Strawberry Margarita on the Rocks

A refreshing strawberry margarita on the rocks with balanced sweetness, fresh ingredients, and tips for a crisp, not overly sweet cocktail.

Smooth Strawberry Margarita

This fruity, festive drink combines strawberry puree, tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice for a summer freshness and ideal smoothness in every sip. Topped with fresh strawberries and a sprig of basil leaves, it's the perfect mix of frosty & fruity. This Strawberry Margarita on the rocks is the ultimate summer cocktail!

I love strawberry margaritas, but often the frozen kind are made with fruit-flavored syrups instead of real fruit. This strawberry margarita on the rocks calls for whole strawberries and absolutely zero of the overly sugary mix that can leave a drink tasting artificially sweet and overwhelming.

Combining tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup, this cocktail has all the elements of a perfectly balanced margarita elevated by a perfectly smooth strawberry purée made from fresh, sweet, and juicy strawberries. It's a heavenly twist on a beloved classic! You might also enjoy Spicy Peach Margarita with Hot Honey.

Why you'll love Strawberry Margarita

• 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 on the rocks

1. Puree the strawberries and strain: Add the hulled fresh strawberries to the blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture into a fine mesh strainer or sieve set over a bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to gently press down on the solids in the strainer to extract as much juice and smooth puree as possible.

Pro Tip: Straining strawberry puree for a margarita is important to achieve a smooth, refined texture and a better drinking experience.

2. Add ice and strawberry puree to the shaker: Fill the cocktail shaker with ice half way and add 2 ounces of strawberry purée.

3. Add remaining ingredients: Add the tequila, cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup.

4. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds: You want it nicely chilled and well combined.

5. Prep the rims of your glasses and pour: Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a glass then dip the glass in sea salt to coat the rim. Then strain the cocktail into your prepared glass over fresh ice for the perfect strawberry margarita on the rocks!

6.Garnish with fresh strawberries and a couple sprigs of basil. Done!

How to Avoid a Watery Strawberry Margarita

• Shake with force: Always shake the cocktail with ice vigorously, then strain over fresh ice in your serving glass-this rapidly chills and dilutes to ideal balance while avoiding the slow, prolonged melting that makes cocktails watery. .
• Use strawberry syrup or jam: Consider upping the strawberry flavor with a touch of strawberry syrup or jam if your berries aren't peak-season sweet, offsetting potential dilution without simply increasing sugar.
• Don't top with too much sparkling water or soda-use just a light splash if desired, and top at serving instead of mixing in, to maintain flavor and reduce excess liquid.
• Use large, clear ice cubes instead of crushed ice in serving glasses to slow melting and avoid rapid dilution.

Why to skip premade mixes and make fresh strawberry margarita for a bar-quality cocktail at home

Premade margarita mixes often ruin an otherwise great drink because they're loaded with sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives, resulting in a cocktail that's cloying, flat, or even oxidized and sour over time. These shelf-stable mixes frequently mask the natural brightness of lime and tequila, overpowering the delicate balance a proper margarita needs.

Bar-quality margaritas, especially strawberry versions, truly shine with homemade fresh strawberry puree. Using ripe strawberries yields rich flavor, vivid color, and just the right touch of natural sweetness and acidity-letting tequila, citrus, and fresh berry essence stand out instead of being drowned in syrupy sweetness.

Making strawberry puree is simple: just blend ripe strawberries (optionally macerated with a tiny bit of sugar), then strain for a smooth base. Homemade puree also means full control over the sweetness, allowing precise adjustment to taste, and producing a more aromatic, crisp, and ultimately more refreshing margarita.

Solve the Pain of Overly Sweet Margaritas

• Use real strawberries and avoid bottled or premade sugary mixes-these often lead directly to excessive sweetness and a cloying aftertaste.
• Balance sweetness with tart elements, particularly freshly squeezed lime juice. The acidity cuts through sweetness and brightens the cocktail, restoring balance.
• Start with minimal simple syrup or agave syrup, tasting and adding more only as needed-fresh strawberries add their own sweetness, especially at peak ripeness, so less extra sugar is usually needed.
• If the drink is already too sweet, increase the lime juice in small increments and shake to combine; a pinch of kosher salt added to the shaker enhances the perception of tartness and mutes excess sugar.
• Use Cointreau instead of cheaper orange liqueurs (Triple Sec can be much sweeter); Cointreau lends flavor without overstated sugar.

How to Keep Your Strawberry Margarita Cold Without Losing Flavors

Chill both the ingredients and serving vessels, then use methods that prevent excess water dilution from melted ice. For maximum flavor and chill:

• Chill your glassware and pitcher in the freezer before serving-this extends how long the margarita stays cold without any added ice.
• Use large, clear cocktail ice (like spheres or cubes). These melt much slower than crushed or cubed "wet" ice, keeping the margarita cold while minimizing the amount of water that dilutes your drink.
• Prep ahead: For parties or batch cocktails, store strawberry margaritas in the fridge without ice and pour over fresh ice only when serving, avoiding the slow melting that weakens flavor.

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 on the rocks 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.

More summer margaritas, cocktails & mocktails

• S'mores Martini
• Passion Fruit Margarita
• Blood Orange Margarita
• Strawberry Mocktail