This Blood Orange Margarita is a tasty tequila-based cocktail that’s light, refreshing, and full of citrus flavor. Made with fresh blood orange, lime juice, cointreau, tequila and slightly sweetened with agave for one smooth sip.
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A Refreshing Citrus Margarita Recipe
If you’ve been here before, you know I love a good margarita! (Once I figured out the best way to make them to avoid that sugar-induced headache!) I love them because sometimes they are fruity, spicy, or sweet, or all of the above and there’s so many variations. Which is why they are a favorite around here. And this Blood Orange Margarita is one of my favorite margaritas so far.
The beauty of this gig is that I get to play around with all of these flavors and create the most delicious margaritas. (Don’t you wish you could be a recipe tester for me?! Me too!) I have a lot of fun mixing and testing out different flavors. And friends, this one is a winner.
First, what I love about this Blood Orange Margarita recipe is the beautiful blood orange color. It’s rich, red, and so festive, making it perfect for Christmas! It’s also very citrusy without being too tart. And there’s no simple syrup! Instead, we’ll use agave syrup which is a more natural alternative to the standard simple syrup.
So grab your friends and some cute holiday cocktail glasses and let’s make these delicious Blood Orange Margaritas.
What’s The Difference Between Blood Oranges and Regular Oranges?
Blood oranges are a bit different than regular oranges. This is because blood oranges have a deep dark red hue that’s truly beautiful! (Keep it mind it might stain your white towels or shirts, though!)
They are also a bit juicer than regular oranges. Plus, they are sweeter with a more tart taste, rather than a bitter citrus flavor. And this makes them perfect for a sweet and citrusy Blood Orange Margarita.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you need to make a Blood Orange Margarita:
- Tequila: I suggest using blanco (or silver) tequila.
- Cointreau: This is an orange flavored Triple Sec that’s a staple for all margaritas!
- Fresh Lime Juice: And not the bottled stuff! Only fresh limes here.
- Blood Orange Juice: Fresh squeezed is always best!
- Agave Nectar: You can use simple syrup, or you could also use maple syrup or honey for a fun twist.
- Ice Cubes
What Tequila is Best for Margaritas?
As mentioned above, using silver or blanco is what I like to use for margaritas. It’s a bit sweeter and very smooth. Which makes it perfect for mixing delicious margaritas.
How to Make a Blood Orange Margarita
The steps are very simple! Here’s what you need to do:
Simply add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Remember, fresh squeezed juice is best for this recipe!
Add ice to the cocktail shaker. The drink needs to be mixed with ice to become chilled.
Next, shake the cocktail shaker until the outside gets a little frosty. Then you know the cocktail is chilled perfectly!
Lastly, pour through a strainer. Be sure to use your favorite cocktail glass and pour the margarita over ice.
Cocktail Variations
You can keep this Blood Orange Margarita very simple or mix it up a little bit! Here are some suggestions:
- Make it spicy. Check out my Spicy Margarita post on how to add a little kick to this drink.
- Use high quality ingredients. Remember, when you skip the simple syrup, bottled lime juice, and cheap tequila and not only will the margaritas taste amazing but they won’t leave you feeling not-so-great the next day.
- Garnish them up! I love a fun garnish! You can line the rim of the glass with salt or add a fresh lime wedge or blood orange slice to the drink.
Serving Suggestions
Below are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside these Blood Orange Margaritas.
- The best shareable appetizers: This is a great cocktail for a party and you must serve this boozy drink with some food! Charcuterie boards are always a favorite to keep your guests full and satisfied while they sip on this margarita.
- Flavorful salads: Pairing this bright and flavorful beverage with equally interesting salads is so fun and delicious. My personal favorites are my Thai Quinoa Salad and Southwestern Cobb Salad.
- Mexican food: We all know that margaritas pair perfectly with Mexican food! And some of the best recipes that you can pair with this drink are my Spicy Shrimp Tacos.
Can You Make This Blood Orange Margarita in Advance?
There is no harm in making a big batch of this margarita recipe and saving it for later. For best results, I suggest that you make it and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. And I would also recommend not storing this drink for longer than 12 hours in the fridge.
Also, keep in mind that it’s not ideal to leave it out at room temperature, as it contains fresh fruit juices.
Print
Blood Orange Margaritas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 margarita or 8 for pitcher 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Blood Orange Margarita is an easy margarita recipe without simple syrup! This drink is fresh, citrusy, full of flavor, and makes enough for a crowd!
Ingredients
Single Serving:
- 2 oz. tequila
- 1/2 oz. cointreau
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1 oz. fresh blood orange juice
- splash of agave nectar
- ice cubes
Pitcher for a Crowd (makes 8 servings)
- 2 cups of tequila
- 1/2 cup cointreau
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 cup blood orange juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
Optional: Serve in a salt rimmed glass, garnish with lime or blood orange slices
Instructions
Single Serving:
- Add tequila, cointreau, lime juice, blood orange juice, agave nectar, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds or until cocktail shaker is frosty on the outside.
- Pour the margarita through a cocktail strainer over ice and serve.
Pitcher for a Crowd:
- To a large pitcher add 2 cups of tequila, 1/2 cup cointreau, 1 cup of fresh lime juice, 1 cup of blood orange juice and 1 tablespoon of agave nectar. Mix together with a large bar spoon.
- Pour mixture over ice and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 margarita
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
More Easy Margarita Recipes
- Thyme Blackberry Margarita
- Frozen Mango Margarita
- Light and Refreshing Spicy Margarita
- White Christmas Margarita
- Pomegranate Margarita
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18 comments on “Blood Orange Margarita Recipe”
I came upon this recipe at the perfect time, heading out to pick up the ingredients now – what a wonderful cocktail for the weekend!
hurray! cheers to you girl!
These look amazing! And nothing is better than fresh juice and good spirits!
Amen to that!
Oh, heck yeah! This margarita sounds delicious, & I am loving the color! 🙂 So pretty.
Thanks Carrie! 🙂
Must try these before all the blood oranges are gone for the year.
Heads up: the image on the recipe is for the Strawberry Jalapeno White Sangria, not the blood orange!
Right! I’m getting my fill now too! 🙂
Thanks for the heads up too Erin, I appreciate it!
I’m with you 100% on the fresh squeezed juices! Yes! Yes! Yes!
I knew I liked you for a reason, great minds think alike!
“stay thirsty my friends”… LOVE IT! These look like the perfect margarita 🙂
haha.. glad someone got it! 🙂 hehe
I suppose it would be wrong to have one before breakfast 🙂 these sounds PERFECT for Wednesday porch sitting
haha… well it is 5 o’clock somewhere 🙂
First, Don Julio for the win! Second, my mother used to say “wet your whistle,” and you brought back great memories! Third…I need more hair on my chest. Don’t we all?
haha.. right! Three cheers for don julio for sure! This comment totally made my day and made me laugh! LOVE it!
my tastebuds are dancing at the thought of this drink. What a lovely colour too!
haha.. I feel ya Beverley! 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it!