Spicy Margarita Recipe
A Margarita with fresh jalapeño heat and a chilli-salt rim.
The Spicy Margarita is a classic Margarita shaken with fresh jalapeño: tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave syrup and chilli. It is tart, salty and warm, not painfully hot, and it has become one of the most ordered cocktails in American bars.
Ingredients
- 50 ml Tequila blanco 100% agave
- 20 ml Triple sec Or Cointreau
- 25 ml Fresh lime juice
- 10 ml Agave syrup
- 3 slices Fresh jalapeño Seeds removed for less heat
- 1 pinch Chilli salt Tajín, or salt mixed with chilli powder, for the rim
Garnish: Jalapeño slice, lime wheel and chilli-salt rim
How to Make a Spicy Margarita
- Rub a lime wedge around half the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in chilli salt.
- Gently muddle the jalapeño slices in a shaker.
- Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and agave syrup.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Double strain into the glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a slice of jalapeño and a lime wheel.
Best Bottles for a Spicy Margarita in India
Clean agave flavour that carries the chilli
Works for batches and parties
Rounder and slightly sweeter
Prices are the lowest listed India price and vary by state. Check each spirit page for the full state-wise table.
Tips for a Better Spicy Margarita
- The heat is in the seeds and white ribs. Remove them for a mild drink and leave them in for a hot one.
- Double strain through a fine sieve so that no chilli pieces end up in the glass.
- For a batch, steep 1 sliced jalapeño in 250ml of tequila for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain. Taste every 5 minutes, because it gets hot quickly.
About the Spicy Margarita
The Spicy Margarita has no single inventor. It grew out of the American craft cocktail movement of the 2000s, when bartenders began muddling fresh chillies and infusing tequila with jalapeño and habanero. Chilli, lime and salt were already a classic Mexican combination, used on fruit, in micheladas and in seasonings such as Tajín.
The drink moved from cocktail bars to chain restaurants in the 2010s and is now a standard menu item across the United States, with canned and bottled versions from most ready-to-drink brands. It has spread through bars in the United Kingdom and Australia in the same way.
A related modern classic is the Picante de la Casa, created at Soho House, which adds fresh coriander and uses reposado tequila with agave syrup. Both drinks show how well tequila's peppery, vegetal character carries heat.
Spicy Margarita Variations
- Tommy's Spicy Margarita: leave out the triple sec and use 15ml of agave syrup.
- Picante de la Casa: reposado tequila, agave, lime, chilli and fresh coriander.
- Mango Chilli Margarita: add 30ml of mango purée.
- Spicy Mezcal Margarita: mezcal in place of tequila for smoke and heat.
- Green Chilli Margarita: one slit Indian green chilli and a chaat masala rim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Spicy Margarita?
How strong is a Spicy Margarita?
How spicy is a Spicy Margarita?
How do you fix a Spicy Margarita that is too hot?
What is Tajín?
What is the best tequila for a Spicy Margarita?
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