This Cointreau Margarita comes together easily in 5 minutes with 3 simple ingredients - tequila, lime and Cointreau - for a tangy and strong margarita that isn't overly sweet.
Margaritas are perhaps the most commonly requested cocktail. There's something so satisfying about the combination of lime and tequila, especially when served with a salted rim. This Cointreau margarita uses simple and straightforward ingredients to avoid some of the heavily processed and sugared mixes that are commonly used in margaritas. The Cointreau provides just enough sweetness without making the drink actually sweet.
Serve these margaritas with Jalapeno Salsa, Spicy Guacamole, Chicken Fajita Tray Bake or Slow Cooker Pork Loin Carnitas for your own Mexican fiesta.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make a Cointreau Margarita:
- salt (optional)
- Cointreau
- silver tequila
- a lime
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make a Cointreau Margarita:
Optional: To salt the rim of your glass, rub the edge with a wedge of lime, then dip it in a plate of salt.
Squeeze the juice from the lime and pour 1 oz of juice into the salted glass.
Add the Cointreau and tequila to the glass, stir well, then add ice and serve.
Hint: Alternatively, you can add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake rather than stir.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in your Cointreau Margarita? Here's how:
- Tequila - This cocktail is equally good with vodka, gin or whiskey in place of the tequila.
- Fresh lime juice - use bottled lime juice in place of the fresh lime juice.
- Cointreau - Triple Sec is a good alternative to Cointreau, although it has a lower alcohol content, is less expensive, and will produce a slightly different flavor than Cointreau. Learn more about Cointreau.
Variations
Try one of these variations of a Cointreau Margarita:
- Spicy - add two slices of fresh jalapeno to add a touch of spice to your margarita. Also, consider coating the rim with Tajin seasoning.
- Fruity - Add 1 oz of orange juice, pineapple juice or grapefruit juice to your margarita for a fruity twist.
- Light - replace 1 oz of the tequila with sparkling water for a lighter margarita with less alcohol and fewer calories.
Or try this Skinny Spicy Margarita, this Cranberry Margarita (with Cointreau) or this Coconut Water Cocktail with Lime (also known as a Coconut Water Margarita.)
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Cointreau Margaritas:
Storage
A Cointreau Margarita can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure you don't store it with ice so it doesn't get watered down.
Top tip
To make a pitcher of Cointreau Margarita that serves 4, simply quadruple the recipe and serve. Alternatively, you can store the pitcher in the fridge without ice for up to 3 days.
FAQ
Cointreau is not necessary for a margarita but it does add a nice, sophisticated well-rounded flavor to a margarita. Any type of triple sec can be used in place of Cointreau in a margarita.
Cointreau is a brand of triple sec. Cointreau is a strong, sweet, smooth, orange-flavored liquor produced in France.
Related
Looking for other easy cocktail recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve a Cointreau Margarita with one of these Mexican-inspired dishes:
Recipe
Cointreau Margarita
Equipment
- 1 jigger
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons sea salt (optional)
- 2 oz silver tequila
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz Cointreau
Instructions
- Optional: To salt the rim of your glass, rub the edge with a wedge of lime, then dip it in a plate of salt.
- Squeeze the juice from the lime and pour 1 oz of juice into the salted glass.
- Add the Cointreau and tequila to the glass, stir well, then add ice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Drink responsibly
Shannon
My favorite easy margarita!