Strawberry Margarita with Fresh Berries

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This frozen strawberry margarita uses real strawberries instead of artificial mixers, giving you bright berry flavor with the classic margarita backbone of tequila and lime.

It’s sweet enough to be refreshing but still tastes like a proper cocktail, not a smoothie.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Fresh strawberries make all the difference in flavor
  • Blends in under 2 minutes
  • Easily doubled for a crowd
  • Works as frozen or on the rocks
  • Naturally vibrant color without artificial dyes

Ingredients

For the Margaritas (serves 4)

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled (about 10 oz)
  • 1 cup blanco tequila (8 oz)
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
  • 1/4 cup triple sec or Cointreau
  • 3 tablespoons simple syrup or agave nectar (adjust to taste)
  • 4 cups ice cubes

For the Rim

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 lime wedge

For Garnish

  • Fresh strawberries, halved
  • Lime wheels

Steps

Prep the Strawberries

  1. Hull and inspect the berries. Remove stems and any white or unripe parts. Discard any berries that are mushy or have mold—one bad berry can affect the whole batch.
  2. Optional: macerate for more flavor. For intensified strawberry flavor, toss hulled berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and let sit for 15-30 minutes. The sugar draws out juices and concentrates the flavor.

Prepare the Rim

  1. Mix the rim coating. Combine sugar and salt on a small plate. The mix gives you sweetness that complements the berries while still providing that margarita salt hit.
  2. Rim the glasses. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each margarita glass. Dip into the sugar-salt mixture, rotating to coat evenly. Set aside.

Blend the Margaritas

  1. Add ingredients to blender. Place strawberries, tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup in a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 15-20 seconds until strawberries are completely pureed.
  2. Add ice and blend again. Add ice cubes and blend on high until smooth and slushy, about 30-45 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed.
  3. Taste and adjust. The margarita should be balanced—fruity and tart with noticeable tequila. Add more simple syrup if too tart, more lime juice if too sweet. Blend briefly to incorporate.

Serve

  1. Pour immediately. Divide among prepared glasses. Frozen drinks separate and melt quickly, so serve right away.
  2. Garnish. Add a strawberry half and lime wheel to each glass. A small slit in the strawberry lets it perch on the rim.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Frozen strawberries: Work just as well as fresh and are often sweeter since they’re frozen at peak ripeness. Use the same amount and skip the ice—frozen berries provide the slushy texture. You may need to add 1-2 cups of ice if the consistency is too thin.

Not sweet enough: Strawberry sweetness varies by season. Taste the berries before blending—if they’re tart, increase simple syrup to 1/4 cup.

On-the-rocks version: Blend strawberries with tequila, lime, triple sec, and simple syrup (no ice). Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. Serve over ice in a rocks glass.

Strawberry simple syrup: For extra berry flavor, make strawberry-infused simple syrup by simmering 1/2 cup chopped strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Strain and cool.

Seedy texture: If you dislike strawberry seeds, strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before serving. Press with a spoon to extract all the liquid.

Other berries: Raspberries, blackberries, or a mixed berry blend work with the same recipe. Strain raspberries and blackberries to remove seeds.

Serving Ideas

Serve in clear glasses to show off the vibrant pink color.

For parties, blend a double batch and keep it in a drink dispenser with the spout near the bottom. Give it a stir before each pour.

Pair with light appetizers like shrimp ceviche, fish tacos, or fresh guacamole.

Make a virgin version for non-drinkers by replacing tequila and triple sec with 1 cup orange juice and increasing lime juice to 3/4 cup.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Strawberry puree base: Blend strawberries with lime juice and simple syrup (no tequila, triple sec, or ice). Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add remaining ingredients and ice when ready to serve.

Pre-portioned freezer packs: Blend strawberries, portion into freezer bags (about 1/2 cup per serving), and freeze flat. To serve, add one portion plus tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and a handful of ice to the blender.

Already blended: Frozen margaritas don’t hold well—they separate and become watery within 30 minutes. Blend just before serving.

Leftover blended margarita: Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Use the cubes in your next batch instead of regular ice for extra strawberry flavor.

Fresh Makes the Difference

Most strawberry margaritas you’ll get at restaurants use artificial mixers that taste like candy, not fruit.

This version takes a few extra minutes to prep fresh berries, but the result is a drink that actually tastes like strawberries—bright, fresh, and balanced.

Once you go fresh, the neon-pink bottled stuff won’t cut it anymore.

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