This Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe has the perfect balance of spicy, tart and sweet flavors for a bold cocktail that is low in calories.
A good margarita can transport you to a sunny beach and a carefree attitude. Perhaps that's why margaritas are the quintessential cocktail of summer. A traditional margarita recipe uses triple sec for sweetness which is high in processed sugar which can leave you with that icky hungover feeling the next day. This skinny spicy margarita recipe is naturally gluten-free and uses fresh ingredients with just a bit of agave for sweetness for a margarita that is lower in calories and sugars.
Serve these spicy 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 Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe:
- silver tequila
- fresh squeezed orange juice
- fresh squeezed lime juice
- sliced jalapeno
- light agave
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make a Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe:
Optional: To salt the rim of your glass, rub the edge with a wedge of lime, then dip it in a plate of sea salt. (I'm a little extra so I like to coat my rim in a 50-50 mixture of salt stirred with Tajin.)
Add the jalapeno slices to a cocktail shaker and use a pestle or wooden spoon to muddle it.
Then, add ice to the shaker, as well as the freshly squeezed lime and orange juice and the agave. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into your prepared glass. If desired, add some crushed ice to your glass, then serve. (Optional: garnish your cocktail with extra slices of jalapeno or a lime wedge.)
Hint: Alternatively, if you don't have a cocktail shaker you can shake this spicy skinny margarita recipe in a Yeti-style tumbler or simply stir the ingredients together in a glass.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in your Spicy Skinny Margarita recipe? Here's how:
- Tequila - This cocktail is good with vodka or gin in place of the tequila, just don't call that a margarita.
- Fresh lime juice - use bottled lime juice in place of the fresh lime juice (just know this changes the flavor.)
- Fresh orange juice - use bottled orange juice in place of the fresh lime juice.
- Agave - use a different liquid sweetener such as simple syrup, honey or monk fruit in place of the agave.
Variations
Try one of these variations of a Skinny Spicy Margarita:
- Mild - skip the jalapeno for a skinny margarita without the spice.
- Pineapple - replace the orange juice with canned pineapple juice for pineapple jalapeno margarita.
- Light/ sparkling - replace 1 oz of the tequila with sparkling water for a lighter margarita with less alcohol and fewer calories.
If you like this margarita you will also love this Cranberry Margarita, Cointreau Margarita or this Coconut Water Cocktail with Lime (also known as a Coconut Water Margarita.)
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making a Skinny Jalapeno Margarita recipe:
Storage
This Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe 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
Instead of pressing the juice and slicing the jalapeno, I add a peeled orange, 2 peeled limes and ½ of an entire jalapeno (with seeds) to my juicer and let it do the work for me. Then I add 2 oz of this mixture to a shaker with the tequila and agave This comes in handy when multiplying the recipe to make a big batch!
FAQ
The amount of calories in a spicy and skinny margarita will vary based on the recipe. This recipe produces a margarita with 258 calories.
Related
Looking for other easy cocktail recipes like this Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe? Try these:
Pairing
Serve this Skinny Spicy Margarita recipe with one of these Mexican dishes:
Recipe
Skinny Spicy Margarita
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices jalapeno
- 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz fresh orange juice
- 2 oz silver tequila
- 1 teaspoon agave
Instructions
- Optional: To salt the rim of your glass, rub the edge with a wedge of lime, then dip it in a plate of sea salt. (I'm a little extra so I like to coat my rim in a 50-50 mixture of salt stirred with Tajin.)
- Add the jalapeno slices to a cocktail shaker and use a pestle or wooden spoon to muddle it.
- Then, add ice to the shaker, as well as the freshly squeezed lime and orange juice and the agave. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into your prepared glass. If desired, add some crushed ice to your glass, then serve. (Optional: garnish your cocktail with extra slices of jalapeno or a lime wedge.)
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Drink responsibly
Shannon
Spicy cocktails are my favorite cocktails!