Food and Recipes Drinks Cocktails Watermelon Margaritas 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews You won't find a prettier cocktail than this oh-so-fresh watermelon margarita. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 29, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Yield: 2 margaritas Jump to recipe The best watermelon margarita requires a really tasty watermelon to carry the day. A watermelon that has soaked up the summer sun and ripened to sweet perfection delivers the ideal balance of sweetness and watermelon flavor. This watermelon margarita recipe calls for fresh watermelon in two forms: a simple homemade watermelon syrup and watermelon juice. Those are then paired with blanco tequila, a non-aged tequila that has a brighter cleaner flavor. Aged tequilas might be a bit too strong for the delicate flavors of watermelon, but use your favorite. Learn how to make a watermelon margarita, and cool off with the fresh flavors of summer's sweetest melon. Dotdash Meredith Ingredients for a Watermelon Margarita The watermelon is going to make or break your margarita, so make sure it's the best fruit you can buy. Here's the full list of what you'll need; measurements are further below. Seedless watermelon: We call for a seedless watermelon to streamline the process, but some folks swear that the older varieties of seeded melon have better flavor. If you're buying at a farmers' market, ask the farmer for recommendations.Sugar: Cook some of the fresh watermelon and sugar to make a simple syrup.Water: You'll blend up some of the melon with water to make watermelon juice, for a one-two-punch of watermelon essence.Silver tequila: We prefer the cleaner flavor of silver (or blanco) tequila. Aged tequilas can be too smoky for the delicate flavor of watermelon, but use the spirit you prefer.Lime juice: A requirement for a good margarita. It balances the sweetness of the syrup and juice for a bright and zippy drink.Flaky seat salt and lime wedges: Our preferred garnishes. You can use one or none. Dotdash Meredith How To Make a Watermelon Margarita You'll need to make both the simple syrup and the watermelon juice before you can mix up the margarita, so those ingredients come first. Then, you'll make the drink, and enjoy. Here's a brief outline of the process; the full recipe is further below: Step 1. Make the watermelon simple syrup: Simmer watermelon and sugar in a saucepan. Mash the fruit to press out liquid, and simmer for five minutes to dissolve the sugar. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, and let the syrup cool completely.Step 2. Make the watermelon juice: Blend watermelon and water, and pour through a fine mesh sieve to separate solids from the juice.Step 3. Make the margarita: Combine tequila, watermelon syrup, and watermelon juice with the lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until well combined, and pour over ice. Garnish as desired. The Best Tequila for a Watermelon Margarita Silver tequila, also called blanco or white tequila, is best for a watermelon margarita because of its mild flavor. It's colorless because it hasn't been aged, unlike reposado tequila, which is more golden in color. The pale spirit will keep your watermelon margarita an appealing shade of pink and bursting with watermelon flavor. Variations for Watermelon Margaritas While this watermelon margarita recipe is written to be balanced, there are things you can change if you prefer: Sugar swap: You can use agave nectar instead of sugar. Tequila is made from agave, so it's a natural fit. Use 1/3 less, or 2/3 cup in place of one cup sugar, and select a mild, lighter colored agave syrup so it won't overwhelm the watermelon. Color change: For a sunny yellow watermelon margarita, buy a yellow watermelon. They tend to be mild and sweet and have the same delectable watermelon flavor we love. Ways To Serve Watermelon Margaritas Margarita or daiquiri glasses are the best glasses for serving a watermelon margarita. Small goblets, Champagne coupes, martini glasses, and stemless wineglasses can stand in with gorgeous results. Your margaritas are fabulous right out of the shaker, but it can be fun to add a special touch. For extra pizzazz, rub a lime around the rim of the glass, and if desired, dip in coarse salt or sugar. Garnish with a juicy slice of melon for extra sparkle. Big Batch Watermelon Margaritas Keep it simple on the day of your party by making the syrup up to four days in advance, and make the juice up to eight hours before serving. Then, shake up a margarita one at a time, stir together several at a time in a small pitcher. How To Make a Spicy Watermelon Margarita Want to sizzle up your sip? Slice a jalapeño, and simmer the slices with the fresh watermelon and sugar when making the watermelon simple syrup. It'll provide a a nice bite of heat with the sweetness of the fruit. Editorial contributions by Robin Asbell. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Watermelon Simple Syrup: 2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed 1 cup sugar Watermelon Juice: 2 cups seedless watermelon 1/2 cup water Margaritas: 4 oz. silver tequila 4 oz. watermelon juice 2 oz. lime juice 1 oz. watermelon simple syrup Garnishes: Coarse salt, lime wedges Directions Make Watermelon Simple Syrup: Combine the watermelon and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a potato masher or another utensil to mash the watermelon and sugar together, pushing out the liquid and dissolving the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Dotdash Meredith Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl or jar, pressing the watermelon to extract all the liquid. Set aside to cool completely. Makes just over 1 cup of simple syrup. Dotdash Meredith Make Watermelon Juice: Combine the watermelon and water in a blender. Blend until smooth; pour through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl or jar. Dotdash Meredith Make the Margarita: Combine the tequila, watermelon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until thoroughly chilled, about 30 seconds, and pour into glasses rimmed with lime juice and coarse salt. Garnish with lime wedges and serve imediately. Frequently Asked Questions How do I know a watermelon is good? Pick it up and give it a thump—it should make a deep, hollow sound and feel heavy for its size. How do I know a watermelon is ripe? A ripe watermelon is heavy for its size and should have a "belly" side, which is the pale yellow spot where the melon rested as it soaked up the sun. If the melon is evenly green, it's probably not ripe. What is a watermelon margarita made of? A traditional watermelon margarita is made with watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, and sugar. For more watermelon flavor, we've made a watermelon simple syrup as a sweetener. What alcohol is in a watermelon margarita? It wouldn't be a margarita without tequila, so this watermelon margarita recipe calls for silver or blanco tequila. Source Recipe courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board Rate It Print Additional reporting by Robin Asbell Robin Asbell Robin Asbell is an experienced and award-winning food writer, and the author of 11 cookbooks. She is a nationally known expert in whole foods, plant-based, and whole grain cooking, learn more