Food and Recipes Drinks These 12 Margarita Recipes Will Be A Happy Hour Hit When the clock strikes 5, there's nothing like a margarita to hit the spot. By Southern Living Editors Updated on June 15, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn A margarita is a fun, fruity cocktail that you can enjoy year-round, but on a hot summer day, a margarita really hits the spot. It's a great drink to whip up in a big batch for entertaining or scale down to make a single glass. Whether you start with a bottle of margarita mix or opt for hand-squeezed lime juice, this refreshing cocktail is guaranteed to satisfy. A classic margarita mixes tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur (typically triple sec or Cointreau). Poured into a glass rimmed with salt and garnished with a wedge of lime, this fun cocktail is the ultimate happy hour treat. Once you've learned how to make the perfect margarita, it's time to get creative. There are countless ways you can customize your margarita—we've rounded up a few of our favorite margarita best recipes and favorite flavor combinations for inspiration. From classic fruit flavors like peach and strawberry to unexpected pairings like watermelon-mint and the "Mojitarita," we can't possibly choose one favorite cocktail from this list. That's why we are officially calling all nine drinks the best margarita recipes of all time—because, yes, they're all that good. 01 of 12 Frozen Margarita Antonis Achilleos On the hottest of days, this cocktail is just what you need. A frozen margarita is made by blending all the traditional ingredients with ice. Our recipe also adds a can of frozen Limeade concentrate to amplify the citrus flavor. 02 of 12 Mojitarita Katie Jacobs Combine two classic cocktails—mojitos and margaritas—in one epic tropical beverage. The Mojitarita takes the tequila from the margarita and the mint from the mojito to create a festive party favorite. If you're feeling creative, you can add muddled fruit or a dash of jalapeño juice. 03 of 12 Mint Margaritas Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely This margarita is also refreshingly minty, with a good measure of citrus as well. The recipe includes equal doses of lime juice and orange liqueur, resulting in a punchy cocktail that isn't overly sweet. 04 of 12 Peach Margarita Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely For a sweet take on a classic margarita, mix fresh peaches, triple sec, and agave or honey into your blender. Then, prepare your glass for the best part of this recipe: the chili-lime seasoning on the rim. 05 of 12 Watermelon Margarita Southern Living If you can't resist a slice of juicy watermelon, then this drink is for you. Watermelon simple syrup and watermelon juice help load this margarita with fruity flavor. This pretty pink concoction is sure to become your next signature cocktail. 06 of 12 Strawberry Margarita Spritzers Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Amy Burke Throw all the ingredients in the blender and go—that's how easy it is to mix up these Strawberry Margarita Spritzers. And before you grab that strawberry huller, our recipe calls for frozen (but thawed) whole strawberries. No chopping, hulling, or stemming necessary. 07 of 12 Lucy Buffett's Highbrow Margarita Angie Mosier In her signature Highbrow Margarita, Lucy Buffett swaps orange liqueur for lime liqueur to double down on citrus flavor. She also adds soda water to give a bit of fizz. "For an honest-to-goodness margarita, you need to use high-quality ingredients without a lot of juice or extra flavors— in other words, get to the heart of the matter," she says. 08 of 12 Watermelon-Mint Margaritas Southern Living Freeze the watermelon ahead of time to make this gorgeous, fruit-forward margarita. Want to make an alcohol-free sipper? Skip the tequila and opt for 1/2 cup of orange juice or apple juice instead. 09 of 12 Texas Margarita Will Dickey Looking for a light and fruity cocktail you can sip all afternoon by the pool? Enter the Texas Margarita, with a double dose of orange from Grand Marnier and fresh-squeeze juice. A Test Kitchen tip: Stick your glass in the freezer for 15 minutes before mixing, and your margarita will stay cold for longer. 10 of 12 Pink Cadillac Margaritas Tart cranberry juice gets equal billing with fresh-squeezed lime in this pink bevvy. For this version, we recommend coating the rim in a mixture of coarse salt and sparkling sugar. This recipe can be made in batches before the guests arrive and chilled up to four hours. 11 of 12 Non-Alcoholic Margarita Mocktail Jennifer Causey Not in the mood for booze? This recipe lets you get in on the margarita action, plus it's a fan-favorite for showers and mid-day lunches. A combination of Limeade, fresh-squeezed juices, and Topo Chico sparkling water create the perfect mocktail to cap off a day in the sun. 12 of 12 Grapefruit Margarita Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn A grapefruit margarita is one of our all-time favorites. This recipe came to us from mixologist Tiffanie Barriere. Thanks to the surprising pairing of sour lime, bitter grapefruit, and sweet elderflower liqueur, your tastebuds will surely be wowed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit