This Frozen Watermelon Margarita is a refreshing and fruity cocktail made with tequila, lime juice, and fresh watermelon. The ingredients are blended with ice to create a smooth slushy consistency. It’s the perfect drink for hot summer days or any occasion that calls for a fruity, frozen cocktail.
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How to Select the Watermelon
You can grab a whole one or pre-cut. Pre-cut has already been sliced or cut into smaller pieces, typically sold in plastic containers in grocery stores. The pre-cut is often seedless, making it a lot more convenient. I almost always grab this. I love that it’s seedless.
Pre-cut is usually more expensive than buying a whole watermelon. Keep in mind that pre-cut fruit can lose its texture and flavor more quickly due to exposure to air. If you grab this be sure to use it quickly after purchasing.
If you’re going to grab a whole watermelon, choose one that is ripe. A ripe watermelon will be heavy for its size and have a deep, hollow sound when you thump it. Look for one that is uniform in shape. Irregular bumps or indentations may indicate that the watermelon didn’t grow evenly and may not be as sweet.
Avoid watermelons with bruises, cuts, or dents. These are signs that the watermelon is not fresh. Check the field spot. The field spot is the area of the watermelon where it was resting on the ground. It should be a creamy yellow color, indicating that the watermelon is ripe. If the field spot is white or green, the watermelon may be underripe.
Key Ingredients:
- Watermelon
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Sugar or Sweetener
- Tequila
- Water
How to Make a Frozen Watermelon Margarita
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add watermelon, tequila, lime juice, sweetener or sugar, and ice to a high powered blender.
- Blend until smooth.
How to Get the Drinks Thick
The more liquid you add, the thinner your margarita will be. If you have time you can also freeze the watermelon ahead of time. This will create thick margaritas. I’ve never seen frozen watermelon in stores, and I almost always forget to freeze it and I end up using fresh.
When using fresh fruit for frozen drinks, be sure to use plenty of ice. Add plenty of ice to the blender to help thicken the margarita. As a general rule of thumb, use about 1 cup of ice for every 1 cup of liquid ingredients.
Make sure you have a powerful blender that can crush the ice and mix the ingredients together smoothly. A blender with high horsepower and sturdy blades is best for making frozen margaritas.
How to Line the Rim of the Glass
You can use salt, sweetener (sugar), or Tajin to garnish your glass if you wish.
- Pour a small amount of salt, sweetener, or Tajin onto a small plate, making sure that the salt layer is thick enough to cover the rim of the glass.
- Take a wedge of lime and run it around the rim of the glass to wet it. This will help the salt/sweetener to stick to the rim.
- Hold the glass upside down and dip the rim into the salt/sweetener on the plate, rotating it slightly to make sure the salt covers the entire rim.
- Gently tap the glass to remove any excess salt/sweetener.
Additional Flavors and Substitutions
- Mango
- Strawberry
- Pineapple
- Peach
- Apple
How Long they Will Last
You can store leftover cocktails in the fridge for 3 days. You can blend it again with more ice.
How to Make a Classic Margarita with No Fruit
You can easily swap out the fruit in this recipe and make a classic margarita using triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier. Use 1-2 ounces per cocktail.
Margarita Taste
The great thing about making your own cocktails is you control how it tastes. If you like sweet drinks add sugar or sweetener to suit what you want. If you like strong drinks use more liquor. You can tailor this drink to suit your needs with no need to rely solely on the recipe.
More Cocktail Recipes
Bacardi Rum Punch
Hennessy Margarita
Vodka Gimlet
Cranberry Mimosa
Jungle Juice
More Watermelon Recipes
Watermelon Salad with Feta
Watermelon Lemonade
Watermelon Margarita on the Rocks
Watermelon Water
Frozen Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon Seeds removed.
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar or sweetener Adjust to taste. If you like sweet drinks you may need more.
- 1/4 cup lime juice I used fresh limes.
- 1/2-1 cup tequila Adjust to suit your taste and how strong you like your cocktails.
- 2-4 cups ice
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients (including 2-4 cups of ice) to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add additional ice to thicken the margarita if necessary.
- Taste the mixture repeatedly and make adjustments to suit your taste. If you like it sweet, add more sweetener. More sour, add more lime juice. More liquor, add more tequila.
- Serve in glasses.
Kendall
Friday 14th of April 2023
Made margaritas tonight for friends and loved this recipe! It was so easy to vary based on the groups preferences - I only used the half cup of tequila for the initial mixing and the guests that liked their margaritas a little stronger added a bit more to their individual drinks without making the drink too liquidity! I also gave people the option of a sugar rim or a salt rim depending if they wanted a sweeter drink :) I will definitely be using the notes about how to pick the most flavorful watermelon next time I’m at the store, because I can see myself making these all spring and summer long!
staysnatched
Friday 14th of April 2023
Glad to hear you will be making them again!