Margaritas are the most well-known cocktail from Mexico and the strawberry margarita is considered to be the most popular fruit-flavored version, both in Mexico and abroad.
The invention of the margarita dates back to 1942, credited to a bar in the Northwestern state of Chihuahua, where they began making this famous tequila cocktail in 1942. Today, you can get a margarita just about anywhere in the world. This version is a slightly slushy one, similar to the frozen margaritas you may have tried before.
If you love frozen margaritas, you might also like to try my prickly pear frozen margarita recipe!
Rimming your margarita glass with Miguelito (a powdered form of chamoy) lends a particularly Mexican sweet-and-sour flavor. Miguelito is available in most Mexican or Latin American markets in the same aisle as bottled salsas, as well as online. Miguelito is even available on Amazon Prime! I've used it to rim the glass for other margaritas as well, such as my mandarin orange margarita.
How to get extra strawberry flavor
If strawberries aren't at peak season, your berries may not be very sweet or have that signature strawberry flavor you crave. A great way to enhance the strawberry flavor in your margarita is by using freeze-dried strawberries. They pack a lot of flavor without all the moisture and body of fresh berries.
Freeze-dried strawberries should be unsweetened and unsulfured. I buy mine at Trader Joe's or Aldi, but you can also find them in many other supermarkets and online. A 1-2 ounce bag should cost less than $4. You can also find freeze-dried strawberry powder in 8-ounce bags. It's more expensive up front but the per-ounce cost makes it less expensive in the long run.
Don't be cheap when choosing your tequila
I use Don Julio Tequila Reposado in my strawberry margarita recipe because it has lemon citrus notes that complement the sweetness of the berries. It may be more expensive than you've spent on tequila before, but worth the price (750 mL costs around $40-50). Tequila reposado is aged in oak barrels from 2 months to 1 year. This rounds and softens the tequila, making it perfect for margaritas and mixed drinks.
Remember: buying cheap tequila always results in two things—a hangover and thinking you don't want to drink tequila ever again.
What kind of triple sec goes best in a margarita?
Not all orange-flavored liqueurs are created equal. I prefer Cointreau which is a true triple sec with a subtle orange flavor and balanced between bitter and sweet. You can use whatever brand you like if you don't have Cointreau. Stay away from cheap triple sec because it's often unbalanced and too sweet. Cointreau is 80 proof and can be a bit pricey, but you don't use much, so it should last awhile. Cheaper brands of triple sec are often lower, around 60 proof.
Grand Marnier is also a French 80-proof orange liqueur but is NOT a triple sec. Grand Marnier is a mix of cognac (a type of brandy) and triple sec, which technically makes it curaçao-style liqueur.
Print
Strawberry Margaritas
- Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
An easy slush margarita recipe that packs a big strawberry-flavored punch
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled, juiced and strained
- 1.5 ounces liquid cane sugar (such as Hey Shuga! brand)
- 0.5 ounce Cointreau
- 2.5 ounces Don Julio tequila reposado
- Juice of 1 lime
- ⅓ cup unsulfured, unsweetened freeze-dried strawberries (I buy them from Trader Joe's)
- 1.5 cups ice
For rimming glasses:
- Juice of half a lime
- 2 tablespoons Miguelito or Tajín
Instructions
- Wash, hull, juice and filter 1 pound of strawberries.
- Add 1.5 oz liquid cane sugar, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 2.5 oz tequila reposado and the juice of one lime to the strawberry juice.
- In a small food processor, pulse ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberries until moderately ground.
- Pour strawberry juice mix into blender, add 1.5 cups ice and ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries.
- Blend on high until smooth and serve.
To rim the glasses: You'll need two shallow dishes. Squeeze lime juice into one. Add 2 tablespoon of Miguelito to the other. Dip the rims of the glasses into the lime juice first, then the Miguelito.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, you can add the freeze-dried strawberries straight into the blender and just blend for an extra 60 seconds to make sure they're fully broken up and incorporated.
Other margarita recipes you should try:
Paloma (grapefruit margarita)
Watermelon margaritas
Spiced pear frozen margaritas
Warm winter margaritas
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