Blood Orange Margarita
This blood orange margarita doesn’t use any store-bought syrup or mix. They’re made with fresh citrus juice and sweetened to taste.
I know, margaritas are really more of a summer drink. At least in my mind they are. Perhaps because I drink them more often in the summer, or perhaps because they make me think of summer when I have them. Or perhaps they make me think of summer because that’s when I usually drink more of them.
Anyway, today the glorious margarita is going to be a winter drink, because I made one using the delicious, tart, juicy citrus that is in season right now. I made a Blood Orange Margarita, and I loved every minute that went into recipe development and photography for this post.
While I don’t make cocktails all that often, I definitely enjoy them when I do. Unfortunately I usually drink them by myself, especially in the case of margaritas. Mr. Dreamboat no longer drinks them after an unfortunate Christmas party several years ago where he enjoyed a few too many. So I have learned to make margaritas only one at a time. That way, if you need to make more, you can always multiply. Just remember:
- 4 Tablespoons in one-quarter cup, so 16 Tablespoons in one cup (therefore, to make 4 drinks, you would need a half cup of lime juice)
- 8 ounces in one cup (to make 4 drinks, you would need 3/4 cup of tequila)
I loved doing this blood orange margarita post so much (maybe it was because I got to make, photograph, and drink a cocktail during the day) that I’m sure you’ll see more cocktail recipes to come soon. Keep your eye on the blog over the next few months to see more!
How to make a Blood Orange Margarita:
Making a blood orange margarita is much the same as making a regular lime margarita. The only difference is instead of using lime juice, you will be using blood orange juice.
Start by juicing the blood oranges. You will need two oranges to make one cocktail. You can easily juice the oranges by hand, or use a citrus juicer if you have one. Stir superfine sugar into the juice until it’s dissolved.
If you like, go ahead and wet the rim of your glass with lime juice or blood orange juice. Dip the wet rim into kosher salt. If you choose not to rim your glass with salt, add a pinch of salt to the cocktail shaker. Fill the glass at least halfway with ice.
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Add the sweetened blood orange juice, lime juice, and tequila. Shake vigorously, and strain into your ice-filled glass.
Want more recipes that use Tequila?
Blood Orange Margarita Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below uses 1 Tablespoon of sugar. However, if your oranges are very sour, or if you prefer your cocktails sweet, you may need to use more.
Blood Orange Margarita
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice from two blood oranges and one lime into a measuring cup. Add 1-2 Tablespoons superfine sugar (start with 1 Tablespoon, and taste the juice. Add more sugar if needed) and stir well until dissolved.
- Wet the rim of a glass with lime or blood orange juice. Dip the rim of the glass into a thin layer of kosher salt on a plate (optional – if you choose not to rim the glass with salt, add a pinch of kosher salt to the juice mixture). Fill the glass halfway with crushed or cubed ice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour juice mixture and 1.5 ounces tequila to the shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into prepared glass.