The perfect cocktail recipe for entertaining or date night-in, these spicy jalapeño margaritas are sweet, sour, and slightly spicy.
It should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of hosting and entertaining. With that comes a love for anything that can be made in batches or ahead of time with ease. I love to serve a variety of drinks at my parties, so when I can whip something up in a pitcher the night before, it’s a winner! These Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas are made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, tangy lime juice, and jalapeño infused simple syrup. We served them over the rocks, but they would be just as delicious blended!
Ingredients
- Orange juice: Freshly squeezed to add a great hit of citric sweetness.
- Lime juice: A hint of sour that balances out the sweet and spicy.
- Tequila: Made from the blue agave plant, it’s smooth, fruity, rich, and earthy in taste.
- Sugar: Melted down with water to make a simple syrup that slightly sweetens and tones down the spice of the margarita.
- Jalapeño: An easily accessible chili pepper, it’s spicy, but mild enough that most can still handle the heat.
How to Make Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas
Start your Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas by making the jalapeño simple syrup. Bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Then add the slices of fresh jalapeño pepper. Remove from heat and let it infuse while it cools to room temperature.
Once cooled, strain your simple syrup into a bowl or measuring cup.
While your simple syrup is cooling, juice your orange and add it to a large pitcher.
Next add your freshly squeezed lime juice to the pitcher.
Followed by your favorite tequila.
Then pour in the cooled jalapeño simple syrup.
Give it a good stir (or shake if you’re using a cocktail shaker).
If you want to be a little extra, line your glass rims with lime juice and then gently spin in a plate with sugar and salt.
Add some ice to your glasses and pour the margarita mixture evenly into each glass.
If you like it a little bubbly like I do, top off each marg with some sparkling water. I like to use lime flavored La Croix as it pairs well with the rest of the flavors.
If you’re feeling fancy garnish with a lime or jalapeño slice, and enjoy your Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a spicy margarita made of?
Most spicy margaritas just add jalapeño to mix things up and kick it up a notch! But you could use any hot pepper to create a spicier version of the drink.
What’s the difference between a skinny margarita and a regular?
A skinny margarita has fewer calories and uses less sugar. Typically, it’ll replace the triple sec with a sugar-free alternative and uses fresh lime juice instead of a pre-made mix. Mine is kind of an in-between of a regular and skinny margarita.
Can you make jalapeño margaritas in advance?
Yes, this cocktail mix will be good in the fridge for up to a week!
More Delicoius Cocktails
- Salty Dog Cocktail
- Hurricane Cocktail
- Peach Moscow Mule
- Lemon Basil White Wine Spritzer
- Peach Raspberry Frozen Sangria
Drink It, LIke It, Share it!
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Ideal for entertaining, make a big batch of these Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas the day before and then relax on the day of your party. Let me know how it goes!
Your straw is waiting.
Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 cup lime juice
- 8 ounces tequila
- coarse salt and sugar (optional rim)
Simple Syrup
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 jalapeño (sliced)
Instructions
- To prepare simple syrup, heat water and sugar on the stove, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is at a boil. Remove from heat and add the jalapeño slices; letting it cool with the jalapeño infusing. Strain and discard the jalapeño when cooled and ready to use.
- In a large pitcher, stir together orange juice, lime juice, tequila, and cooled simple syrup.
- To create a sugar/salt rim, place 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup kosher salt on a plate. Moisten the rim of four glasses with lime juice and carefully run the rim in the sugar/salt mixture.
- Fill each glass with ice and pour margarita mixture evenly into each one. Serve with additional lime wedges and jalapeño slices if desired.
I make this all the time & keep it in the fridge
some tweaks to this recipe:
Simmering the pepper in a 1:1 syrup on low and then chilling in the fridge gives it a deeper pepper flavor before straining….try checking the heat and take out or infuse more.
Perfect Margarita Syrup: Lime and orange juice some peel no white ,1:1 sugar water ratio simmer with pepper on low. room temp before fridge. then strain & keep the peppers to chop in potatoes salad or tuna chicken devil eggs etc…
switch out sugar with brown sugar, pineapple, honey etc. Add frozen fruits for other flavors but don’t simmer just defrost puree and infuse then strain
Slightly disappointed. The jalapeno syrup when made as written has almost no jalapeno flavor (and the jalapenos I had are definitely flavorful). Instead of straining and then cooling it really should steep the jalapeno for better flavor. Also, this makes 4 very small margaritas (4 ounces each). Not bad overall but definitely had to make some modifications.
Great idea to steep Jenifer! It’s interesting mine was super spicy but I amdit my peppers were super hot too. Regardless glad you enjoyeD!
there are 4 cups of liquid how did you only get 4 1/2 cups of drinks?
I made these to pair with chorizo tacos last night and it was a match made in heaven! I had never made margaritas before and these were easy peasy. We didn’t think they were all that spicy but we have a high tolerance for heat in my house & we were eating spicy food anyway. Pro tip: keep those candied jalapenos you strain from the simple syrup–they are delish! Thanks for the recipe, Liz. :)
I’m so glad you enjoyed!!!
I am so excited to make these for New Years! Looks like a great recipe :)
Let me know how they turn out Mimi!!
Liz these were so good! I made them for friends for brunch last week and currently have another batch of jalapeno simple syrup chilling for tonight ????. I love the sweet and spicy combo in cocktails.
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed them!!
I had a basil-jalapeno margarita recently and can’t stop thinking about it! Definitely going to have to use this recipe to satisfy my spicy cocktail cravings.
Oh I love the basil idea!!
Hallelujah! I have been searching for a good recipe for jalepeno margaritas!!! Thank you!!!
Oh I’m so glad! Enjoy!