Fresh Homemade Margaritas — Learn how to make a margarita with just three natural ingredients! Nothing fake, neon green, and no sugary chemicals. This is the best homemade margarita recipe I’ve tried and it’s the easiest!!
Table of Contents
All-Natural Margaritas … Without a Mix!
If there’s one drink that should be so simple, but somehow turns so complicated, I think it’s a margarita. There’s blended, on the rocks, from a mix that comes in gallon-sized jugs — sometimes with alcohol already added and sometimes without.
Some margaritas are made with just tequila and others with a smorgasbord of other booze added, including triple sec, Cointreau, Gran Marnier, Chambord, and more.
People shouldn’t need to look up how to make a margarita because it shouldn’t be so hard. I’ve gone back to the basics, with the classic margarita ingredients.
Margarita Ingredients
This fresh margarita recipe has no mix or concentrate, and nothing complicated or fussy. No simple syrup to make, no blender to dirty, just three basics ingredients!
Here’s what is in a margarita:
- Lime Juice: I use freshly squeezed lime juice and recommend doing so.
- Agave: It’s sold in nearly all grocery stores these days. I’ve used honey in a pinch, too. If you prefer to make a simple syrup instead, be my guest.
- Tequila: The choice of tequila is up to you.
How to Make a Margarita From Scratch
This is a super simple margarita recipe — trust me, a drink this good doesn’t need any fussy ingredients or extra steps!
Here’s how to make homemade margaritas:
- Squeeze two juicy limes over a cup.
- Then, stir in a little water, agave, and tequila.
- Give your margarita a taste to see if it needs any tweaks.
- If desired, you can strain the margarita at this point to remove any lime pulp, but I personally don’t mind the pulp.
- Add ice to the glass and stir or shake (if you prefer shaken margaritas, make sure to put another glass on top to prevent spills).
Serve With or Without Ice
This is technically a margarita on the rocks recipe since I poured the mixture over ice; feel free to omit if desired. If you choose to serve the margarita without ice, I recommend chilling the tequila in the fridge or freezer, as well as chilling the glasses, prior to serving. You want your margarita to be cold!
A Note About Measuring
In the recipe section, I referred to the ingredients as shots. Some recipes use ounces, cups, and shots, all in one. Holy confusion after you’ve had a few.
The very average-sized shot glass I use (not a jumbo frat house-style shot glass) holds the same amount of liquid as a 1/4-cup measure, which makes it easy to make the recipe in bulk. X parts this to Y parts that.
While you could technically share the recipe as written, after having one, you’ll want another. So plan on it serving one, nicely. You can sip worry-free since there’s no granulated sugar.
They go down so incredibly easy. Especially on vacation.
Homemade Margarita FAQs
I use Patron Silver or Don Julio Blanco, but the choice is yours. Choose a trusted favorite, or ask for help choosing one at your local liquor store.
Yes! Feel free to make a big batch of lime margaritas and keep it for a few days in the fridge. Between the lime juice and the alcohol, homemade margaritas stay fresh for a couple days.
A few readers have asked if they can completely omit the sugar from this recipe. Technically you can, but I prefer my homemade margaritas to have a little sweetness to them to balance out the lime juice.
Like I mentioned above, I measured this recipe in shots but you can just as easily measure it out in parts. So that means 1 part lime juice to 2 parts water, and so on.
I spend a good chunk of the year in Mexico, and the margaritas there are always made with lime juice.
In a pinch, you can make the margarita with lemon juice, but that will obviously change the flavor of the cocktail.
You can salt the rim of your homemade lime margaritas, but I prefer not to. The choice is yours!
Margaritas belong the to “sour” family of cocktails.
Tips for Making the Best Homemade Margaritas
I prefer my margaritas boldly tart but sweet enough to balance the tartness, and I’m not shy with the tequila. You’ll need to find the exact ratio of ingredients that you enjoy best.
Small changes can have a big effect on taste. Like a half shot glass of lime juice or a small drizzle of agave can really make a difference. Play around with this fresh margarita recipe to find your happy place, pun intended.
You can doctor up the basic mixture as you like by adding other liquors or add a handful of strawberries, put it all in a blender, and you’ve got a frozen strawberry margarita in seconds.
It’s also worth mentioning that you want to look for really juicy limes. In general, paler green limes and those with yellow spots, as well as those with thin skin are juicier than darker-skinned limes or those with thicker skin. Medium/large limes seem to release their juice easier than small limes.
What to Serve with Margaritas
Serve these from-scratch lime margaritas with your favorite Mexican foods. Think: chips and salsa, tacos, quesadillas, you name it!
Here are some of my favorite things to serve with margaritas:
- Baked Cheesy Beef Taquitos
- Loaded Beef Taco Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
- Chicken and Grilled Corn Salad
- Grilled Mexican Corn
- Baked Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Recipe Video
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Homemade Margaritas
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ shots lime juice*
- 2 shots water
- 1 to 2 shots tequila**
- ½ to 1 shot agave nectar, or to taste
- ice, as necessary
Instructions
- Over a large cup, squeeze limes, about 2 medium/large, ripe limes.***
- Add the water, tequila, agave, and stir. Taste and see if you need to make tweaks.
- If desired, strain mixture to remove any lime pulp, although I don’t bother.
- Add ice generously, and stir or shake (by putting another cup over the top).
- Serve immediately. Recipe is intended for those whom alcohol use is legal, done responsibly, and is appropriate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Cocktail Recipes:
Beer Margaritas — Summer tastes better with a pitcher of these delightful and refreshing beer margaritas are made with Corona, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, agave, and a sugared (or salted) rim! Cheers to beer-garitas!
Tequila Sunrise — Not only is it pretty to look at, but a Tequila Sunrise is also refreshing, nostalgic, and the grenadine sweetens it up enough that you may not even notice it packs quite a punch!
Tropical Party Punch — This alcoholic punchis one of my all-time favorite party drinks! Feel free to leave the alcohol out if desired. This punch tastes delicious even without it!
Rum Runner — A fruity and tropical cocktail, but not in a strawberry daiquiri doesn’t-do-much kind of way. This delicious Rum Runner recipe (complete with my secret ingredient!) packs a punch that can sneak up on you!
Malibu Sunset — A fun, fruity, easy Malibu drink recipe! Because there’s really no wrong way to do pineapple, orange juice, coconut rum, grenadine, and cherries!
Pomegranate Mojito – Everyone will love this fruity twist on a classic mojito recipe! The tart pomegranates and lime blend beautifully and are paired with simple syrup, mint, and white rum for a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect all year long!
Grilled Strawberry Pineapple Sangria — EASY, light, refreshing, and perfect for your next warm weather PARTY!! Grilling brings out pineapple’s natural sweetness and it’s DELISH!!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Martini – An indulgent chocolate martini that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, date-night-in, or a girls-night-in! Plenty of chocolate flavor in this festive, fun, and easy martini!
Republished June 28, 2018 and republished May 28, 2021 with updated text.
This is gorgeous! I love simple recipes like this :)
We have the same thoughts on the ideal margarita – tart with a dash of sweet to balance it out. I think I need to pick up a bottle of tequila so I can make these this weekend. Great drink, Averie. And pinned too!
So gorgeous though I have a feeling these margs could cause some serious trouble ;).
Thanks, Laura, and yes, they could be trouble!
Stunning!!! I love the recipe, I love the photos… absolutely gorgeous!
xoxo! Wish we could have a few together!
I think you should call this a tequila collins. It’s far more sophisticated than a plain ole margarita! GREG
Well considering you wrote a book on cocktails and shot them all, I am super flattered that you’d call these sophisticated! I was laying on the floor of my Aruba house sweating like crazy feeling anything but sophisticated as I was shooting these. But it wasn’t stunt liquor. It was the real deal and the set sure tasted great :)
You’re speaking my language Averie!! LOVE it :)
All these drinks look gorgeous! It may be a drunken weekend!
I was JUST looking for the perfect Margarita recipe…looks like I found it :)
I love how you measured these by ounces and cut out all the sugar – I hate wasting my “sugar calories” on drinks when I’d rather be eating them in cake ;) Pinned and can’t wait to make this summer!
Thanks for pinning and I totally agree with you about sugar calories. I want to eat them, not slurp them mindlessly!
This looks perfect! I love how simple it is with ingredients always on hand! (yes…tequila is always on hand). Can’t wait to try!
Now that’s a well-stocked pantry, love it :)
Love this!! Just finished a convo with my dad about processed food and how its mostly just convenient – I love that this is convenient and FRESH!!!
Fresh is always best, right!
Okay, so this is slightly embarrassing but… I’ve never had a margarita. (Only the pizza kind, and that’s spelled differently anyway.) Shortly after I turned 21, I came down with a second round of mono — as if once wasn’t bad enough! — and I just didn’t want to drink while being that sick. It lasted for months and months, and I really haven’t felt like drinking cocktails, beer or wine since then. Crazy, huh? But your margaritas look so refreshing and sound so simple, exactly the way a drink should be!
That’s great that you’re not much of a drinker! Think of all those mindless calories you’re saving that you can allocate towards….cookies :) Mono, twice. Eek! That had to have been the worst!
Ohmygosh Averie, that’s exactly what I was thinking when I typed out my comment — I’d rather save the calories for an extra cookie!! Especially a double (or quadruple!) chocolate one. Great minds must think alike! :)
Woo hoo, it looks great and will be perfect if and when it ever gets warm here. It’s my first time to your blog, I like it! I’ll be looking around now and thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for finding me and hope you check back, Pam!
These photos just scream summertime. Now that it is warmer I cannot think of a better drink to whip up and sip on the back porch.
I love that this is all natural and so simple! I don’t make margaritas often for the fact that you stated there are usually so many ingredients and steps, who has time for that when all you want is a cold refreshing drink (or 2, who am I kidding)! Can’t wait to give these a try!
Simple is best, especially with drink-making! :)
I had a summer of drinking Skinny Girl margaritas but they started to taste weird after awhile. This recipe sounds perfectly delightful and healthful and just the thing I need for my summer at the beach!
I’m biased but I much prefer this version to any of the pre-made margaritas. If you try it, LMK!