Spicy Orange Margarita

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A little citrus with a little heat, this Spicy Orange Margarita is an explosion of flavor you're going to love. No margarita mix required and no bartending skills required. Just a few ingredients to shake up and you've got yourself an amazing cocktail.

spicy orange margarita garnished with oranges on a marble slab with orange background.

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About this Cocktail
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make This Recipe
Recipe FAQs
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Recipe

About this Cocktail

Oh my goodness, if there was a favorite cocktail of mine...it's a spicy margarita! This Spicy Orange Margarita will BLOW YOUR MIND. I swear. It's that good. Be aware, it's a strong one. But I will share ways you can tone it down without losing the great flavor, too.

It's citrusy and at the same time it's spicy. It's perfectly refreshing and you're going to love it. Whether it's taco night, girls night, a dinner party or hang out by the pool, this cocktail is the perfect addition.

Keep in mind that this recipe makes 4 margaritas. If you more or less, scale accordingly. If you're just wanting one, you could even the whole recipe and store in a pitcher in the fridge. When you are craving one, prepare your glass and enjoy. You've got 4 for the whole week!

And if you're wanting to try other margarita recipes, also try this Skinny Spicy Margarita, this Banana Margarita, or this Italian Margarita, too!

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for Spicy Orange Margarita on orange background.

Jalapeño-infused Tequila: Bring on the spice! I infuse my tequila with jalapeños for at least 2 days and up to a week prior to making this cocktail and store in the freezer. The longer that the jalapeños are in the tequila, the spicier your drink is going to be. You can also buy an already infused tequila. Trust me, it makes it so delicious! If you’re not here for the spice, just use regular tequila. Note: after infusing for awhile, the tequila may have a tint of green - that's okay!
Triple Sec: Distilled with orange peels, this is the perfect addition to this spicy marg. It gives the best bright, sweet and citrusy flavor!
Orange Sparkling Water: I used AHA orange + grapefruit flavor. However, if you really want to tone down this drink, consider using a combination of orange juice and club soda instead.
Oranges: One goes in your drink, the other for garnish.
Jalapeños: To make this really spicy, slice up and throw in your tequila for 2 days to a week. Otherwise, save for garnish.
Lime: Use this to help rim your glass with sea salt and then for garnish.
Sea Salt: I use a truffle honey sea salt and let me tell you. It's INCREDIBLE.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to Make This Recipe

I'm no pro bartender, but college did teach me a thing or two. Follow these instructions to make your Spicy Orange Margaritas.

infused tequila with jalapeños on bright orange background. — Step 1

Step 1. If you plan to infuse your own tequila, chop one of your jalapeños and add it to the bottle for 2 - 7 days and store in the freezer. The longer you infuse it, the spicier it will be. Otherwise, you can use an already infused tequila. If you don't want too much spice, just use regular tequila.

hand holding a glass upside down being dipped in salt with orange background. — Step 2

Step 2. Pour the sea salt into a bowl big or plate enough to dip the glasses in. Dip each glass into a plate of honey, maple syrup, OR rim each class with a lime. Then, dip them in the salt.

fresh oranges and jalapenos in the glass cocktail shaker on orange background. — Step 3

Step 3. Wash and slice the oranges, limes, and jalapeños. Juice the oranges and limes into the cocktail shaker. Add most of the jalapeño slices in shaker and muddle. Save a few slices for garnishing if you wish.

hand muddling orange and jalapeños in a glass cocktail shaker. — Step 4

Step 4. After muddling, add some ice to the cocktail shaker.

cocktail shaker filled with spicy orange margarita with orange background. — Step 5

Step 5. Measure and pour tequila and triple sec in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 20-30 seconds until well combined.

cocktail shaker pouring orange margarita into salt rimmed glass on white marble slab. — Step 6

Step 6. Divide the mixture between four glasses. Then top each glass with the sparkling water.

spicy orange margarita garnished with half an orange and jalapeno slices on white marble slab. — Step 7

Step 7. Garnish with dried oranges, fresh jalapeño, or whatever your heart desires. Drink up!

Recipe FAQs

Can you make this margarita ahead of time?

Yes, you can. This cocktail can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. I love making it a pitcher cocktail! You will use some of the bubbles from the sparkling water, but it's still mighty delicious.

How do I make this margarita less strong?

Instead of sparkling water, use a combination of orange juice and club soda: Use 6 oz of each instead of 12 oz sparkling water. You can also use more triple sec and less tequila, which'll make it slightly sweeter.

Can I make it a frozen margarita?

Absolutely! Simply throw all of the ingredients in a blender with 2-3 cups of ice and blend! I like to make orange juice ice cubes for this to keep it extra flavorful. Regular ice may significantly water down your drink.

spicy orange margarita garnished with jalapeno slices and oranges on a white marble slab.

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Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?

If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Spicy Orange and Jalapeño Margarita calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.

NOTE: this is counting the alcohol as strictly carbs - remember, if you are counting your macros & alcohol, this is a good reference: Macrostax | How To Calculate Alcohol for Macro Counting

TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A CARBOHYDRATE: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/4 = 33g Carbs. TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A FAT: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/9 = 15g Fat) TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS BOTH A CARBOHYDRATE AND A FAT: Use the a portion of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 Use the remainder of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9. Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 66 calories/4 = 16.5g Carbs 66 calories/9 = 7g Fat