Watermelon Margarita

By Alexa Weibel

Updated April 27, 2021

Watermelon Margarita
Beatriz Da Costa for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou.
Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(1,519)
Comments
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Mixing cocktails may seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite intuitive once you understand how to balance the alcohol, sweetness and acidity. In “3-Ingredient Cocktails” (Ten Speed Press, 2017), Robert Simonson presents the formula for a perfect margarita: 1½ ounces tequila, 1 ounce Cointreau and ¾ ounce lime juice, shaken and served. Even easier to memorize, this version uses 6 ounces fresh watermelon juice — a sweet but subtle nod to summer — and 2 ounces each tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. Be sure to taste and add more watermelon juice if your margarita is too boozy, and extra lime juice or even a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 drinks

    For the Salted Rim (optional)

    • 1tablespoon fine sea salt
    • 1teaspoon Tajín or ½ teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

    For the Drink

    • Ice, as needed
    • 6ounces fresh watermelon juice (from about 1½ cups chopped seedless watermelon, blended and strained)
    • 2ounces tequila, preferably blanco
    • 2ounces Cointreau (optional)
    • 2ounces fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 large limes), rinds reserved
    • 2 to 3thinly sliced jalapeño rounds (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

172 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 443 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the salted rim, if using: In a small shallow bowl or plate, combine the sea salt and Tajín. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a shaker filled with ice, combine the watermelon juice, tequila, Cointreau (if using), lime juice and jalapeño (if using). Shake to combine. (Note: The watermelon flavor shines brighter without the Cointreau, but the liqueur takes the drink into more traditional margarita territory. If you’d like to compare, first try the mixture without, the liqueur, then add 1 ounce of it per serving.)

  3. Step 3

    Using one of the squeezed lime halves, run it along the rim of two rocks glasses, then dip the rims into the salt mixture. Fill the glasses with ice, then strain the margaritas into the glasses and enjoy immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,519 user ratings
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Comments

Nikki

Save yourself some time and energy by cutting up the watermelon and freezing overnight instead of making watermelon juice. It’s a frozen watermelon margarita that will make everyone happy on a hot day. The frozen version is 100 times more popular and delicious than the regular version. And so much easier to make by the picture. Highly recommended for a pool party!

Francesca

Delicious summery drink! Didn’t bother straining the watermelon, just whirred it up good in the blender and got a lovely, silky juice. Absolutely go for the additional two ounces of liqueur — I subbed triple sec for Cointreau — to make this a real drink for two.

Allison

This recipe is delicious, but I found that the lime juice overpowered the watermelon a bit, so I added more watermelon juice than the recipe called for. This gave more of the flavor I was expecting. Also made a batch with mezcal which gave an excellent smoky flavor that paired nicely with the watermelon. Definitely recommend!

Sam S

Yeah I agree if you put Cointreau (we used Grand Marnier) you won't taste the watermelon as much, its there but its not strong, so yeah I would also suggest like him doing it without the Cointreau and see how you like it, and maybe add little Cointreau at a time and go from there.

Kathy Phelan Mangen

We love our local margarita speciality made with prickly pear cactus juice. Nothing comparable when the temps hit 105 or higher. Check out Cheri’s Desert Harvest online for Prickly Pear syrup. Muy delicioso!

Jordan

I’ve made this a couple of times and the biggest trouble is that it’s more liquid than typically is in a margarita so it drinks more like a cooler than a juice based cocktail. The epiphany was to make ice cubes out of watermelon juice and reduce the amount in each glass by 50%. Then as you stir, you, add more watermelon flavor and not dilute with melted water. It’s easy if you make the watermelon juice the day before serving and throw half of the juice into ice cube trays

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