Skinny Margaritas
Super fresh, skinny margaritas made with fresh lime, orange, agave nectar and tequila. It's truly "The Best Margarita You'll Ever Have."
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Margaritas. I have conflicting feelings about them. On one hand, the mere thought of sipping on a margarita made with the standard supbar restaurant’s powdered sweet-and-sour mix gives me a stomachache.
On the other, the idea of a naturally sweetened, fresh margarita made with real lime juice makes me want to jump up and down. Truly, they are two entirely different animals.
When I was asked to contribute to A Cup of Jo’s “The Best ____ You’ll Ever Have” series, I decided to try my hand at perfecting the real-deal margaritas that I so enjoy.
I took this task very seriously, of course. Copious amounts of tequila were consumed in my quest to create a margarita recipe that stands up to the audacious title of “The Best Margarita You’ll Ever Have.” You’ll find my perfected recipe below!
Watch How to Make Margaritas
After narrowing down the proportions of lime to tequila to sweetener, I invited my friend Emily over to help me finalize the margarita recipe. She happily obliged. We played around with the ingredients, made a big mess, sampled a lot of margaritas, got tipsy and, finally, landed on the perfect margarita.
The secret to the perfect margarita, we discovered, is to skip Cointreau/orange liqueur altogether and replace it with freshly squeezed orange juice. The difference is remarkable.
On Wednesday, to celebrate, I made these margaritas for my friends Alissa and Jordan. I poured the margaritas into their glasses and awaited their reactions. Their eyes lit up on first sip, and each proclaimed, “No really, this is the best margarita I’ve ever had!” It was just what I wanted to hear.
I really couldn’t be more delighted to be featured on A Cup of Jo. Thank you, Joanna! I wish you all a wonderful weekend with many margaritas.
Skinny Margaritas
Super fresh, skinny margaritas made with fresh lime juice, orange juice and agave nectar. The best margarita you’ll ever have!
Ingredients
- Kosher salt or coarsely ground sea salt
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) silver tequila
- 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons/about 1 ½ small limes) fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons/about ½ of a medium orange) fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon light agave nectar
- 1 lime wedge or round, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour a layer of salt onto a small plate (preferably one just slightly larger than the top of your margarita glass). Slice off a small piece of lime and run the wet edge of the slice along half of the rim of your glass. Dip the top of the glass into the salt at a 45-degree angle and roll it from side to side to catch the salt. Add ice cubes to your glass and set it aside.
- Fill a small cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the tequila, freshly squeezed lime and orange juice and agave nectar. Put on the lid and shake for 30 seconds. Strain the liquid into your glass and garnish with a slice of lime.
Notes
Recommended tequila: Use 100% agave tequila labeled white, silver or blanco. I recommend Milagro, Hornitos or Espolón.
Salted rim considerations: Consider lining the rim of just half your glass with salt so you can control how much salt you taste with each sip (that’s a great tip I picked up from a recent issue of Bon Appetit). If you’d prefer a light sprinkling of salt all around the rim, just pour a very thin layer of salt onto your plate and run the lime slice around the entire rim of the margarita glass. The nutrition information below does not include the salt on the rim because the amount consumed is highly variable (and the salt is optional).
Juicing tips: I’ve found that the easiest way to juice limes is with this hand-held juicer (the yellow one). Citrus at room temperature is easier to juice than cold citrus, so take your limes and oranges out of the fridge an hour in advance. Here’s another tip, from Brenda, a reader: Before you slice the citrus, roll it back and forth on cutting board, pressing slightly. Then cut it in half lengthwise, not across! You will get up to ⅓ more juice that way.
Want to make a pitcher of margaritas? For 10 drinks (about 45 ounces, or 5 ½ cups), combine 2 ½ cups silver tequila, generous 1 ¾ cup fresh lime juice (around 15 limes), 1 ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about 5 medium oranges) and 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light agave nectar. Mix well, and add ice. Don’t forget to garnish your rims with lime rounds and coarse salt.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Fun Margarita Variations
Keep in mind that fruit contributes liquid and sweetness, so you might want to reduce the amount of agave nectar found in the original recipe:
- Muddle a few pieces of juicy fruit like strawberries, peaches, watermelon or mango at the bottom of your shaker before adding ice and the other ingredients.
- You can muddle up fresh herbs, like a couple of basil or cilantro leaves, for garden-fresh flavor or add a skinny slice of serrano or jalapeño pepper for heat. Strawberry basil (not shown) and grapefruit serrano (shown in the photo above, on the left) are both great combinations.
- Add a small splash of fruit juice or even jam/compote to your shaker. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is one of my favorites because it cuts through the flavor of the tequila. Pomegranate or cranberry juice would be festive during the holidays.
- For a fruity frozen margarita, blend the basic margarita ingredients in a blender along with 1/2 cup frozen fruit (blueberry margaritas are my favorite, shown in the photo above, on the right) and a few ice cubes. Serve over a couple of ice cubes to slow the melting.
- Have fun with your rim salt. Mix in raw sugar or spices, like ground cinnamon or chili powder, to add an extra layer of complexity to your drink.
Lastly, if you’re looking for a good meal (enchiladas! fajitas!) or snacks (nachos, quesadillas) to complement your margaritas, check out my Mexican recipes. I have more margarita variations here, too!
I have a love affair with everything tequila, so I’ll have to give this a try. Then I’ll use tangerines which I love in a Margarita and compare.
Oh boy, I’d love to hear how your tangerine version turns out!
Wow! This looks amazingly simple! I have a bag of Cuties I need to use up…guess what I’m going to do with them?? Thank you for sharing…
Perfect! Enjoy!
made last night so yummy, my friend and I enjoyed blended awesome
Thanks, Patience!
Great recipe! I dislike most margaritas–too sweet, too many fake flavors, and seriously, triple sec? More fake flavor. Eww. I loved the fresh, lightly sweetened flavors of this. Plus, I love the fact that I always have these ingredients on hand. Hello, margaritas anytime I want :) Thank you, Kate!
Cheers to margaritas anytime you want! Sounds like we have the same margarita preferences. Thanks, Antonia!
I shared this as my only drink recipe on my Cinco de Mayo recipe round up!!
http://smallstepsofchange.com/2015/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-recipe-roundup/
Thanks!!!
Awesome! Thank you for the link love, Aileen!
Following my second sip I exclaimed, “This is the best margarita I have ever had!” It’s so true. Thank you for this recipe. It has been the highlight of my Cinco de Mayo!
Yesssss! Thanks, Laura!
I’ve made these twice now by the pitcher and they’re delicious!! Plus I save so many calories with this recipe :) I do also juice a grapefruit or two to add to the pitcher. Love it, thanks!!
Awesome! Thank you, Sharon! Grapefruit and tequila go so well together.
I had me at “fresh lime,” “no liqueur” and “silver tequila” (Hornitos is my brand). After drinking 75¢ margi’s in Mex made with fresh lime juice, nothing fake will do!
Perfect! Now I want a 75 cent margarita! ;)
This is truly a perfect margarita. I make it quite often and add either jalapeño or serrano chili slices for a little kick.
Thank you, Ginger! I love spicy margaritas, too!
This is hands down the best margarita I’ve ever had. Period. I made this on a hot and sweaty NYC summer evening and am beyond satisfied with the fresh and clean flavors. We didn’t have any agave in the house and it was still incredible! Thank you! You’ve earned my full trust in deliciousness! Can’t wait to try more!
Hip hip hooray! Thank you, Sarah!
After being completely unimpressed with restaurant style margaritas, I wanted to find a recipe that actually tasted like a margarita, not sweet&sour mix on the rocks. I can’t believe how incredible this margarita is…truly the best. Unfortunately, you’ve ruined all other margaritas for me, but in the long run, totally worth it. So, thank you for the research…it read as though it was a pretty rough process; all that drinking and testing. Ha!
Question: I want to make this recipe for a large party as a pre-made mixer via a pitcher–pour over ice, enjoy. Glad you included a recipe for this exact request, but I’m wondering how the light agave will mix not being shaken? Plan is to combine all liquids in a pitcher, stir, keep in the fridge, then others can pour straight from the pitcher over ice. Any issues stirring ingredients vice using the shaker as used for smaller batches?
Thank you, Zachariah! Glad you’re with me on the margarita front. Great question re: pitcher. I’m not exactly sure, but to be safe, I’d suggest using a whisk to mix the agave in with some of the other liquid. That should do it.
Great recipe. But, the recommendation of Patron tequila is suspect, at best. It is the budweiser of mid level premium tequilas. No character at all. Even El Jimador would be a better choice. But, Casa Noble, Don Julio, Cuervo Platino, Corralejos, and so many others are far better choices.
Hi Kate!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. We are hooked. I’m rather upset though…I don’t think I can ever go back to those sugary Mexican-restaurant margaritas again! You have surely made my life more complicated I shared the recipe and agreed to make them for everyone for Thanksgiving break. I’ll be sure to let them know where I got them from!
Sincerely,
Kelsey
Sunflower Gliders
Thank you, Kelsey, for sharing the real-deal margarita experience! Glad you enjoy them so much!
I am hosting my family at Christmas we are having a Mexican feast. I will be making a variety of your margaritas.
Oh, how fun! Enjoy!
Just wondering if anyone has tried this with honey instead of agave?
Hi Linda, honey is a little tricky to use in cocktails because it doesn’t like to incorporate with the other ingredients. (It usually just sinks to the bottom of the glass.) Maple syrup would work well, or you can make honey simple syrup by combining equal parts honey and water in a small saucepan and warming just until the two mix together.
If using the honey simple syrup, would you use the same amount as listed for agave? I haven’t used agave, so I don’t know what the sweetness proportions would be like.
Giving these a shot poolside tonight! Can’t wait.
We absolutely love the blood orange version of these margaritas! I knew I bought that juicer two years ago for a reason. We just can’t get enough of these. On Sunday food prep day, I play bartender while my wife does all the weekly fresh food preparation. Now we both have a meaningful position in the kitchen. Thanks so much!
I love that! Thank you for letting me know, Daryl. Cheers to you both!
Beautiful photos! Unfortunately, this recipe came out way too sour for my group. We ended up cutting the line juice to 1ounce and increasing the agave to 2 (generous) teaspoons. Most of us opted to add a 1/2 ounce of orange liqueur as well. But the fresh juice was really great in these cocktails, and it was just the proportions that needed adjusting.
Credentials as margarita judges – 5 gay Texans and 1 gay Floridian drinking. ;)
I was looking for a healthy margarita recipe and yours hit the spot! I have also found several recipes I am looking forward to trying- love your fresh, healthy recipes and ideas!
I made these margaritas with my boyfriend and I for dinner tonight and they were the best skinny margs I have ever tasted! They were the best margaritas I have ever made! Every time I took a sip I couldn’t help but let out a “Mmmmmmm”! The limes we got weren’t very juicy so I had some cuties that we squeezed in the mix. Delicious! I am definitely keeping this recipe in my file! Thank you!
Just made this! It is sooo delicious and refreshing. Definitely a game changer when it comes to margaritas!!
My sisters and I always add orange juice to our margs but have never thought of omitting the orange liqueur.
I’d like to make these for a party. Is 45 ounces of tequila the correct amount for 10 drinks? That would be 4.5 ounces in one drink, right?
That’s too much tequila. 45 ounces is the total yield for the pitcher. Use 2 1/2 cups tequila, which is 20 ounces.
Thanks for clearing that up for me!!
Hello! I am working on a cocktail list for my blog and after some tastings trial and error I discovered that I LOVE your skinny recipe! May I link your page to my site? We are just starting off and find a lot of inspiration from your blog :)
I has no idea what to expect with this… All I can say is WOW. It’s fantastic!!! One of the best margaritas I’ve ever had. How can I only have one?! (I took your recommendation and got the Hornitos – delicious!) Excellent recipe.
I saw this recipe about a month ago. I was surprised at how easily I found organic light agave nectar at my local Meijer store. I also used organic limes and orange. I already knew silver tequila is one of the least bad alcohols for you. So, if you are going to indulge, you can feel a little less guilty.
I finally made this recipe today sans salt (because salt makes me swell) and OMG, this is the best margarita I have ever had!!
Thank you so much for your “hard” (lol) work perfecting this recipe. I can’t wait to share it with my mom and sister!!
Best margaritas. Just the right mix of tart, fruit and sweet. Bad name…”Skinny Margaritas”…makes it sound like a girly drink, which it’s not. Good job and thanks for the research!
You are not kidding when you say this is best margarita ever! I love how clean it tastes!!!! Thank you!
Hi! I’m trying to guess the oz of your serving. Sorry if I missed it somewhere!
I’m addicted! ❤ this recipe, easy to make & it’s tasty! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
The BEST! I used Stevia instead of Agave and made a pitcher. So good! My new go-to margarita recipe. Thank you
Sounds great, T!
I’m obsessed with margaritas, so I can’t wait to try yours. That fresh sour mix is calling my name. My list is running rather long from #margaritaweek 2017 so far! xoxo
Thanks, Melissa! I hope you love them as much as I do.
Maybe silly but alter I figured out that there are US and UK ounces I always laugh reading recipes :P You can see it too at e.g. https://infoandknowledge.com/many-ounces-gallon/
Thanks!
Absolutely loved making these!! We had a bunch of limes leftover from a party the other day and this recipe was absolutely perfect for using them all up! I love the grapefruit idea for next time!! Thank you so much for creating this recipe. I’ll never use syrup/premix again!!!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m glad they were a hit. I appreciate the review.
I LOVE this recipe. I don’t even think of it as skinny, it’s just the best margarita ever! Way better than restaurants or bars – who knew that fresh OJ is way better than that orange liquor they use? Sometimes I have it original, sometimes I like to add blended frozen strawberry, which is also great and I highly recommend it! Both you and gimmesomeoven have similar recipes for these skinny margaritas, and I have to say, I’ve never had anything better, and everyone should try this, honestly! Thanks Kate, for yet another amazing recipe :)
Well, thank you Samantha for saying so!
Margaritas are my drink. And I have been making them many ways for years. At home from scratch. I love this addition of the fresh OJ! Game changer for sure! I ordered your cookbook last week from your amazon link and I can’t wait to make your fav granola and some others that look tasty!! Thanks for making great tasting recipes from natural ingredients!!
Thanks for the support and commenting, Page! You can’t go wrong with a good margarita.
LOVE the recipe, but the caloric info link isn’t working for me. My husband wants to know the carb count—can you approximate and help a girl out? Thanks in advance!
I’m sorry you are having issues! Make sure you allow cookies in your browser. If you are still having issues, please let me know.
Awesome! Tastes better then a mix for sure!
I’m happy you think so, Kim!
I am very picky about my margaritas tried other recipes and did not like them at all. Tried this tonight and it’s awesome! Only had 1 large orange so made 2. Im going to store tomorrow to get more oranges and I’m gonna make a pitcher! Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful, Katie!
Love margaritas! Love this recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I saw 184 calories but have not seen the carb count. For those of us on a keto diet would you please tell us the carb count? Thank you so much!
Hi Teresa! Unfortunately, I’m having issues with my nutrition information appearing at the moment. I’m working with my web team to fix quickly. I apologize for any inconvenience! Check back soon!
Spot on
I use 1/2 the agave for 2 drinks
Call it the 4321
Blast off drink
Thanks
How many carbs
Hi Melissa! The nutritional information is below the notes section. Click to expand and ensure you have cookies enabled in your browser.
Thank you for this recipe. Made this drink many times inspired by
your recipe. I just use the juice of 1 fresh lime and 1 fresh orange and 1.5 ounces of silver tequilla with a salted rim glass. Sublime!!! (I don’t measure anything but the tequilla. I love Margarita’s but hate the taste of Margarita mix. This recipes fresh fruit juice mix is great!) It doesn’t need agave, just add more orange juice if needed sweeter. My husband loves this drink. He asks for it often.
Thanks for sharing, L!
This is so so good! Tastes so much better than what you get at a restaurant and I feel good knowing that fresh ingredients go into it
I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Sofia!
The Margarita are my favorite cocktail, so I am quite particular. This one is the best; fresh and delicious!
Thank you for your review, C.R.!
Just made this and it is our new go-to recipe!! Yummy thank you!!
So good! Super lime-y…the way I love them!
I just found this recipe! Amazing Margarita! Super fresh, Super easy!
Thank you!
I shared this recipe with a couple of friends so that we could have a virtual happy hour this week. You’re right, Kate, it’s the best margarita ever. Wish I could post a photo! I usually buy a high quality organic commercial mix, but this was easy, every bit as good, and a tiny fraction of the cost. Because of our stay-at-home order, one of the friends picked me up some tequila. I usually use Milagro, but the store was out of it, so she brought me Campo Azul white, and it was just as good as Milagro, less expensive, and even lower in calories!
I love it! I am enjoying virtual happy hours right now, too. Thanks for sharing how you made it.
Kate i just love your recipes. I have tried a few and found you when I googled anything healthy. Love your granola, muffins and now this skinny margherita. Thanks
Have shared your site with family and friends.
Thanks so much
Anna
Just wow! Tastes wonderful, light and fresh, restaurant quality. I did add an ounce or two of water to mine to soften the acidity a bit. I will be making these A LOT from now on. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Love, love, love!