✔ Updated · fresh and frozen methods, step photos and a mocktail
My watermelon margarita is pure summer in a glass: fresh watermelon juice, silver tequila and lime, shaken over ice with a salty rim. It contains alcohol, so it's for adults of legal drinking age, and there's an easy mocktail below.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Taste your watermelon first. A sweet, deep-red melon needs no sugar at all; only add agave if the juice tastes watery.
Why You'll Love This Margarita
- No added sugar, if your melon is ripe.
- Fresh or frozen, same ingredients, two textures.
- Easy to batch, for a summer party pitcher.
What You Need
- Watermelon: the sweeter and redder, the better. No sugar needed if it's ripe.
- Silver tequila: clean and bright, so the fruit comes through.
- Fresh limes: for juice and garnish. Bottled lime juice tastes flat here.
- Salt: coarse salt or a chili-lime seasoning for the rim.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Strain the juice. Blended watermelon is foamy and pulpy. A quick strain gives a clean, bright drink.
- Frozen version. Freeze the watermelon cubes for at least 6 hours, then blend them straight with the tequila and lime. Frozen melon acts as the ice, so the drink stays thick and doesn't water down.
- Make a pitcher. For 8 drinks: 5 cups watermelon juice, 12 ounces tequila and 6 ounces lime juice. Chill it and pour over ice to order.
- Mocktail. I skip the tequila and top the watermelon juice and lime with sparkling water or lemon-lime soda over ice. It's the pitcher I make for anyone not drinking, and nobody at the table feels left out.
- Spare juice. Leftover watermelon juice keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy responsibly. Each drink contains about 1 1/2 ounces of tequila. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US), and never drink and drive.
Watermelon Margarita
2
drinks15
minutes150
kcal15
minutesA fresh watermelon margarita: blended and strained watermelon juice shaken with silver tequila and fresh lime juice, poured over ice in salt-rimmed glasses. Contains alcohol, for adults of legal drinking age. Makes 2 drinks; see the notes for frozen and mocktail versions.
Ingredients
3 cups (for about 1 1/4 cups juice) seedless watermelon, cubed
3 ounces silver (blanco) tequila
1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 to 2 teaspoons agave nectar, only if your melon isn’t sweet (optional)
coarse salt or chili-lime seasoning, for the rim
lime wedges and small watermelon wedges, to garnish
ice
Directions
- Blend the watermelon cubes until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug. You need about 1 1/4 cups of juice.
- Run a lime wedge around the rims of two glasses and dip them in coarse salt. Fill the glasses with ice.
- Add the watermelon juice, tequila and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds. Taste and add a little agave only if it needs it.
- Strain into the glasses and garnish with lime and watermelon wedges. Serve right away.
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More Margaritas
Next up: my fresh pineapple margarita or a copycat Texas Roadhouse strawberry margarita. For an alcohol-free glass, try my virgin margarita on the rocks, and for more ideas see my tequila cocktails.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best tequila for a watermelon margarita?
A 100 percent agave silver (blanco) tequila. Its clean, bright flavor lets the watermelon shine. Reposado works too but adds an oaky, vanilla note.
How do I make a frozen watermelon margarita?
Freeze 3 cups of watermelon cubes for at least 6 hours. Blend them with the tequila and lime juice until thick and smooth, adding a splash of water if the blender stalls. No ice needed.
Do I need triple sec?
No. This recipe relies on sweet watermelon instead. If you like a more classic margarita taste, add 1/2 ounce of orange liqueur per drink.
Can I make watermelon margaritas ahead?
Mix the watermelon juice, lime and tequila up to 4 hours ahead and keep it in a covered pitcher in the fridge. Stir and pour over fresh ice when it's time to serve.
How do I make it without alcohol?
Leave out the tequila and top the watermelon and lime juice with sparkling water or lemon-lime soda over ice. Add a pinch of salt on the rim so it still feels like a margarita.
