A Blood Orange Margarita is made with tequila, triple sec, blood orange juice, and lime juice, served on the rocks with salt. Perfect mix of sweet and tart!
Spring is peeking through the winter gloom here, with the first daffodils setting up shop in the park and some delightfully mild temperatures here and there. So I’m going to enjoy the last of citrus season while I still can. I love blood oranges, and was thrilled to see “oranges sanguines” at some of the vendor stands at the marché. Yes, I try to buy local produce, but I’ll make some exceptions for seasonal produce that comes from relatively nearby in Italy or Spain. (Isn’t living in Europe the best?!) The first thing I did was to squeeze myself a small glass of fresh blood orange juice—so vibrant, tasty, and restorative. The second? A Blood Orange Margarita of course! Maybe not as restorative but damn delicious.
Why Make This Recipe
- Traditional with a twist! Traditional lime margaritas have always been a favorite of mine (on the rocks, with salt please), but I think I might like this blood orange variety even more. Freshly squeezed blood orange juice is added to a lime juice for a fantastic twist on a classic drink. A hint of piment d'espelette on the salted rim brings a hint of spice.
- Stunning to look at! You won't find a prettier drink than this one. It makes me happy just looking at it, and if you're looking for a drink to impress guests at a party, this one will not disappoint. And if you like this one, don't miss my Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita and my Hibiscus Margarita either!
- Easy to make and serve. Only 6 ingredients, and quick and easy to make. You can serve these blood orange margaritas on the rocks, straight up, or even in a pitcher for a party. Read on to find out more.
🥗 Ingredients
A Blood Orange Margarita is very similar to a traditional margarita, replacing the lime juice (or some of the lime juice) with blood orange juice instead. Other traditional ingredients include tequila and triple sec.
- Triple Sec: Triple sec is an orange-flavored liqueur, made from dried orange peels. The most common brand is probably Cointreau, though Grand Marnier is another very similar orange liqueur. You can use either in this recipe.
- Tequila: Look for tequilas that are 100% agave, as these are the highest quality and have the best flavor. I recommend using a silver or blanco tequila in your margaritas. Silver tequila has a strong, pure flavor and clear color, as it has only been aging in barrels for up to two months. Gold tequila, on the other hand, develops a golden color and oaky flavor as it ages longer. A reposado tequila ages between 2 months and a year, which lends it a smoother flavor than most silver tequilas. Gold tequilas aged over one year (añejo and extra añejo) are quite expensive. These are made to be sipped neat, without accompaniments and not as part of a mixed drink.
🥣 Instructions
1. Juice your citrus. For 2 servings, you’ll need 2 ounces of blood orange juice (about 1 blood orange) and 1.5 ounces of lime juice (about 1.5 limes).
2. Prepare your cocktail glasses. Chill them by filling with ice and shaking with your hand on top of the glass before then discarding the ice.
3. If you like to drink your margaritas with salt on the rim, combine a couple of teaspoons of kosher salt with a teaspoon of pimente d’espelette in a saucer wider than your glass. You don’t need to be exact with the measurements. You can choose to leave out the pimente d’espelette, but I think its tiny bit of spice is a nice touch.
4. Run a wedge of orange around the rim of your glasses, and dip the rims into the mixture.
5. Fill glasses with ice.
6. To prepare the margaritas, combine 3 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of triple sec, 2 ounces of blood orange juice, and 1.5 ounces of lime juice in a cocktail shaker over ice.
7. Shake well so that the liquid becomes quite cold, then strain into two prepared glasses.
8. Serve each with a wedge of blood orange.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
Blood oranges are a type of orange with a reddish flesh on the inside. The red-colored flesh comes from anthocyanins, which are pigments found often in flowers and berries, but rarely in citrus. Blood oranges have a slightly different flavor than regular oranges. They taste a bit like oranges crossed with raspberries or tart cherries. There are three main varieties of blood oranges. Moro blood oranges, originating in Sicily, have deep red colored flesh with a strong flavor and some bitter notes. Moros are the most commonly found variety in the United States. Tarocco blood oranges have flesh that is not as red as other varieties, but are generally known as the sweetest blood orange. Finally, the Sanguinello blood orange, originating in Spain, lands somewhere between the other two varieties in sweetness and amount of pigmentation. This is the type I’ve found here in France.
In the Northern Hemisphere, blood oranges usually ripen in February, and can be harvested until April. In the United States, blood oranges are grown in Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California, where they are in season throughout the winter and early spring.
Blood oranges are a good source of Vitamin C and fiber, and also contain folate and potassium. In addition, those anthocyanins that give the blood orange its stunning color are also cancer-fighting antioxidants. So drink up!
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Perfecting the Flavor: This blood orange margarita recipe is flexible and can be adapted to your liking. Depending on the sweetness of your blood oranges, you may want to add or subtract lime juice. For an even sweeter cocktail, you can add agave syrup or simple syrup to the mixture.
Serving Your Cocktail Straight Up: If you’d prefer to serve your cocktail straight up (without ice), make sure you shake for at least 15-30 seconds so that it is quite cold. Also, note that you may need to double the recipe to fill a cocktail glass without the ice.
Making Blood Orange Margaritas for a Crowd: If you want to make blood orange margaritas for a crowd, I hope you have an electric juicer handy. If you do, just triple or quadruple the blood orange recipe ingredients as needed for the number of people you want to serve. To make in advance, combine ingredients in a large pitcher, and refrigerate until chilled. When guests arrive, prepare glasses as above and serve.
More Cocktail Recipes
Looking for other fun drink recipes? I've got you covered with some delicious options for any season of the year.
Other Delicious Appetizer Recipes
Need some recipe ideas for appetizers to pair with your margaritas? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Old Bay Shrimp with Dipping Sauce
- Blue Cheese and Pecan Endive Appetizer
- Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Fresh Herbs
- Baked Brie with Fig Jam
- Charred Tomatillo and Red Onion Guacamole
If you try this Blood Orange Margarita recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me. And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Blood Orange Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces blood orange juice
- 1 ½ ounces lime juice
- Kosher salt if desired
- Pimente d’espelette if desired
- Blood orange wedges for garnish and for salting glasses
Instructions
- Begin by juicing your citrus. One juicy blood orange will generally yield about 2 ounces of juice. One lime will generally yield about 1 ounce of juice.
- Next, prepare two cocktail glasses. Chill them by filling with ice and shaking with your hand on top of the glass before then discarding the ice.
- If you like to drink your margaritas with salt on the rim, combine a couple of teaspoons of kosher salt with a teaspoon of pimente d’espelette in a saucer wider than your glass. You don’t need to be exact with the measurements.
- Then run a wedge of orange around the rims of your glasses, and dip the rims into the mixture.
- Fill glasses with ice.
- To prepare the margaritas, combine tequila, triple sec, blood orange juice, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker over ice.
- Shake well so that the liquid becomes quite cold, then strain into prepared glasses.
- Serve each with a wedge of blood orange.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
I do love blood oranges! They are delicious in a cocktail, and this is no exception.
I love the beautiful colour 🙂
Chef Molly says
Me too! Almost too pretty to drink. Almost.
Jeff the Chef says
What a gorgeous margarite!
Chef Molly says
Thanks! Delicious too! ?