Classic Frozen Margarita
A from-scratch frozen margarita with tequila, fresh lime, orange liqueur and a touch of agave. Blends smooth in any blender or slush machine.
- 5 min prep
- 2 drinks
- Margarita or rocks glass
Every frozen drink collection needs a dependable house margarita, and this is ours. It skips the neon bottled mix and leans on three things you can find anywhere: good tequila, real lime juice and an orange liqueur, rounded out with a little agave so the cold doesn't flatten the flavor.
The proportions are built around roughly six ounces of liquid to three cups of ice, which gives a slush that holds a straw upright without turning into a snow cone. Once you know this baseline, every fruit margarita on the site is just a variation on it.
Classic Frozen Margarita
Ingredients (2 drinks)
- 3 oz blanco tequila
- 1½ oz orange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau)
- 2 oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz light agave syrup
- 3 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- Rim two glasses with lime and coarse salt, then set them in the freezer while you blend.
- Pour the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave into the blender jar.
- Add the ice on top of the liquid so the blades can pull it down evenly.
- Pulse four or five times to crack the ice, then blend on high for 30–45 seconds until there are no crunchy bits.
- Taste, adjust with more agave or lime, and pour into the chilled glasses.
Garnish: Lime wheel and a salted rim
Glass: Margarita or rocks glass
Tips for the best texture
- Too thin? Add ½ cup more ice and pulse. Too thick to blend? Add an ounce of water or lime juice, not more tequila.
- Measure the tequila. Alcohol doesn't freeze, so heavy pours turn a slush into soup.
- In a slush machine, pre-mix the liquids in a pitcher with 1 cup of cold water per 2 drinks instead of the ice, and let the machine do the freezing.
Try a twist
For a skinny version, drop the orange liqueur, use 2½ oz lime juice and sweeten with ½ oz agave plus a splash of fresh orange juice.
Blender, frozen drink maker or slush machine?
These amounts are written for a standard countertop blender. In an ice-shaving frozen drink maker, put the ice in the hopper and the liquids and any fruit in the jar, then run a full cycle. In a home slush machine, which freezes the drink itself, leave out the ice, replace it with about 1 cup of cold water or juice, and pour the mixed liquid into the bowl.