Classic Margarita Recipe

The 3 Ingredient Classic Margarita

All you really need to make a classic margarita is lime juice, tequila, and an orange liqueur to make it official, plus ice of course. The only difficult part of making a classic margarita is when you’re out of orange liqueur! But that’s okay because the grocery store is always in stock. Another heated topic is what kind of tequila to use. I personally use the Reposado, which is the silver-white tequila for my non-tequila mamas. As a San Diego native, I love buying tequila that’s Mexican-owned and especially woman-owned. 

Classic or Sweet Margarita

I have an intense sweet tooth with almost everything. Except when it comes to classic margaritas. But if you prefer a smoother drink with less of a bite, then you can always sweeten it up a bit with agave, honey, or homemade simple syrup. I would start with ½ a tbsp of agave and taste before adding any ice. The ice cuts out the sweeter and makes you add more and more to get it even a bit sweet. If you still don’t feel that it’s sweet enough then 1 tbsp in total should be just right. 

If you don’t have agave don’t worry, you can also use honey in a 1 to 1 ratio. We use honey to sweeten up all of our drinks, so I highly recommend trying honey for any sweet alternative. You can also make homemade simple syrup, which is just equal parts of dissolved water and sugar. Half a cup of each heated up over a saucepan will be more than enough and it can be refrigerated for about a month. 

Ingredients for Classic Margarita

• 1 shot of Lime Juice
• 2 shots of Tequila of your choice (reposado preferred)
• 1 shot of Orange Liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
• 1 tbsp Agave (optional)
• Ice

Decor Ingredients

• Margarita salt or kosher salt for rim
• ½ lime to wet the cup rim
• Sliced lime for cup rim 

Recipe for Classic Margarita

1. You will need 1 juicy lime cut in half and extra lime for garnish
2. With lemon Squeers, press the juice out of the lime and then put the juice to the side.
3. Get your cocktail shaker or mixing cup and add the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and agave if you prefer your drink sweet.
4. I personally add some ice to the cocktail shaker to really get the drink going.
5. For decor, use half lime to rub the rim of your margarita glass.
6. Then on a small plate put a few shakes of salt on it to dip your lime rubbed glass to get salted.
7. Lastly, add 5 ice cubes, pour your margarita in, and enjoy responsibly.

Other Margaritas

• Orange Rita Margarita Recipe
• Grapefruit Rita Margarita Recipe
• Cutie Rita Margarita Recipe