Strawberry Margarita is the ultimate summer cocktail! This fruity, festive drink combines strawberry puree, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice for a summer freshness in every sip. Topped with fresh strawberries and a sprig of basil leaves, it’s the perfect mix of frosty & fruity.
Why you’ll love Fresh Strawberry Margarita
Combining tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup, this cocktail has all the elements of a perfectly balanced margarita elevated by a strawberry purée made from fresh, sweet, and juicy strawberries. It’s a heavenly twist on a beloved classic!
Perfect for summer — This cocktail is perfect for summer BBQs, poolside parties or casual get togethers.
Fresh, fresh fresh — This strawberry margarita offers a perfect balance of freshness, sweetness and tartness, all in one glass.
Perfect ratio — The classic strawberry margarita recipe calls for different ratios of four ingredients – strawberries, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. However, after many trials and testing, I came to the conclusion that Cointreau has to be used instead of the Triple Sec and that at least one of the following to also be added – simple syrup, agave syrup, or agave nectar. Strawberry margarita is absolutely delicious when done the right way!
Strawberry Margarita Ingredients
- Lime wedge — for rimming the glass & balance sweetness if you prefer your margarita to be less sugary.
- Flaky sea salt — for rimming the glass.
- Fresh strawberries — I prefer to use washed and hulled fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries can also be used but you may need to add a little bit of water to your blender.
- Tequila — Olmeca Altos is a top rated Tequila and is nice on the wallet. If you’re looking for something a little more top shelf you could go for Siete Leguas. Patron is a good option too, I use it all the time & so do many bars.
- Cointreau — Cointreau is better than anything that goes by Triple Sec. If you’re making your Margarita correctly, it’s a rather significant difference. Cointreau is a sec and has more of an orange zest flavor instead of the sweet orange you get from generic. Many generic “triple secs” are also lower proof than Cointreau – so the
- Freshly squeezed lime juice — Use fresh ripe limes. The larger limes seem to just have more flavor and more juice than smaller bagged ones that aren’t as ripe. I have a few rules of thumb when I’m shopping for them: the skin should feel thin, the lime should be firm but still give a little if you squeeze, and the lighter the color, the riper the lime!
- Simple syrup — Just the sweetener to balance the acid. For strawberry margarita to come together, you need some sort of sweetener to help bring together the other elements of tequila, lime juice, and Contreau.
- Fresh basil – for garnish!
Fresh or Frozen Strawberries?
Many strawberry margarita recipes use frozen strawberries, but personally, I find that frozen strawberries thicken the drink too much and make it taste daquiri like. To ensure that the cocktail stays nice and smooth, I prefer to use fresh strawberries. This said, by all means, feel free to use frozen strawberries if you prefer!
How to make Strawberry Margarita
- Prep the rims of your glasses. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a glass then dip the glass in sea salt to coat the rim.
- Blend the strawberries: Add the hulled fresh strawberries to the blender and blend until smooth. Depending on your blender you may need to strain the purée to remove the seeds.
- Make the cocktail: Fill the cocktail shaker with ice half way. Add 2 ounces of strawberry purée, along with the tequila, cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds, you want it nicely chilled and well combined, and then strain the cocktail into your prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries and a couple sprigs of basil. Done!
Strawberry Margarita
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Blender
Ingredients
- lime wedge, for rimming the glass
- flaky sea salt, for rimming the glass
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- fresh strawberries, for garnish
- fresh basil , for garnish
Instructions
Prep the glass
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a glass then dip the glass in sea salt to coat the rim. Set aside.
Blend the strawberries into a puree
- To a blender add the hulled strawberries and blitz until smooth. Depending on your blender you may need to strain the purée to remove the seeds.
Combine the ingredients
- Into a cocktail shaker filled with ice add 2 ounces of strawberry purée, along with the tequila, cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously for 20 seconds, you want it nicely chilled and well combined.
Pour the drink into a glass
- Strain the cocktail into your prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries and a couple sprigs of basil.
- Serve and enjoy. Cheers!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Serving suggestions
I personally like to serve strawberry margarita with ice on a rocks glass, but for a more elegant presentation you can try serving this in a coupe glass without ice.
Storage
This cocktail is best enjoyed as soon as it’s poured, before the ice melts! If you’re planning ahead the strawberry purée can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a day or two.
I make these with 2 kinds of tequila so much fun to experiment!