not-too-much!
You don’t have to head to your favorite Mexican restaurant to get the spicy heat you’re craving – make a spicy margarita right in your own kitchen.
I’m back with another installment in the margarita chronicles! This time it’s Jalapeño Margaritas. If you like all things sweet and spicy, hold on to your horses and get ready to pour the tequila – this one’s for you!
You know my never-ending love for margaritas! I recently shared a complete margarita recipe guide filled to the brim with delicious recipes and tips, as well as my tequila guide to help you choose the perfect tequila for all your celebrations.
I don’t know about you, but we like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo all year long around our house – check out my full Cinco de Mayo menu while you’re here!
Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas
When I was working on this spicy jalapeño margarita recipe, I knew I needed to find the best balance. I wanted a little fire, but not so much that it makes you sweat while you’re drinking it.
Cocktails should be FUN, not so spicy that you get tears in your eyes!
I’m happy to say that I nailed it with this recipe, and I think you’re going to love it! It’s a spicy jalapeño margarita that is perfectly sweet, sour, and spicy – without all the calories.
It’s a spicy skinny margarita variation of my ever popular Skinny Margarita (over 155,000 satisfied “customers”).
This is a skinny spicy margarita everyone can sip and savor because it comes in at under 150 calories a glass!
Why You’ll Love these Spicy Margaritas
It’s so easy to make your own homemade margaritas. Once you make a fresh one, you’ll never want to go back to a pre-mixed bottle!
- They’re low calorie – That’s right, this jalapeño margarita recipe is actually a skinnier version of my traditional homemade margarita. It’s made with agave nectar and touches of fruit juice, so it’s light on calories but BIG on flavor.
- They’re incredibly quick – just 5 minutes from start to finish
- Full of fresh flavor – you’ll never use a store-bought mix again (try my homemade margarita mix!)
Let’s fill a cocktail shaker and get started!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice – Okay, just purchasing lime juice will do. I have a juicer attachment for my mixer that makes fresh lime juice a breeze, but I often use bottled lime juice, too, depending on what we happen to have in the fridge. Either way it’s so much better than a pre-bottled mix.
- Orange Juice – It doesn’t take much! Of course freshly squeezed juice is always best but you’re welcome to use whatever you have.
- Agave Nectar – This is the light and sweet way to get all the flavor you crave in your margarita, without all the calories of simple syrup or sweet and sour mixes! You can substitute with simple syrup if you prefer.
- Good Quality Tequila – The tequila you choose can enhance or detract from the flavor. Be sure to read which tequila will best suit your needs in my tequila guide!
- Jalapeno – Learn how to slice a jalapeno here.
- Ice – So simple, but I promise it’s my secret weapon in our ongoing quest to seek the perfect margarita recipe. It’s the simplest thing that makes all the difference in the world!
Variations
- Simple syrup – Add flavored syrup, like mango, watermelon or pineapple simple syrup.
- Honey – Substitute agave with 1 ounce of honey to sweeten it.
- Cilantro – Add 3 sprigs of cilantro for a refreshing flavor mix.
- Use Tajin Seasoning to Rim
- Egg White – Make it foamy by adding an egg white.
- Orange Liqueur – Give it an extra kick by replacing the orange juice with 1 ounce of orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier to make more of a Cadillac margarita.
How to Make
- Rim a Glass – Rim a glass with lime juice or simple syrup and salt.
- Prep – Fill glasses with ice and slice or dice your jalapeños.
- Combine – In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine tequila, lime juice, orange juice and agave nectar along with sliced jalapeño.
- Shake – Give it a vigorous shake to really get that jalapeno flavor throughout!
- Strain into margarita glasses with salted rims over ice.
- Garnish with a lime wedge, or if you’re really brave, extra jalapeño slices!
How to Rim a Glass
A salt rimmed glass isn’t a requirement for a delicious jalapeno margarita on the rocks, but it’s definitely an enhancement you don’t want to skip!
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a glass.
- Dip in thick flakes of kosher salt or margarita salt.
- Want to spice it up? Add a little chili powder to your salt!
Tips
- Make it Less Spicy – Remove the membranes and seeds of the jalapeños to make it a bit less spicy. The membrane is the hottest part of the pepper. To remove it, cut the top off of the jalapeño, slice it in half longways and cut or scoop it out.
- Get the Most Juice – To get the most juice out of your limes and oranges, roll them around on a counter with the palm of your hand before slicing in half to squeeze. After squeezing three times, press the back of a spoon to release the remaining juice.
- Learn how to set up a Margarita Bar for the ultimate fiesta! Guests can serve themselves and customize each cocktail.
- If you want the ultimate crushed ice for your margaritas (or any drink!) check out our countertop ice maker. It’s the PERFECT soft ice for cocktails!
- My recipes include an easy slider bar that helps you navigate more or less servings! This makes your party planning so easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This jalapeno margarita recipe is a perfectly balanced combination of bright, vibrant citrus flavor and the spicy, rich and bold flavor of jalapenos. If you love margaritas, you’ve got to try one. It might just be your new favorite!
Quick answer? No! Triple sec, is an orange liqueur that adds fruity flavor to your Margarita. However, if you’re making a margarita from scratch, there are plenty of other ways to get that flavor addition, like real fresh fruit juice and great tequila!
More Spicy Inspiration
Spicy Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces tequila
- 3 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed (1.5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice freshly squeezed (.5 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar
- ¼ jalapeno pepper fresh, sliced
- crushed ice
Instructions
- Rim a glass with lime juice or simple syrup and salt.
- Fill glasses with ice and slice or dice your jalapeños.
- In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine tequila, lime juice, orange juice and agave nectar along with sliced jalapeño.
- Give it a vigorous shake to really get that jalapeno flavor throughout!
- Strain into margarita glasses.
- Garnish with a lime wedge, or if you’re really brave, extra jalapeño slices!
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice – Substitute 100% Real Lime Juice purchased in the produce section.
- Orange Juice – Freshly squeeze or store bought.
- Agave Nectar – You can substitute with simple syrup or honey if you prefer.
Variations
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Watermelon
- Honey – Substitute agave with 1 ounce of honey to sweeten it.
- Cilantro – Add 3 sprigs of cilantro for a refreshing flavor mix.
- Sugar the Rim
- Use Tajin Seasoning to Rim
- Rim with Chile Salt – To make a spicy salt, combine 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder.
- Make it Pretty – Use pink Himalayan salt to salt the rim.
- Egg White – Make it foamy by adding an egg white.
- Orange Liqueur – Give it an extra kick by replacing the orange juice with 1 ounce of orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
Tips
- Make it Less Spicy – Remove the membranes and seeds of the jalapeños to make it a bit less spicy. The membrane is the hottest part of the pepper. To remove it, cut the top off of the jalapeño, slice it in half longways and cut or scoop it out.
- Get the Most Juice – To get the most juice out of your limes and oranges, roll them around on a counter with the palm of your hand before slicing in half to squeeze. After squeezing three times, press the back of a spoon to release the remaining juice.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Our favorite spicy marg!
I used jalapeño infused tequila which made it much easier and 1/2 of the amount of agave and it was still very sweet. I’ll use 1/3 of the recommended agave to sweeten next time. The fresh orange juice was a great call!
This was delicious. What a great combo of flavors! Leveled up my drink for sure.
It’s sweet and spicy just the way I like it! It’s perfect with the shrimp tacos that I made last weekend. Thank you and this is definitely one of my favorite margarita recipes!
This was so simple to make, such a vibrant margarita. I loved the kick of spicy and then the sweetness. This was awesome, thank you.
Thank you, Lily! Cheers!