Change up your margarita and make it a Cilantro Lime Margarita. The flavorful herb adds fresh flavor that complements the lime in your favorite cocktail.
Some flavors are just meant to be together. Like chocolate and peanut butter; macaroni and cheese; cilantro and lime. Okay, sure, it's probably not a classic combination that you seek out, but the two definitely pair well together. Think about it, your guacamole, salsa, and tacos wouldn't be the same without either of those two ingredients. So one day when I was making my Classic Lime Margarita, I decided it could use a little bit of herb-y flavor to set it off, and the Cilantro Lime Margarita was born.
If you're in a rush, this may not be the margarita for you - because it requires blending, straining and skimming the cilantro-lime juice, it does take a little longer to make. But if you plan ahead, and make a big batch (the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled), you can be sipping an extra flavorful margarita in no time. You can blend the juice ahead of time, and store the cilantro-lime juice in the fridge until you're ready to shake up a batch of margaritas, but it begins to fade and lose it's bright green color after a couple of days (and a khaki green margarita is slightly less than appealing).
Did you know that some people hate cilantro? Crazy, I know. Apparently it's a genetic thing. Some people (4-14%) are genetically predisposed to find cilantro "soapy" tasting, and thus, quite unappealing. If you're one of those people, you probably already know, and you might want to stick with a classic lime margarita. But for all my fellow cilantro lovers, give this one a try.
Cilantro Lime Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and/or stems
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup water
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 ounces tequila
- pinch salt
- cubed or crushed ice
Instructions
- Add cilantro, lime juice, water and sugar to a blender. Blend until smoother. Allow the juice to settle for a minute or two, then scoop off any pale green foam that has formed on the top and discard. Pour the juice through a fine mesh strainer, and scoop any remaining foam from the strained juice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add the cilantro lime juice, tequila and a pinch of salt. Shake well and strain in to two glasses that are ¾ full of crushed (or cubed) ice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
Cilantro Lime Margarita Nutrition Notes:
Like most mixed drinks, the calories in this cilantro lime margarita come mostly from the tequila and the added sugar. I make my drinks on the less sweet side, so cutting back on the sugar is not realistic. However, you can definitely cut back on the tequila by half to make a less strong drink, and cutting out the tequila completely makes a delicious mocktail. It also tastes good with a splash of sparkling water.
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