Name: Margarita Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 ounce blanco or silver tequila; 1 ounce orange liqueur (like Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec); 1 ounce fresh lime juice (plus lime slices for garnish); ½ ounce agave nectar or simple syrup (plus more to taste); Ice; Lime wedge and coarse salt (for the glass rim (optional))

This margarita recipe is easy to make with 4 ingredients! Tart and refreshing, this classic cocktail is one of my all-time favorite drinks.

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated Apr 23, 2026

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Learn how to make a margarita! This classic cocktail is easy to make with 4 ingredients: tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave (or simple syrup). If you have them on hand, you can mix up this margarita recipe in under 5 minutes!

A margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. Where I live in Austin, Texas, it is the most popular cocktail, period. I can’t tell you how many I’ve sipped on patios of various restaurants around town. But I still have a soft spot for a homemade margarita.

I love that I’m completely in control of the balance of flavors—I like mine tart, refreshing, and not-too-sweet. With this recipe, you can taste and adjust to find your ideal balance too. Come on, skip the margarita mix. This classic version is so much better!

Margarita Ingredients

Margarita means daisy in Spanish, and the drink likely originated in Mexico in the twentieth century, following tequila’s rise in popularity. While it’s unclear who invented the original margarita, it may have evolved from daisy cocktails, which are made from citrus juice, a liqueur, and a spirit. That would explain both its name and the fact that the key ingredients in a margarita are lime juice, orange liqueur, and tequila!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this margarita recipe:

Tequila – Use any good-quality silver or blanco tequila in this recipe. Our go-to is Espolon, which is widely available. For a richer variation, you could use reposado tequila, which is aged for longer and has an oakier flavor. This classic variation is called a Cadillac margarita!
Orange liqueur – We like Cointreau. Triple sec or Grand Marnier would work here too.
Lime juice – For the best results, squeeze fresh lime juice right before you make your cocktails. I like my margarita to be pretty tart, so I use an equal amount of lime juice and tequila.
Something sweet – I sweeten mine with agave syrup or homemade simple syrup.
Salt – For the rim of your glass. I recommend coarse sea salt or coarse kosher salt.
And ice! Because this cocktail is best on the rocks.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make a Margarita

Here’s a quick overview of this simple recipe:

First, salt the rim of a margarita glass. Rub it with a wedge of lime and dip the top of the glass in a small plate of salt. Tip: Your glass needs to be empty in order to do this step, so always salt the rim of the glass before you pour your cocktail! After you salt the rim of the glass, fill it with ice.
Next, shake up your drink! Add the tequila, orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lime juice, and agave to a cocktail shaker with ice, and give it a good shake to combine. Then, strain the mixture into the glass with the salted rim.
Finally, taste and adjust. For a stronger drink, mix in more tequila and Cointreau. For more sweetness, stir in extra sweetener, either agave or simple syrup. If you want a tangier flavor, squeeze in a bit more lime juice. Garnish your glass with a lime wheel, and enjoy!

Oh, and if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, don’t worry about it! You can just as easily stir together this cocktail in a glass.

Enjoy with guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips or any Mexican-inspired meal!

Recipe Variations

I love this classic margarita recipe as written, but there are lots of fun ways to change it up. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

For a spicy margarita, add a few jalapeño slices to your cocktail shaker.
For a smoky margarita, replace the tequila with mezcal.
For a skinny margarita, omit the sweetener and/or replace the orange liqueur with fresh orange juice.
Or for a fruity twist, make my strawberry margarita, mango margarita, or watermelon margarita recipe.

Let me know what variations you try!

More Favorite Cocktail Recipes

If you love this recipe, try one of these popular cocktails next:

Margarita Recipe

rate this recipe:

4.86 from 35 votes

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Serves 1

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Our best margarita recipe! This classic cocktail is tart, refreshing, and easy to make. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo, summer gatherings, or any happy hour.

Ingredients

1 ounce blanco or silver tequila
1 ounce orange liqueur, like Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice, plus lime slices for garnish
½ ounce agave nectar or simple syrup, plus more to taste
Ice
Lime wedge and coarse salt, for the glass rim (optional)

Instructions

Salt the rim of the glass (optional): Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass. Fill a small plate with coarse salt. Dip the glass into the salt to coat the rim. Fill with ice.
Place the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and agave in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the glass. Taste and stir in more agave nectar, if desired. Garnish with lime slices and serve.

Notes

This recipe makes a single-serving margarita. For a pitcher of margaritas, multiply the recipe by 8 to make enough to serve a crowd. I recommend stirring it in a pitcher with ice instead of shaking it.

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Nutrition Facts

Margarita Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 205 Calories from Fat 2

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.2g0%

Saturated Fat 0.03g0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g

Sodium 3mg0%

Potassium 42mg1%