Blood Orange Margarita Recipe (2024)

The best blood orange margarita with no sweet and sour syrup. Want a spicy blood orange margarita? No problem!

I have two pieces of good news for your Monday. First, it’s National Margarita Day! Did you know that’s a thing? I didn’t until just now, so I had to whip you up my favorite margarita recipe to celebrate. Second, it turns out tequila actually has some health benefits. The caveat is that as always, moderation is key, and you don’t want to mess it all up by pouring simple syrup all over your tequila. What are the health benefits of tequila? Well, many! According to this Forbes article, the tequila may aid weight loss, digestion, fight osteoporosis, lower risk of dementia, and more. And, it’s probiotic! Move over, kombucha! (kidding). I won’t go so far as to call this a healthy recipe, but it’s nice to know it’s not too bad, either, if you keep it to just one. You have to try our Homemade Margarita Mix too.

One of my favorite recipes my mama makes me when we go over for dinner is a fresh blood orange margarita. And luckily for us, National Margarita Day happens to fall during peak blood orange season. Most restaurant margaritas are loaded with refined sugar and empty calories. Not this one, though! For a virgin margarita, simply use sparkling water in place of the alcohol. It’s a tasty citrus spritzer that way.

Why This Recipe Works So Well

Traditional lime margaritas are made with lime juice, tequila, and sweet and sour. I love making my own healthier Margarita Mix.

While tasty, margaritas usually contain a lot of refined sugar, thanks to the sweet and sour. Naturally sweet oranges are a great way to sweeten up a margarita without any added sugar.

Blood oranges create a beautiful flavor and color that is even better than the classic margarita.

What You’ll Need

• Tequila: a silver or blanco tequila works best here
• Orange liqueur: I use Patrón Citrónge or Cointreau
• Fresh blood orange juice
• Lime
• Ice
• A rocks glass
• Salt (optional for the rim)

How to Make a Blood Orange Margarita

Start with a few blood oranges and limes. You should be able to find them at most grocery stores this time of year, but if not, just use tangerines. Kumquats are great thrown in there too. I like to add some mint for a little herbal flavor and pretty green color.

If you have trees filled with blood oranges like I do every year, make a carafe of blood orange juice for easy margaritas all weekend long.

Spicy Blood Orange Margaritas

If you love spicy co*cktails like I do you have to try a spicy blood orange margarita. There are a couple of ways to achieve this.

First, slice a fresh jalapeno crosswise and muddle a couple of slices in the bottom of your shaker before mixing up your margarita.

Another option is to use a spicy margarita salt rim. The classic spicy Tajín Clásico Chile Lime Seasoning Rimmer has rave reviews on Amazon and is made with chili peppers, salt, and lime.

The color is just the most vibrant lovely color. You can’t help but be happy with this in hand. So call your friends over and cheers to blood orange margaritas!