This Spicy Margarita recipe has a boozy kick with fresh jalapenos for a zing. The lime juice and tequila give it a nice citrus flavor, while the jalapenos and chili lime seasoning creates the best blend of refreshing, yet strong drink.

Spicy Margarita with jalapeno slices and lime wedge fo garnish. Cocktail shaker, bottle of Tequila and Tajin chili lime seasoning in background.

Spicy Margarita Recipe

Do you love spicy cocktail recipes? Well then, this spicy margarita recipe is just what you need!

It’s made like regular margaritas except for a touch of heat from a jalapeno pepper. As the fresh peppers sit in the cocktail, they add a spicy heat that tastes even better with the tangy Tajin rim (a spicy chili salt with a kick).

Serve up a margarita with jalapeno whenever you’re making a delicious Mexican meal. Think taco night, chicken fajitas or with an appetizer like chips and queso. It’s so good, this jalapeno margaritas recipe will impress any margarita lover, just like these sweet and delicious Strawberry Margaritas or these creamy Avocado Margaritas!

Why You’ll Love this Spicy Margarita Recipe

Perfect drink for Happy Hour, Cinco de Mayo or a unique summer cocktail.
It’s a spicy drink! Taste of the classic recipe with a little bit of heat.
An ideal happy hour cocktail to serve with tortilla chips and this easy blender fresh salsa.

Is this a Skinny Spicy Margarita?

Let’s chat about a skinny margarita. As long as you are making it with fresh ingredients, it’s a skinny as it gets!

Ingredients that make it un-skinny are sweet and sour mixes, simple sugar or agave syrup (that’s worse than pure sugar)!

So, as long as your making fresh margaritas with fresh lime juice, tequila, an orange liqueur and a fresh jalapeno pepper, it’s a skinny spicy margarita!

What Kind of Tequila is Best for a Spicy Margarita?

The best is a Silver tequila, also known white tequila or blanco tequila.

Silver tequila is crisp with a hint of citrus, so it blends really well with a spicy margarita. But, if you’re a fan of gold tequila, then use the kind of tequila you enjoy best!

More Margarita Recipes to Love

Classic Margarita

Mexican Martini

Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots

Blue Margarita

Irish Margarita

Margarita Jello Shots

Do You Love Margaritas?

Have you seen these handmade margarita candles? They smell amazing and look so cute!

Get your very own personalized margarita glasses. Great gift idea too.

Or grab a set of these funny and cute margarita kitchen towels. Perfect to use at your next summer party.

If you change out your tiered tray for the season, this set of margarita tiered tray decor is super cute too.

Kitchen Tools for a Jalapeno Margarita

Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Shot Glass
Cocktail Shaker
Margarita Glass
Citrus Juicer

Spicy Margarita Recipe Ingredients

All you need are a few simple ingredients to spice up this classic margarita recipe:

Tequila: Use a good quality tequila in silver or white. There’s no need for a extra high priced aged tequila for margaritas. Espolon is my go-to tequila, it’s made with 100% agave and you should be able to find it in just about any liquor store.

Orange Liqueur: Use your favorite Triple Sec brand or go extra smooth and use Cointreau or Grand Marnier. If you want to skip the orange liqueur, just add a splash of orange juice, but adding the liqueur of smooth Cointreau is really hard to beat!

Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is absolutely the best, but squeezing limes takes forever especially if you’re making then for a crowd. I use concentrated lime juice or Simply Limeade, it’s just easier! But if you are only making one or two – definitely go for fresh squeezed! Use a citrus juicer to get the most lime juice out of each fresh lime.

Tajin Chili Lime Seasoning: Tajin is a must for a spicy jalapeno margarita. This chili lime seasoning tastes perfect on the rim of your cocktail glass. It’s a little spicy and salty delicious. Here’s the Tajin chili lime seasoning I use.

Fresh Limes: Use a lime slice to wet the rim of your glass. Plus, you’ll need a lime wedge to perch on the edge of the glass for garnish.

Jalapeño Slices: Use fresh jalapenos to add a little heat. You’ll need 4-5 jalapeno slices per margarita.

How to Make a Spicy Margarita

Here’s the easy way to make a spicy jalapeño margarita recipe:

STEP 1: Cut fresh jalapeno slices, removing the seeds.

STEP 2: Add 2 ounces tequila and jalapeno slices to a cocktail shaker. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. The longer you let the tequila and jalapeno slices sit together, the spicier it will be. So, adjust accordingly to your taste buds.

TIP: If you want to speed up this process, you can lightly muddle the jalapeno slices with your muddler to release the natural spices.

STEP 3: Add a handful of ice cubes into the cocktail shaker.

STEP 4: Pour in 1 ounce triple sec and 3 ounces lime juice.

STEP 5: Shake, shake shake! Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker gets cold and frosty.

STEP 6: Prepare your margarita glass. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime slice. Add Tajin seasoning to a small plate then turn the glass upside down and coat in the chili lime seasoning to cover the rim.

STEP 7: Strain the spicy margarita mixture into your prepared glass.

STEP 8: Place 3-4 jalapeño slices on top.

STEP 9: Garnish with a slice of lime.

Variations and Substitutions

Here are a few subtle variations you can easily make to your spicy margaritas:

If chili lime seasoning is too spicy for you, you can use kosher salt for the salted rim.
Do you want really, really spicy margaritas? Infuse your tequila with jalapeno slices ahead of time. Simply slice a jalapeno (remove the seeds) and soak in 2 cups of tequila for 2 days in an airtight container. Simple!
If you’re not a fan of triple sec, add a small splash of fresh orange juice instead.
Simply add a splash of orange juice to give it a smoother finish.

How to Make a Big Batch of these Spicy Margaritas

This jalapeno margarita recipe is easy to make in a big batch!

Grab a large pitcher that can hold about 64 ounces, like this glass pitcher. Don’t use a plastic pitcher because it might absorb some of the jalapeno flavoring and ruin it for future use.
Add 2-3 fresh sliced jalapenos (with out the seeds) into the pitcher.
Pour in tequila and let sit for 10 minutes to infuse the tequila with a little bit of heat from the jalapeno peppers.
While waiting on the tequila to infuse with the peppers, prepare your margarita glass with a Tajin rim.
Add orange liqueur and lime juice to the pitcher. For a large pitcher, I highly suggest using Simply Limeade. It tastes just as delicious and so much less work! Stir well.
Add a little ice to pitcher, but not too much or it will dilute the mix.
Instead, add a ice cubes to your prepared margarita glasses and pour the spicy margarita recipe mix into the glasses.
Top with 3-4 fresh jalapeno slices.

What if my Jalapeno Margarita is Too Spicy?

Uh oh! If you’ve made your jalapeno margarita too spicy for your tastes, here are a few things you can do to lessen the heat:

Add ice cubes to your margarita glass and let it melt a little to help dilute the flavor.
Pour your spicy margarita back into the cocktail shaker and add 1 ounce of orange juice. This will tame the spiciness.
Simply add a little water to dilute the mixture.

Spicy Margaritas offer a unique twist on the classic cocktail for those who crave a bit of heat with their drinks. The combination of spicy jalapeno peppers and tangy lime juice creates a flavor profile that’s both refreshing and bold. Whether you prefer a subtle kick or a fiery explosion of flavor, spicy margaritas are a must-try this summer!

Yield: 1

Spicy Margarita Recipe

Name: Spicy Margarita Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Cocktail Recipes
Ingredients: 2.5 cups Tequila; 2-3 Fresh Jalapeños, sliced with seeds removed; 1 cup Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier); 3 cups Simply Limeade; Lime Wedge; Tajin Chili Lime Seasoning; 2 ounces Tequila; Fresh Jalapeño Slices; 1 ounce Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier); 3 ounces Lime Juice; Lime Wedge; Tajin Chili Lime Seasoning

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 ounces Tequila
Fresh Jalapeño Slices
1 ounce Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
3 ounces Lime Juice
Lime Wedge
Tajin Chili Lime Seasoning

Large Batch Spicy Margarita

2.5 cups Tequila
2-3 Fresh Jalapeños, sliced with seeds removed
1 cup Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
3 cups Simply Limeade
Lime Wedge
Tajin Chili Lime Seasoning

Instructions

Single Spicy Margarita Directions

Cut fresh jalapeno slices, removing the seeds.
Add 2 ounces tequila and jalapeno slices to a cocktail shaker. Set aside for 5-10 minutes (the longer you let it sit, the spicier it will be).
Add a handful of ice cubes into the cocktail shaker.
Pour in 1 ounce triple sec and 3 ounces lime juice.
Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker gets cold and frosty.
Prepare your margarita glass. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime slice. Add Tajin seasoning to a small plate then turn the glass upside down and coat in the chili lime seasoning to cover the rim.
Strain the spicy margarita mixture into your prepared glass.
Place 3-4 jalapeño slices on top.
Garnish with a slice of lime.

Large Batch of Spicy Margaritas

Using a 64 ounce pitcher, like this glass pitcher.
Add 2-3 fresh jalapenos, sliced and with out seeds, into the pitcher.
Pour in tequila and let sit for 10 minutes to infuse the tequila with a little bit of heat from the jalapeno peppers.
Prepare your margarita glasses with a Tajin rim.
Add orange liqueur and Simply Limeade to the pitcher.
Add a little ice to pitcher, but not too much or it will dilute the mix.
Add a ice cubes to your prepared margarita glasses and pour the spicy margarita recipe mix into the glasses.
Top with 3-4 fresh jalapeno slices.