Frozen Lime Margarita

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/19/22
Tested by
Sean Michael Johnson
Photo of Sean Michael Johnson
Tested by Sean Michael Johnson
Sean is an award-winning bartender with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the head bartender at the two-Michelin-star restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther, crafting cocktail menus that have caught international attention. To date, he has made over 1 million cocktails, and counting.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Frozen Lime Margarita Cocktail Recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The frozen margarita is an easy recipe that anyone can make at home. This lime-flavored cocktail transforms the original margarita into a delicious boozy slushie, and its fresh taste beats any store-bought margarita mix. With the help of your blender and the basic margarita ingredients, you'll have a cool, refreshing drink that's absolutely perfect for hot summer days.

The basic margarita uses tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. In the blended recipe, a good amount of sour mix is added. This simple ingredient that is cheap and easy to make yourself adds a hint of lemon to the lime, while sweetening up the drink. As with any margarita, you can adjust the flavors to suit your own taste—this recipe is just a foundation to get you started.

"An idealistic afterlife for most bartenders includes a constant stream of Ivan Reitman movies, sun, sand, and the perfect frozen lime margarita. Subtle terroir, tangy citrus, and bone-chilling mouthfeel make the ultimate vacation libation. Even more enjoyable when tweaking flavors to your taste. Take advantage of fresh ingredients, higher-end tequilas, and rounder orange liqueurs." —Sean Johnson

Frozen Lime Margarita Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt, for optional rim

  • 1 cup ice

  • 1 1/2 ounces tequila

  • 1/2 ounce triple sec

  • 2 ounces sour mix

  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

  • Lime wedge, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Frozen Lime Margarita Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce 

  2. If desired, salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass: Wipe a lime wedge around the rim to wet it, then dip it into a shallow dish of coarse salt.

    salt the rim of the glass for a frozen margarita
    The Spruce 

  3. Pour the ingredients into a blender.

    put ingredients in blender for frozen margarita
     The Spruce

  4. Blend until smooth. 

    blend until ingredients are mixed for a frozen margarita
     The Spruce

  5. Pour the blender contents into the prepared glass.

    pour frozen margarita into glass
     The Spruce

  6. Garnish with the lime wedge. Serve and enjoy.

    Frozen Lime Margarita Cocktail recipe
     The Spruce

Tips

  • If the mix is too thick once blended, add more juice. When it's too thin for your taste, add more ice. After either addition, blend the drink again.
  • The fresh lime juice really does make a better margarita, especially when it's the star fruit. Since the average lime typically yields about 1 ounce of juice, simply squeeze two halves directly into the blender.
  • When choosing the tequila, you may be tempted to save some money on a budget brand because this is a blended cocktail. However, the lime flavoring is very transparent and will not cover up any of the liquor's undesirable characteristics. Your best bet is to pick a tequila (typically blanco) that you enjoy on its own.
  • The same quality consideration should apply to the triple sec. If you enjoy margaritas, you'll use it often, so invest a little more and you'll see an improvement in all of your cocktails. Cointreau is the best-known premium triple sec, though there are others that match its quality.

Recipe Variations

Once you get the hang of the lime margarita, you'll want to add more flavor. It's often as simple as adding fresh or frozen fruits to the blender, though some margarita recipes add fruity liqueurs as well. You can go with a single fruit like the famous strawberry margarita or create a custom combination—a banana-strawberry-lime margarita is utterly delicious. It's really hard to mess it up and you get to drink your experiments, which is the best part!

How Strong Is a Lime Margarita?

When you mix your margarita in a blender, the ice significantly reduces the cocktail's alcohol content. The shaken cocktail weighs in around 54 proof, but this version is a very mild 18 proof (9 percent ABV).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
227 Calories
0g Fat
31g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 227
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 15mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 36mg 180%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 135mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)