Blood Orange Margarita Cocktail Recipe

Margaritas are my love language, and they're even better when made with fresh squeezed juice at home. This blood orange margarita cocktail recipe is simple, easy to put together, and doesn't have all that extra sugar. She's classic, she's vibrant, and she's delicious.

While blood oranges are typically a winter citrus, you can make this recipe all year long by swapping in fresh oranges!

Using citrus in cocktails like my citrus spritz or in my grapefruit gin fizz cocktail is one of my favorite ways to use citrus fruit. It gives such great acidity, color, and tastes like nothing else.

Jump to:

• What are the ingredients for this blood orange margarita?
• How do you make this cocktail?
• Recipe Swaps and Substitutions
• Ways to Serve this Margarita
• Tips for making the best margarita
• Can I store this recipe or prep it?
• Hungry for More?
• The Best Blood Orange Margarita Recipe

What are the ingredients for this blood orange margarita?

• Tequila: there are so many amazing brands to choose from, but my go to is Tanteo, Casamigos, or a classic Patron
• Cointreau: if you don't want to have a large bottle in your cabinet, you can easily find a smaller bottle at a local liquor store.
• Club soda or Fresca: Fresca is a throwback to the 90s and it's a low calorie, low sugar citrus soda. If that's not your thing, grab an original club soda.
• Fresh Blood Orange juice: Fresh squeezed is best in my opinion: less added sugars! If you can't find blood oranges, no worries! Grab a large navel orange or a cara cara orange and squeeze one full orange into a glass.
• Ice: helps with chilling the shaker, and of course, we pour or margarita over the top of a salt (or no salt, like I do) rimmed glass.

See the recipe card below for more about quantities.

How do you make this cocktail?

HINT: Top the margarita off with a dusting of Tajin to the rim for an additional depth of flavor.

Recipe Swaps and Substitutions

This margarita recipe is very classic, and relies on the use of tequila, fresh squeezed juice, cointreau, and lemon lime soda. If you want to swap something out or sub something in, here's what I would suggest:

• Soda - You can easily use sparkling water or just plain club soda instead of Fresca or a lemon lime soda like Sprite
• Cointreau - a good swap for this is Grand Marnier as they're both orange liqueur. Another delicious splash would be triple sec if that's your thing.
• Tequila - I like using a silver tequila, or reposado such as Tanteo, Casamigos, or Patron, but you can easily swap for a mezcal or a añejo tequila. The mezcal will give the margarita a smoky flavor, which is pretty delicious too.

Ways to Serve this Margarita

Margaritas are delicious no matter how they are served, but here are some ways you might want to consider serving this:

• Large Batch - in a large pitcher for a gathering
• Popsicles - pour the margarita mix into a popsicle mold and freeze with some coconut water to help the freezing process.
• Spicy - add some sliced jalapeño to the margarita if you want to make it a little spicy!

Tips for making the best margarita

I can't say enough great things about this margarita recipe, but to make it perfect each and every time, here's what I suggest:

1. Use a very cold shaker with ice. I find the colder the shaker ice, the better the drink tastes. No one wants a warm or watery margarita.
2. Be sure to measure out the shots of the liquor. Cocktails need to be balanced for it taste good, and using the jigger (a shot measuring tool) will keep everything tasting the way it's meant to.
3. Do NOT add the fresca or anything carbonated to the shaker. Anything with carbonation that is shaken will explode everywhere. Yes, I am speaking from experience. Add it in after the liquor has been poured into the glass.

Can I store this recipe or prep it?

If you want to prepare this drink ahead of time, you can do so in a large pitcher but add in the ice once you're ready to serve it.

Hungry for More?

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these: