Skinny Margarita

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So what’s the difference between a regular margarita and this skinny margarita? A skinny margarita is a low calorie but still delicious version of a regular margarita. To decrease the calories, instead of using orange liqueur in our margaritas, we are using fresh orange juice.

Due to the short list of ingredients, it’s important to use quality ingredients such as a good quality tequila as each ingredient will stand out. You’ll love how light and refreshing it tastes.

Key Ingredients You Need

Ingredients needed to make skinny margarita.

Kosher Salt — For that classic margarita vibe, we aren’t skipping salting the rim of our glasses!
Silver Tequila —Silver is the best tequila for margaritas, but any kind of tequila will work in a pinch.
Fresh Citrus — We use fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice.
Agave — A little bit of agave helps to sweeten up this recipe.
Ice — Ice helps keep our margarita extra cold so it tastes refreshing.

How to Make a Skinny Margarita

Set of two photos showing a lime wedge being run around the rim of the glass. Second photo showing the glass rim being covered with salt.

Step 1: To prepare your glass, run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass to wet it.

Step 2: Dip it the glass into a plate full of coarse salt and roll it around at an angle so that its rim is nicely coated. Set aside while you prepare the margarita.

Set of two photos showing ingredients being added to a cocktail shaker and then shaken.

Step 3: In a cocktail add in ice (fill it about ¾ full), then pour in tequila, lime juice, orange juice and agave.

Step 4: Place the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Photo showing cocktail being poured into the prepared glass.

Step 5: Strain the liquid into your glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

A glass of skinny margarita with a lime wedge being squeezed overtop.

Variations

Change up the salt on the rims. Use sea salt, ancho chili salt, salt mixed with lime zest, salt mixed with lemon zest, etc. Have fun with it!
Turn this into a watermelon skinny margarita: add in a watermelon puree.
Turn this into a berry flavored skinny margarita: add in some blended berries of choice.
Turn this into a grapefruit margarita: swap the orange juice for freshly squeezed grapefruit instead.
Turn this into a frozen margarita: blend the skinny margarita up with ice and some extra citrus juice.
Make it spicy! The night before, combine sliced jalapeño with your tequila to infuse the flavor. Remove the jalapeño the next day before using the tequila.
Add some fresh herbs! A few sprigs of mint or a bit of basil changes up the flavor.
Honey can be swapped with agave.

Tips For This Recipe

Fresh citrus juice is a must for this cocktail recipe. The fresh lime and orange juice adds a brightness to your cocktail that bottled citrus just can’t match. Have trouble remembering to purchase fresh limes? Buy them ahead of time, juice them into ice cube containers, and freeze them. Now you’ll always have fresh citrus juice on hand. Thaw when you’re ready to use them!
A plate or shallow bowl is best for salting the rim of your glass. This helps prevent wasting excessive salt.
Adjust the amount of tequila and agave to fit your taste, some may enjoy it sweeter but some may enjoy it more tart!

A glass of salt rimmed skinny margarita.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a pitcher of this?

You can definitely make a large pitcher of this skinny cocktail instead of just one serving at a time. Simply fill a large pitcher with 6 cups of ice and scale up the skinny margarita ingredients by 6-7x.

What is the best way to juice citrus?

To get the maximum amount of juice from your oranges and limes, make sure they are at room temperature. Then roll them under your hand on a countertop to loosen up the juices and soften it. Cut the orange and limes widthwise and juice with a handheld juicer or juicer attachment.

What are some meals that go well with this cocktail?

Try these delicious meals the next time you whip up a batch of margaritas: Easy Fish Taco, Easy Mexican Picadillo, Avocado Hummus Taquitos, Mexican Style Shrimp and Rice, and Hawaiian Chicken Skewers.

IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!

If you’ve tried this Skinny Margarita Recipe then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Skinny margarita with a lime wedge on the salted rim.

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Skinny Margarita

This Skinny Margarita is our go-to simple cocktail recipe and will soon be yours as well! Margaritas pairs up really well with any meal so it’s perfect as a last minute addition to any menu. Made in less than five minutes and with only five ingredients and some ice, you’ll be sipping this refreshing cocktail in no time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Total Time5

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Servings: glass

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

▢ kosher salt
▢ 2 oz silver tequila
▢ 2 oz fresh lime juice approx 2 small limes
▢ 1 oz fresh orange juice approx half of 1 medium orange
▢ 1 tsp agave
▢ ice enough to fill cocktail shaker and glass
▢ extra lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

To prepare your glass, run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass to wet it. Then dip it into a plate full of coarse salt and roll it around at an angle so that it rim is nicely coated. Set aside while you prepare the margarita.
In a cocktail add in ice (fill it about ¾ full), then pour in tequila, lime juice, orange juice and agave. Place lid on shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds then strain the liquid into your glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a lime wedge.

Video

Notes

Fresh citrus juice is a must for this skinny margarita recipe. The fresh lime and orange juice adds a brightness to your cocktail that bottled citrus just can’t match.
A plate or shallow bowl is best for salting the rim of your glass. This helps prevent wasting excessive salt.
Adjust the amount of tequila and agave to fit your taste, some may enjoy it sweeter but some may enjoy it more tart!