Learn how to make the perfect spicy margarita with sliced jalapenos, tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and agave nectar, a Mexican classic cocktail. Make mine extra spicy!
Spicy Margarita Recipe with Jalapeno
Who's in the mood for a spicy cocktail? I am! We're serving up Spicy Jalapeno Margaritas today, my friends, and they're incredibly delicious. They're also quite refreshing. It's hard to go wrong with a good jalapeño margarita when you're in the mood for spirits.
If you enjoy a good cocktail every now and then, as we surely do, this is likely to become of your favorite go-to recipes. It's super simple to make, incredibly tasty, and always satisfied. It will definitely raise your spirits!
It's perfect for my spicy food loving friends.
Jalapeno Margaritas are the Best
Top quality ingredients are the key for a great spicy margarita. You'll want good quality blanco tequila and orange liquer, sweet agave nectar, and the freshest limes and jalapenos you can find. The flavor of the jalapeno peppers is wonderfully spicy and really stands out against the citrus.
Patty brought along her juicer on a recent vacation and made a delicious blend of citrus fruits we picked up from the local farmers market - lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit. Talk about awesome.
Patty is a talented mixologist and prepared this particular recipe, which we enjoyed by the water. Perfect for Happy Hour!
We're fortunate to have all this fresh fruit on hand right now. This particular recipe uses only lime juice, but you can definitely mix it up.
Let's talk about how to make a spicy margarita, shall we? It's extremely easy. No need to make a simple syrup. It's all mixing, shaking and pouring.
Spicy Margarita Ingredients
- Tequila. Use your favorite brand.
- Orange Liqueur. We prefer Cointreau, or use triple sec or Grand Marnier.
- Fresh Lime Juice. Be sure to use fresh lime juice! Not bottled.
- Agave Nectar. You can also use honey or make a simple syrup with water and sugar.
- Fresh Jalapeno Pepper. Use as much as you'd like.
- FOR SERVING
- Extra jalapeno slices
- Lime wedges
- Coarse sea salt and lime wedge to rim the glass + tajin seasoning
How to Make a Spicy Margarita - the Recipe Method
The Spicy Factor. Add the jalapeno slices (and other hot peppers, like habanero - see below) to a cocktail shaker. You can muddle the peppers a bit to release their spicy juices.
Add the Liquids and Shake. Add the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave nectar. Fill with ice. Shake vigorously. Give it a good 30 seconds of shaking to really infused that tequila.
Shake longer if you'd like even more flavor. You can easily let the jalapeno peppers steep in the margarita mixture to allow more spice and flavor infusion.
Fill the margarita glass with ice to chill it.
Rub a lime wedge around the top of your margarita glass. Pour the salt and tajin seasoning onto a small plate, then dip the glass into it to coat the rim. The lime juice will help the salt-tajin mixture stick.
Strain the margarita mixture into the margarita glass. Any glass will do, here.
Garnish with a lime wedge and extra fresh jalapeño slices, if desired.
Boom! Done! Great for Cinco de Mayo! This jalapeño margarita recipe rocks!! Perfect spin on the classic margarita. Definitely one of my favorite cocktails. What do you think? Do you love it?
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Salt Rim. Rim your rocks glass with a lime to help the kosher salt and tajin mixture stick to the glass.
- The Tequila. We love a good silver tequila, but you can use any tequila for this recipe. Use your favorite.
- More Citrus. Enjoy your spicy margarita with other citrus, like lemon juice, orange juice, pomelo and others, or a combination of citrus. Hard to go wrong!
- Skinny Margarita. For fewer calories, skip the agave and use less tequila.
Heat Factor
Medium. You can get a nice spice level to your spicy margarita with jalapeno slices, depending on how much you use. If you're looking for milder, use only 1 small jalapeno slice, or skip it entirely.
For an Extra Spicy Margarita, use spicy serrano peppers or hot habanero peppers for some real heat.
The Ultimate Jalapeno Margarita - Truly
Let us know what you think of the recipe! Hopefully you can enjoy it outside by the pool or along the ocean, but hey, anywhere is good for a jalapeno margarita.
We've enjoying this very simple yet tasty recipe for years. It is always a hit at every single party. They don't last very long.
If you like this recipe, you might also like my Spicy Blackberry Habanero Margarita Recipe made with blackberry and habanero peppers, or this Mango Habanero Margarita.
That's it, my friends! I do hope you enjoy your jalapeno margarita recipe. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear it. How spicy do YOU prefer? Just a touch? Extra spicy? See you next time!
Want More Cocktail Recipes?
- It's hard to beat the classics, like my Spicy Bloody Mary Recipe, my Mexican Micheladas Recipe, or my refreshing Paloma Cocktail Recipe.
- This Mangonada is a tasty slushy drink.
- See all of our Spicy Cocktail Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS.Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Spicy Margarita Recipe (Jalapeno Margarita)
Ingredients
- 2 oz. tequila
- 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- .5 ounce orange liqueur
- .5 ounce Agave Nectar (or use honey or simple syrup)
- 3-4 jalapeno pepper slices (or more to taste - add sliced habanero for EXTRA spicy)
- FOR SERVING: Extra jalapeno slices, Lime wedges, Tajin seasoning + Salt and lime wedge to rim the glass
Instructions
- Add the spicy chili peppers to a shaker and muddle slightly if desired.
- Add the tequila, lime juice, agave nectar and several cubes of ice. Shake well. Give it a good 30 seconds of shaking to really infuse the tequila.
- Rub a lime wedge around the top of your margarita glass. Pour the salt and tajin seasoning onto a small plate, then dip the glass into it to coat the rim. The lime juice will help the salt-tajin mixture stick.
- Strain the liquid into the margarita glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and extra jalapeno slices, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 7/21/23 to include new photos, video, and information. It was originally published on 1/14/15.
Carole says
Amazing. And..tasted great with no alcohol Ritual Tequila. I also threw in some candied jalapenos.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Carole! Good to know for a non-alcoholic version!
Scott Jamieson says
Hey Brother - try with maple syrup instead of agave!
Mike Hultquist says
I like it!
Mary R says
Fabulous! We added the juice from the jalapeno jar along with some ginger beer. So good!
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Mary - enjoy!
Tracie says
Delicious!!
Mike Hultquist says
I agree! Thanks, Tracie!
Jayna says
So delicious
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Jayna.
Rita Jorgensen says
This is a fantastic jalapeno margarita! One of the best I have ever made and so simple! Thank you!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! Glad you love it, Rita! We love it, too! Off to make another! =)
Pam S says
Really Yummy! I 'smashed' the jalapenos after my first one 🙂 to get more heat, but other than that it was a solid recipe. I am keeping this on hand.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Pam! We love it.
Caye Norwick says
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been making my own version for a few years with good blanco tequila, lime juice and Cointreau. I then put it in a jar with a whole Serrano {sliced lengthwise} and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before pouring over ice in a Tajin and salt rimmed glass. I’m excited to try this version!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, I love it! Enjoy, Caye!
Frank Rozzelle says
We drink these frequently and offer these suggestions:
We grow and use serrano peppers instead of jalapeños. Not for everyone but we like them.
To rim the glass, we use agave syrup instead of lime juice. We also use the Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning which already has salt on my wife’s rim while I prefer Tajin alone. .
We sometimes drink a grapefruit variation with tequila, fresh pink grapefruit juice, and fresh lime juice in 2:2:1 ratio with no triple sec. Agave syrup and muddled serranos to taste.
Really enjoy your newsletters.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds great! So many ways to make a great margarita. Cheers, Frank!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use soda instead to make this to mocktail as i dont drink alcohol at home i never had citrus jalapeno margarita before perfect for hot days in Singapore love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Ramya.