Alexandra Ramirez
Whether it is Cinco de Mayo, the Day of the Dead, a birthday party, or just a regular old weekend dinner party, margaritas are a go-to drink to create a festive atmosphere. The best part about them is how easily they are to customize–you can serve them frozen or on the rocks, and there are many flavor varieties, such as traditional, mango, orange, pomegranate, fresh watermelon, pineapple, cranberry, and even more exotic flavors like rhubarb or green pepper. Strawberry margaritas are an all-time classic and one that pleases most palates.
If you’re making your strawberry margaritas during strawberry season, then you are in luck. The easiest (and most delicious!) strawberry margarita recipe calls for just five simple ingredients (including fresh strawberries, naturally) and takes less than five minutes to make: it’s literally the five-minute, five-ingredient, (almost) one-step margarita recipe! How do you know if it’s strawberry season? Most strawberries sold in the United States are grown in Florida or California from January through November each year. That said, the peak strawberry season is May through June.
But don’t despair if you’re whipping up the margaritas when it’s not strawberry season: frozen strawberries work almost as well. Regardless of the time of year, follow this step-by-step guide to make delicious strawberry margaritas that are sure to please you and your guests.
1. Gather the Ingredients
You will need a bunch of washed, hulled, fresh strawberries, your tequila of choice, some honey or other sweetener depending on your taste (sugar works as well), some fresh lime juice, and orange liquor. The amounts will vary depending on how much you’re making, but here’s a guideline that makes two to four margaritas: a pound of fresh, hulled strawberries, two thirds of a cup of squeezed lemon juice, about a third of a cup of honey or agave, one cup of tequila, a quarter cup of orange liquor (Triple Sec or Cointreau, or any other orange liquor), and coarse margarita salt for serving. If it’s not strawberry season, you can use frozen strawberries or even strawberry syrup if you are really in a pinch.
2. Mix the Ingredients
Pour the strawberries, tequila, sweetener, lime juice, and orange liquor into a blender and pulse the blender until the mix is completely smooth. Allow the mix to rest in the blender for about three minutes. Then skim off the foam on the top and taste the mix. Add more sweetener or tequila as desired. If you want frozen margaritas, add some ice to the mix and make sure to pulse until the ice is completely crushed. If you have smaller ice cubes or crushed ice, that might work better. If you want your margaritas on the rocks, just add ice cubes to the serving glasses.
3. Prepare the Serving Glasses
Classic margaritas should be served in glasses with salted rims–it’s the combination of sweet, salty, and sour that makes these drinks so delicious. Before salting your glasses, you should stick them in the fridge for a few minutes in order to make them cold. This will keep your margaritas colder for longer once you serve them (because who likes warm margaritas?!). While the glasses are in the fridge, fill a small bowl with coarse margarita salt. Take out the glasses and run a lime wedge along the rim. Then dip the glasses in the bowl of salt.
4. Garnish and Serve
Once the mix and glasses are ready, just pour the margarita mix into the glasses. If you are serving your margaritas on the rocks, each glass should be half-full of ice cubes before you pour in the mix. Whether you’re serving the margaritas frozen or on the rocks, you can garnish each drink with fresh strawberry and lemon slices for an extra kick. Pineapple and orange slices also make for delicious garnishes that look pretty as well. Finally, if it is Cinco de Mayo or a special occasion, don’t forget the decorative potential of margaritas. There are a lot of fiesta margarita supplies out there, like fun plastic cups and straws, that can add a fun touch to this delicious drink. Enjoy!
