Jalapeno margarita is a spicy spin on a classic margarita. It is a simple, refreshing, and aromatic drink. Not exceedingly sweet like many Margaritas can be but has a nice kick to it.
It is a perfect cocktail recipe when entertaining and is a huge crowd-pleaser. This recipe can be scaled down as well for individual serves. For 2 people I, however, recommend making 4 cups portion, as trust me you won’t stop at just one. Enjoy this fresh, spicy Jalapeno Margarita along with a side of chips and salsa or just sip it away… Cheers!!!
Yields: 8-10 servings per pitcher
Ingredients:
- 10 to 24 thin slices of Jalapeno (about 2 large jalapenos, stemmed, halved, deseeded, and thinly sliced. Use depending on your heat preference)
- 1 1/2 cup Tequila
- 1 cup Cointreau
- 1 cup Lime juice
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Agave syrup (adjust sweetness per your preference)
- 6 cups Ice
- Salt
- Wedge of lime
How To:
- In a pitcher add sliced jalapeno and lime juice, muddle it for a minute till coarsely mashed.
- Add Tequila, Cointreau, Agave syrup, and 2 cups of ice to it, stir it all together. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- After an hour remove the pitcher, stir all the contents together, and give it a taste. The jalapeno flavor and heat should be strong but still pleasant, keep it a little bit on the spicier side as you will be adding more ice to this. Note that the drink at this point will be too boozy! If it is not spicy enough let it sit for some more time or add more jalapeno.
- If the heat feels good, strain the mix through a sieve, remove the jalapenos and keep them aside. Add the remaining 4 cups of ice to the pitcher and refrigerate the margarita till ready to serve. I would make this batch a couple of hours before serving so that it is nicely chilled.
- An hour before serving taste the margarita again to check for the jalapeno flavor. If it is still too mild you can put the reserved jalapeno into the tea infuser and add it to the margarita. This way you don’t have to fish for jalapenos. Alternatively, you can serve the margarita with a slice of jalapeno.
Serving suggestion:
- Get the glass ready: Cut a small notch in the center of the lime wedge and run it around the edge of the glass to moisten it. Add salt to a plate and turn the glass on its sides and roll it in salt to coat the outside of the glass. Repeat this on all the glasses.
- Fill half of the prepared glasses with ice, pour the margarita over it and serve.
- Individual serve ‘Shaken’: Fill the cocktail shaker half with ice, add 1/2 cup margarita to it. Close and give it a good hard shake for about 30 seconds. Take the prepared salt-rimmed glass, add few cubes of ice to it. Pour this cocktail into it, add a slice of jalapeno and serve.
- Milder jalapeno margarita recipe: You can skip muddling jalapeno at the beginning. Just mix all the alcohol, lime juice, agave syrup, and ice in a big jug and chill it. When ready to serve, fill the half of the cocktail shaker with ice, add few slices of jalapeno, and 1/2 cup of prepared margarita mix. Shake it and serve in a salt-rimmed glass.
Note:
- Salt-chili rimmed glass: If you wish to further spice things up, make a mix of salt and chili powder, and roll the moist glass edge in this mix.
- Jalapenos: Not all jalapenos are equal, some are just blah and some are spicy. It is really hard to tell how hot your margarita will get as they macerate. Hence taste the mix when you add the jalapeno and again after about 45-60 mins. If the jalapenos are hot you will feel the zing as soon as they are mixed, in which case you can leave it for just 30 minutes. The jalapeno flavor and heat should be strong but still pleasant. Make sure you remove the Jalapenos once your desired spiciness is achieved.
- For the party: Prep all the glasses with a salted rim and keep them alongside the margarita along with an ice bucket so that people can help themselves. Alternatively, you can also serve the margarita without salt-rimmed glasses, just add more ice into the margarita or keep an ice bucket next to it.
- Orange Flavor Liquor: I like to use Cointreau but any orange flavor liquor like triple sec will also do.
- For small batch about 4 cups: This is good for 2 people.
- 1/2 Jalapeno slices
- 3/4 cup tequila
- 1/2 cup orange liquor
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup Agave syrup
- Cilantro: Add a sprig or two of cilantro along with the jalapeno, either when you are muddling it or add it to the shaker.
Sprouting Kitchen 