The Best Margarita Recipe – 3 Ingredient Margaritas ๐น
If I had a signature cocktail, it would be this 3 ingredient margarita. It is so easy to make the best margarita recipe with just three ingredients and not a single drop of a store-bought margarita mix. This is a lime margarita on the rocks but it easily can be adapted to a pineapple, peach, or even strawberry margarita.
For those who know me, they know I love cocktails of all sorts. But when it comes to cocktails at home, the easier the better but not at the cost of flavor. And this is why I love this simple margarita recipe.
3 Ingredients for the Perfect Margarita
Like any margarita, tequila is a no-duh ingredient for these margaritas, but I also have an opinion on the kind of tequila. Here are the ingredients you need for this perfect margarita on the rocks.
- Tequila – Silver tequila is where it is at for me when it comes to tequila. I always have a bottle of Milagro in the fridge ready for margaritas to be made.
- Cointreau – Orange liqueur is key to a margarita. For years I was cheap and bought triple sec. Then I was introduced to the brown square bottle of Cointreau. It is worth the money. Get the big bottle and put it in the fridge.
- Limeade – Now I am looking for easy so I buy bottles of Simply Limeade. But you could easily squeeze lime juice and mix it with simple syrup to make your own limeade.
Now, for the margarita garnish you will need:
- Salt – Margarita salt is larger grained salt. This is perfect for dipping the wet rim of the margarita glass into.
- Limes – Sliced limes are the perfect garnish and also wet the rim of a margarita glass perfectly.
See the margarita recipe card for quantities.
How to make the Best Margaritas
Margaritas are a shaken not stirred. Here is how to make the easiest margarita recipe that can be salted or not.
Slice the limes and run along the rim of the glass. Then dip the glass in salt for salted margairtas. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker, add ice followed by the 2 parts tequila, 1 part Cointreau, and 4 parts limeade. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds.
Add ice to the margarita glasses and pour the shaken margaritas through a strainer over the ice.
Garnish with the limes and enjoy the best margarita you have ever had.
You definitely can make these margaritas by the pitcher and not just by the glass. Feel free to make this in large batches.
Hint: leave the margarita mix or sweet and sour mix out of the margarita. Limeade will do the trick.
Variations to the Best Margarita Recipe
Everyone has their favorite flavor of margarita. Here are ideas on how to take this base margarita recipe and change up the flavors.
- Pineapple Margaritas– add 2 parts pineapple juice and reduce the limeade to just 4 parts and follow the same directions. Garnish with lime and pineapple slices.
- Spicy Margaritas – add sliced fresh jalapenos to the cocktail shaker for a spicy margarita. Then garnish with a few pieces.
- Frozen Strawberry Margaritas – add a half cup of frozen strawberries and the remaining ingredients with a half cup ice to a blender and make a frozen strawberry margarita.
See this spicy version of this recipe on my website! (placeholder for in-content link)
Home Bar Equipment
Equipping your home bar is essential. Here are my favorite home bar items.
Top Tip for the Best Cocktails
Chill all of your ingredients including alcohol to keep the flavors the best by not getting the ice to melt quickly and water down the drinks.
FAQ
Everyone has their favorite tequila, but if you are new to buying tequila, I recommend a silver tequila in the mid-price range of $30 for a good quality, smooth-drinking tequila. Milagro is my go-to brand.
More Great Drinks
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Girl’s night snacks
These are my favorite appetizers to have with the best margaritas ever!
The Best Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 shots silver tequila
- 1 shot Cointreau
- 4 shots limeade
- 1 lime
- margarita salt
Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice and fill it with tequila, Cointreau, and limeade.
- Shake until condensation begins to form on the outside of the shaker.
- Pour the lime margarita over ice in margarita glass that has been rimmed with salt.
- Garnish with a lime slice.
Nutrition
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