This classic silver tequila margarita recipe is a fresh take on an OG cocktail that’s been a staple on nearly every bar and restaurant menu for decades. It uses 100% agave silver tequila, agave simple syrup, and fresh lime juice to make the perfect margarita.
When you’ve had a good margarita, I mean a gooood margarita, it’s almost impossible to enjoy a mediocre one ever again. With over 10 years of making homemade cocktails, I’ve made a lot of margaritas, and I can tell you, this one is GOOD. In fact, this classic margarita recipe is in the running to be my favorite cocktail ever, tied with a classic daiquiri, of course. It’s perfect for Taco Tuesday, celebrating National Margarita Day, or just your weekend happy hour! Serve this with a side of tortilla chips and salsa or a big plate of nachos and you’re set!
It’s always difficult to trace a classic cocktail’s origin story, because so many variations claim to be originals. Some places use sweet and sour mix, others use gold tequila, and some use orange liqueur. This one is inspired by a recipe from the 1990’s known as Tommy’s Margarita and one of my favorite restaurants, Bartaco! It’s also sometimes called a “skinny margarita,” but I’m honestly not a fan of labeling certain foods “healthier” by calling them “skinny.”
why this margarita recipe works:
🍋 fresh & flavorful. The reason this is a really great margarita is that it relies on high quality fresh ingredients. Good-quality tequila and freshly squeezed citrus juices go a long way with flavor.
⚖️ well-balanced. This recipe uses an agave simple syrup, not agave nectar, which can cause your cocktails to be way too sweet. It also uses saline solution, which basically seasons your drink, which creates a perfect balance of flavor!
🥳 party perfect. I’m pretty sure margaritas are the cocktail equivalent of Pringles, so they’re perfect for making in a pitcher. Check out the recipe card for the pitcher recipe to make a big batch of margaritas!
🛒 ingredients
A classic Bartaco margarita uses fresh juice, but it also includes orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier. This can sometimes make for a marg that’s a bit too sweet, especially when you ALSO use pure agave nectar. They use more lime juice than other recipes, at 1.5 ounces, but I think that can be too acidic.
Tommy’s margarita uses orange juice in place of orange liqueur, which I love, because the combination of citrus gives a deeper flavor with less acidity. But, it still relies on agave nectar for sweetness, which can really be too cloying if measured with a heavy hand (or just by vibes lolol) My solution? Fresh juices, agave simple syrup, AND a few drops of saline solution. The final balance is INSANELY SMOOTH.
- Blanco tequila – Use a 100% agave blanco tequila. There is NO substitute for a good tequila. I will die on this hill. 😤 The biggest problem for most margaritas you have at bars and restaurants isn’t the margarita mix, the simple syrup, or even the lime juice. It’s the tequila! Most places do not use a 100% agave tequila, instead opting for a cheaper “mixto” style tequila.
- lime juice – fresh-squeezed lime juice is another non-negotiable here. Please, for the love of limes everywhere, do not buy concentrated shelf stable lime juice.
- agave simple syrup – a homemade agave simple syrup is another sneaky key ingredient. Sure, you’ve probably seen recipes using agave nectar, but I’ve found that cutting it with a bit of water (thus turning it into a simple syrup) is the key to amping up the agave flavor without getting an overpowering amount of sweetness.
- orange juice – we are skipping the orange liqueur in favor of fresh juice. This helps to play up the citrus factor while also adding in a bit of natural sweetness. In a pinch, I have been known to use Natalie’s orange juice (gasp) or even a seasonal orange juice.
- homemade saline solution – a bit of saltiness helps to cut the acidity of the citrus juices while also playing up the sweetness of the agave. I know you might think I’m crazy to ask you to make a syrup solution and a salt solution, but trust me: this is WAY better than relying on chunky salt granules from the rim of the glass for flavor.
optional ingredients:
- lime salt – we’ve come this far together, so why not make your own homemade salt for garnishing, too?! I’m a fan of glasses that are only rimmed 1/4 to 1/2 of the way around, so it serves as more of a garnish than anything else. This also gives your guests the choice of whether or not to
lick the glassenjoy the salt. - dehydrated lime wheels – this is another one of those recipes that’s worth the time it takes to make. Save the fresh limes for juicing! Prepare a batch once or twice a year, and you’re set for cocktail garnishes!
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 instructions
To garnish your glasses:
1: Pour a small amount of agave simple syrup into a small dish, about 1/2 ounce, and either dip the rim of your glass into it or use a pastry brush to brush a portion of the glass with the simple syrup.
2: Quickly press your glass into the lime salt, then stand it upright and allow it to sit for a few moments.
For making the drinks:
1: Slice and juice your citrus, then add to a cocktail shaker that’s been filled with ice.
2: Add 1.5 ounces of tequila to the citrus juice.
3: Add 1/2 ounce of agave simple syrup.
4: Add 3- 5 drops of your homemade saline solution.
5: Shake the ingredients well for about 30 seconds to incorporate all the ingredients.
6: Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel and serve immediately.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
Choose your glass
- rocks glass – While some people always think of comically large stemmed margarita glass, I prefer to serve mine in a rocks glass that’s filled to the brim with ice cubes.
- smaller sized drink – The drink itself isn’t huge in volume, about 4 ounces once it’s shaken, so choose a glass that won’t make your cocktail look tiny by comparison.
Garnish
- salt – I’m not a fan of a salted rim. I prefer half a rim or less of salt on the glass, so you don’t end up with sticky salty hands.
- limes – You can garnish the drink with fresh lime wedge or even a slice or orange, but I prefer reserving the fresh limes for juicing. Dehydrated lime wheels offer a nice presentation that’s also shelf-stable, so you don’t need to worry about having a ton of fresh lime on hand all the time (although our fridge is always stocked with limes 🤣).
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- too sour – fresh lime juice can be tricky to work with because it’s hard to tell what they’re going to taste like before you juice them. If your drink is too sour you can add more agave syrup or saline solution to balance things out.
- not strong enough – you can increase your tequila to two ounces per cocktail, but be warned: they do go down easy.
⚖️ scaling tips
Margaritas are probably the most perfect pitcher cocktail to ever exist. Save yourself time by making a large pitcher of margaritas, which are perfect for a party! Do not prepare them more than 24 hours in advance, or the lime juice could become much too acidic.
♻️ substitutions & variations
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- spicy – muddle in a few jalapeño slices for the cult classic spicy margaritas.
- fruity – swap out the agave simple syrup for a fruit-infused syrup, like blood orange syrup, passion fruit syrup, or starfruit syrup.
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 storage tips
If you are making margaritas to save them…I’m not sure we can be friends. 🫣 However, if you are preparing a pitcher in advance of a party, you can store it up to 24 hours in advance. Don’t push it much longer than that, though, as the lime juice will start to get super acidic.
💬 q+a
Can I add ice to make it a frozen margarita?
No. Here’s why! Adding ice dilutes the drink, messing with the flavor proportions! If you want a recipe for a good frozen margarita, let me know in the comments and I’ll get right to work for you! 🫡
How is this recipe different than a regular margarita?
I’m so glad you asked! At most bars and restaurants, when you order a margarita, you’re going to get a drink that has sour mix, triple sec, and gold tequila. Need I say more? 😬
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment! I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
Classic Silver Tequila Margarita (Tequila Blanco Margarita)
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Equipment
- 1 cocktail glass
- 1 citrus juicer
- 1 small pairing knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 pastry brush for brushing rim of glass
- 1 small dish or ramekin
Ingredients
single drink recipe
- 1.5 ounces silver tequila 100% agave tequila
- 1 ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ ounce agave simple syrup
- ½ ounce orange juice freshly squeezed, from juicing oranges such as valencia, navel, or cara cara.
- 3 drops saline solution up to 5 drops
pitcher recipe (8 servings!!! Assemble directly in a pitcher.)
- 12 ounces silver tequila 100% agave tequila
- 8 ounces lime juice freshly squeezed, from about 6 limes
- 4 ounces agave simple syrup
- 4 ounces orange juice freshly squeezed, from about 3 juicing oranges.
- 24 drops saline solution up to 40 drops, but use less first, then taste!
Instructions
Garnishing the glass.
- Prepare the salt. Sprinkle some lime salt into a small dish that is easy to dip the rim of your cocktail glass into.
- Brush the glass. Squeeze a small amount of agave simple syrup or lime juice into a small dish, about 1/2 ounce, and either dip the rim of your glass into it or use a pastry brush to brush a portion of the glass.
- Press & set. Quickly press your glass into the lime salt, then stand it upright and allow it to sit for a few moments.
Making the cocktail.
- Clean your citrus. Wash and dry your citrus to remove any impurities.
- Chill your glass. Fill your salted cocktail glass with ice to allow the glass to chill slightly.
- Juice limes. Slice and juice the whole lime to get 1 ounce of juice per cocktail.
- Juice oranges. Slice and juice half of the orange to get about 1/2 ounce of juice.
- Prepare the shaker. Add ice to your cocktail shaker.
- Add citrus juices. Add in 1 ounce of the lime juice and 1/2 ounce of the orange juice.
- Add tequila. Pour in 1.5 ounces of blanco tequila.
- Add syrup. Add 1/2 ounce of agave simple syrup.
- Add saline solution. Add 5 drops of your homemade saline solution.
- Shake. Shake the ingredients well for about 30 seconds to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Strain & serve. Strain your margarita into your cocktail glass.
- Garnish. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
This is what a margarita should taste like. So smooth and gets better when you use good tequila. Bookmarked for Cinco de Mayo!
You get it, Patty!!! Thanks so much for your review, I’ll be sending a virtual margarita cheers your way on Cinco! 💕