June 18, 2021

Healthy Margarita

Receta en ESPAÑOL abajo!!

Table of Contents

In my opinion, there are few things better in life than relaxing in the sun with a cold, fresh margarita. The tartness that fresh lime juice brings, the bite of tequila, a little bubble action from a topper of club soda…I mean come on! Focusing on the flavors helps me live in the present moment and be grateful for this beautifully crafted cocktail and the fact that I get to enjoy it. 

This enjoyment partially comes from the fact that I know exactly what is in this margarita: tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, a touch of agave, and club soda. If you love margaritas but don’t love the sugar bomb that comes with most margarita mixes, we highly recommend giving this recipe a try. 

Ingredients for this Healthy Margarita

healthy margarita ingredients

  • Tequila. Obviously.
  • Cointreau is an orange liqueur produced in France. Boujee, right? It’s a tad pricey as compared to triple sec or margarita mix, but a little goes a long way. The complexity of flavors that Cointreau brings is unparalleled. It brings notes of zest, fruit, spice, florals and more. The richness of it means you don’t need to add much to get amazing flavor. You can certainly sub regular triple sec or orange juice here; but if you want to go big, trust and get some Cointreau in your arsenal. 
  • Fresh lime juice. If you want the ultimate margarita experience, get real limes and squeeze those babies yourself. If you don’t have one, do yourself a favor and invest in a quality citrus squeezer or citrus juicer. It makes life so much easier!! You will never go back to the bottled stuff again.
  • Agave. This will be based on personal preference. If you like tart margaritas, I’d recommend starting with a small squeeze, like about a ¼ teaspoon. If you prefer a sweeter margarita, add more. 
  • Club soda. Although not a traditional margarita component, the bubbles bring even more life to this cocktail. If you are a fan of bubbles, highly recommend. If not, you can certainly leave this out. If you’re looking to reduce the alcohol content, you can add even more club soda and reduce the tequila.
  • Lots of ice. Not kidding. Full rocks glasses of ice to the top, don’t skimp. The ice to liquid ratio is key in cocktail making.

How to make a Margarita on the Rocks

Get your ingredients together. Tequila, Cointreau, 2 fresh limes per drink + a lime for garnish, agave, club soda. Rocks glasses. Cocktail shaker. Salt or tajín for the rim if you’re feeling fancy. 

If you desire a salt or tajín rim, take a small plate and pour a bit of kosher salt or tajín into the shape of a half or whole circle (depending on how much of the rim you want coated) about the size of the mouth of your glass. 

salt on plate for healthy margarita

Next, take a wedge of lime and cut it through the middle to but not through the peel.

preparing salt rim for healthy margarita

Now take your glass, insert the cut lime onto the rim of the glass and circle it around to wet the rim. 

sliding lime wedge around rim of glass to make salt rim for healthy margarita

Flip the glass upside down and press into the salt or tajín circle shape on the plate until sufficiently coated to your desire.

glass upside down on plate to make tajin rim for healthy margarita

Congrats! You just nailed your own salt or tajín rim! You fancy.

complete salt rim for healthy margarita

In your cocktail shaker, add tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and agave.

Fill rocks glass(es) entirely to rim with ice. 

Add handful of ice to cocktail shaker with ingredients. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels cold.

Strain into rocks glasses filled with ice. 

Top with club soda and garnish with lime wedge. Sip and enjoy!! 

Healthy Margarita with chips and salsa