Frozen Margarita Recipe – A Lovely Mess

When it comes to refreshing cold drinks, frozen margaritas are at the top of the list! Fresh lime paired with your favorite tequila and triple sec create a classic frozen margarita concoction that always hits the spot on a hot summer day. This is the best frozen margarita recipe to make for your next hangout as it is easy to make, cold and refreshing, and only uses five ingredients.

You can double this recipe to make a pitcher and serve a crowd, and when it comes to frozen margarita flavor profiles, the sky is the limit, so make sure to check out some of our flavor variation suggestions below and find your favorite!

Related: Homemade Margarita Mix, Pineapple Margarita, Prickly Pear Margarita, Blood Orange Margarita, Virgin Margarita, Blue Margarita, Watermelon Margarita, Spicy Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Margarita, Frozen Mango Margaritas

What’s the best tequila for a frozen margarita?

The type of tequila you use is up to your personal taste preference, so white, silver, blanco, reposado, or añejo will all work. The better the tequila, the smoother your frozen margarita will be, so try to at least buy a mid-shelf brand like Patron versus the cheapest option.

Ingredients for a frozen margarita:

Tequila: Choose your favorite to suit your own budget and tequila tastes!

Lime juice: You can use the bottled lime juice in a pinch, but try and squeeze fresh limes if possible for the brightest tart flavor.

Triple sec: Triple sec brings a sweetness and a layer of citrus orange flavor to your margarita. You can also use Cointreau (or Grand Marnier) which is more expensive and lighter on the sugar or fresh orange juice if you want natural sweetness.

Agave nectar: Using light agave syrup provides a natural sweetener for your skinny margarita rather than using the classic simple syrup (it’s similar to honey).

Ice: Adding crushed ice cubes will give you the slushy consistency that you’ve been dreaming of! You can also sub in some frozen fruit for an additional flavor.

For your glassware, you can use either the classic margarita glasses or more of a shorter tumbler.

How to make a salt rim:

While you can use lime juice to adhere your salt to the rim of your glass, agave is a little more hearty and holds more salt than lime juice alone. When you do a salt rim, be sure to only do the outside edge so unwanted salt isn’t falling into your drink.

To make a salt-rimmed glass, add your agave to a small plate and roll the rim of the glass into the sticky substance (or run a wedge of lime around the top of the glass if using a lime). Next, dip the sticky rim onto a plate with a layer of either margarita salt, course kosher salt, or course sea salt so the salt sticks to the tacky surface (try zesting a lime or orange peel into your salt as well for an extra zing). You can always salt just half the glass rim so that way guests can use either side depending on whether or not they enjoy a salted rim.

There are a few simple bar tools that will make your homemade frozen margarita experience simpler and quicker. I recommend a handheld citrus squeezer, a measuring shot glass and countertop blender.

Instructions for making a frozen margarita:

Add your ingredients to a countertop blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into margarita glasses (optionally rimmed with salt) and garnish with a lime wedge.

TIP: If your drink looks too “loose” and not slushy enough, add a little more ice and blend again until desired thickness is achieved. If it ever gets too thick to drink or pour, add a little more of each liquid ingredient and blend again.

Variations on a frozen margarita:

Limeade frozen margarita: In place of the fresh lime juice, try a can of frozen limeade concentrate instead!

Strawberry frozen margarita: Sub out half the ice for frozen strawberries to make a berry flavored treat.

Mango frozen margarita: Try our frozen mango recipe for a tropical variation on the classic.

Hibiscus frozen margarita: This delicious cocktail uses homemade hibiscus syrup for a unique flavor and a vibrant color.

Avocado frozen margarita: For a creamier margarita, add some avocado to your recipe!