The Perfect Margarita Recipe

Gathering the ingredients for the perfect margarita

Although the components of a margarita are particular, there's no need to complicate things. Start with your preferred white tequila, some salt, and a couple of limes. Pick up a bottle of Triple Sec — any brand labeled as such will do, but for an exceptional cocktail, we suggest treating yourself to a bottle of Cointreau. The final ingredient you'll require is agave. If you're in a bind, honey or simple syrup can suffice, but we strongly encourage you to find agave, as it provides the perfect level of sweetness.

Step 1: Rim the glass with lime juice

Softly run the lime wedge along one side of the rim of the serving glass.

Step 2: Roll in salt

Sprinkle salt onto a plate. Dip the lime-rimmed half of the glass into the salt.

Step 3: Fill a shaker with ice

Add ice to a cocktail shaker.

Step 4: Add the spirits and lime

Combine all ingredients except for the salt and lime wedge in the shaker.

Step 5: Shake

Seal and shake energetically for approximately 20 seconds until it becomes frothy.

Step 6: Add an ice cube to a serving glass

Place a big ice cube into the glass for serving.

Step 7: Strain

Pour the margarita over ice.

Step 8: Serve

Accompany with a lime wedge.

What can I use for margaritas if I don't have a cocktail shaker?

As we previously noted, margaritas are often among the first "real" cocktails that people learn to make, likely because tacos just aren't complete without them. As a result, you might not have a cocktail shaker on hand yet. While you could simply mix the ingredients in a glass and stir, you would miss out on a crucial aspect of a margarita: its mouthfeel. Cocktails are shaken to aerate the liquor with ice, resulting in a light and airy texture. When shaken vigorously, a margarita becomes frothy and bubbly. In contrast, if you stir instead of shake, the margarita will feel heavier and taste somewhat flat.

If you don’t own a proper cocktail shaker, there’s no need to fret. A simple way to mimic a shaker is to use two cups from your kitchen. Pour the ice and ingredients into one cup (preferably a glass), then place another cup of the same size on top. Voilà! You have a makeshift Boston shaker. Alternatively, for a simpler — and perhaps tidier — method, you can combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, secure the lid, and shake it up. To strain the mixture, just use the lid to create a small opening for the frothy liquid to pour through.

How do I make margaritas in a pitcher?

At some point, you’ve likely visited a restaurant craving chips, guacamole, and margaritas. Eventually, you probably opted for a pitcher of margaritas to better accommodate your group, and you were likely correct in that choice. Preparing a batch of margaritas at home is just as simple; you can easily scale the recipe based on the number of servings you need. For a group of four, you can make a pitcher with eight servings by multiplying the ingredients: use 8 limes, 2 cups of tequila, 1 cup of Cointreau, and about ½ cup of agave syrup. Keep some extra limes handy to adjust the flavor to your liking. Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher filled with ice and stir. If you skip the ice, the margaritas will remain undiluted, resulting in a much stronger drink.

While most restaurants serve margaritas with plenty of ice, the traditional way to enjoy them is as a sour served straight up. This is why you often see margaritas in uniquely shaped stemmed glasses. You can serve your pitcher margaritas in these glasses, as they will be adequately (and perhaps overly) diluted with ice, or you can choose to serve them with a single ice cube in a rocks glass for another classic presentation.