Jalapenos and bright lime lend a unique sweet and hot twist to the classic in this refreshing spicy margarita recipe.
Happy National Margarita Day!
Today’s National Margarita Day!
To celebrate, Heather over at girlichef has brought together a bunch of bloggers for a margarita party, and we have a quick lineup of creative margaritas for you today!
Figuring out what to make for the party was tough. There are so many options!
Did we want to go traditional? Fruity? Way off the deep end?
Our Chili Lime Margarita
In the end, we decided to recreate one of our favorite margaritas of all time, a Chili Lime Margarita that we had a few years back at a restaurant in Milwaukee. The margarita is no longer on the menu, which is quite a shame. But, we remember the sweet and spicy flavor well.
The thing is, the margarita we remember was a lovely rose color with a fun deep-red, chili-salted rim.
Now, if you’re sitting there looking at these pictures wondering if we’re blind, I assure you, we’re not. That color is the tale of woe that goes along with these margaritas.
Unfortunately, during mid-winter in Wisconsin, it is impossible to find red chilis anywhere, believe me, we tried. So, we had to let go of our grand ideas of sweet red jalapenos contributing a rosy-hue, and settle for the classic lime-green. But, we weren’t letting go of the chili-salted rim!
Actually, we added a bit of sugar to the rim in order to make up for the sweetness we were hoping for in the red jalapenos.
Making Our Spicy Margarita Recipe
Like we talked about in our Hot Sauce post, the cool thing about these is you can dial the heat up or down all by the jalapeno you pick up. A smooth, tight-skinned jalapeno will give little heat with a fun pepper flavor, while a highly veined and scarred jalapeno will pack a punch that might have you sweating.
With two shots of tequila per drink, these babies do pack a punch, no matter how hot you make them, so you just might want to serve them up with some chips and a Black Bean Salsa to get a little food in your tummy while you sip!
Chili Lime Margaritas
Ingredients
- 6 oz (3/4 c) Silver Tequila
- 6 oz (3/4 c) lime juice
- 2 oz (1/4 c) Triple Sec
- 2 inches jalapeno, sliced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- Crushed ice (to serve)
Instructions
- Combine tequila, lime juice, and Triple Sec in a tall glass or drink shaker. Add jalapeno slices and muddle well with a wooden spoon or rubber-tipped muddler, crushing the jalapenos to release their juice.
- On a plate, combine salt, sugar, and chili powder.
- Moisten the rim of your glasses with some lime juice (or the juice from a slice of jalapeno!) and dip the glass rim in the salt mixture. Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice, and pour the margarita mixture over the ice.
- If desired, garnish the glass with a slice of jalapeno.
Nutrition
But, wait! There’s more! From drinks to bites, here’s how these bloggers celebrate National Margarita Day!
- Frozen Mango Margarita from Noshing with the Nolands
- Lilikoi Margarita with Li Hung Mui from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Pomegranate Margarita from Daily Dish Recipes
- Spicy Raspberry Frozen Margarita from The Weekend Gourmet
- The Great Grapefruit Margarita from La Cocina de Leslie
If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!
Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Liz Shelton Richardson
Sunday 4th of May 2014
I had one of these, minus the chili lime salt in a local chain, but they muddled some cilantro in it! It was like eating salsa! I love the idea of the chili lime salt, I love that on fruit!
Sarah
Sunday 4th of May 2014
Ooh, cilantro sounds like a fun addition!
Julie
Monday 24th of February 2014
Oh I love this so much!! I'm such a chile-head. I'm pinning this, and then I think I'll wait until I can find red chiles again in a few months (NY can sympathize with Wisconsin on that front right now!) and make it with the red for that lovely hue. Awesome! Thanks!
cathy6c
Monday 24th of February 2014
Adding spice is a GREAT boost for the kick!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
Sunday 23rd of February 2014
These sound great - love the heat that they pack. I didn't get to enjoy nearly enough margaritas while I lived in Wisconsin, but I'm making up for it out here in New York ;)
Sarah
Monday 24th of February 2014
We do have some pretty good ones here in WI, but I'm sure you have a fantastic selection in NY!
Cathy Wiechert
Sunday 23rd of February 2014
I love the spice in these...and they are beautiful, too! :)