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Home » Chili Pepper Recipes » Drinks » Spicy Margarita Recipe

Spicy Margarita Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · Jul 21, 2023 · 20 Comments

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Spicy Margarita Recipe with Jalapeno

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

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.

Jalapeno Margarita garnished with a lime wedge and jalapeno slice

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. 

Salting the rim of the glass for our Jalapeno Margarita

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.

Pouring a Jalapeno Margarita from a shaker into a glass

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.
Mike taking the glass of Jalapeno Margarita

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
Mike holding a spicy margarita in a glass with a salt and tajin coated rim, garnished with lime and jalapeno slices

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 with Jalapeno
Print

Spicy Margarita Recipe (Jalapeno Margarita)

Learn how to make the perfect spicy margarita with sliced jalapenos, tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and agave nectar, a Mexican classic cocktail.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cocktail, jalapeno, jalapenos, margarita, recipe, spicy
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Calories: 204kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 1 margarita
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 8 votes
Leave a Review

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

Heat Factor: Medium. You'll get a good spice level with the jalapeno peppers. Try it with a habanero for an extra spicy margarita!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 204kcal   Carbohydrates: 22g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 1g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 5mg   Potassium: 133mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 14g   Vitamin A: 123IU   Vitamin C: 44mg   Calcium: 16mg
Spicy Margarita Recipe with Jalapeno
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 7/21/23 to include new photos, video, and information. It was originally published on 1/14/15.

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Carole says

    May 02, 2025 at 7:36 am

    5 stars
    Amazing. And..tasted great with no alcohol Ritual Tequila. I also threw in some candied jalapenos.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 02, 2025 at 11:20 am

      Thanks, Carole! Good to know for a non-alcoholic version!

      Reply
  2. Scott Jamieson says

    February 08, 2025 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Brother - try with maple syrup instead of agave!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      February 08, 2025 at 3:55 pm

      I like it!

      Reply
  3. Mary R says

    October 11, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous! We added the juice from the jalapeno jar along with some ginger beer. So good!

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      October 12, 2024 at 10:39 am

      Happy to hear it, Mary - enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Tracie says

    August 04, 2024 at 11:35 am

    5 stars
    Delicious!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 04, 2024 at 1:13 pm

      I agree! Thanks, Tracie!

      Reply
  5. Jayna says

    April 05, 2024 at 2:52 pm

    So delicious

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      April 06, 2024 at 6:24 am

      Thanks, Jayna.

      Reply
  6. Rita Jorgensen says

    September 10, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic jalapeno margarita! One of the best I have ever made and so simple! Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      September 10, 2023 at 3:29 pm

      Yes! Glad you love it, Rita! We love it, too! Off to make another! =)

      Reply
  7. Pam S says

    July 23, 2023 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 23, 2023 at 8:47 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Pam! We love it.

      Reply
  8. Caye Norwick says

    July 22, 2023 at 6:23 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 22, 2023 at 6:50 am

      Awesome, I love it! Enjoy, Caye!

      Reply
  9. Frank Rozzelle says

    July 21, 2023 at 6:21 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 21, 2023 at 6:32 am

      Sounds great! So many ways to make a great margarita. Cheers, Frank!

      Reply
  10. Ramya says

    July 21, 2023 at 6:13 am

    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

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 21, 2023 at 6:15 am

      Enjoy, Ramya.

      Reply

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