Treat yourself to the BEST Watermelon Margaritas! This fresh watermelon and tequila cocktail is easy to make, plus so delicious and refreshing. The perfect for a hot summer day!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ginnie's Take
I'm always looking for creative ways to use watermelon, and this delicious Watermelon Margarita recipe is truly a favorite! This cocktail recipe is simple to make, they're colorful and fun to drink, and the fresh flavor is absolutely irresistible. Serve this mouthwatering drink on the rocks with a salted rim for the perfect summer treat!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Amazing Fresh Flavor - You won't be able to resist this colorful margarita's vibrant flavor. It tastes just like biting into a juicy wedge of fresh watermelon!
- Easy to Make - This recipe is super simple to prepare with just a few ingredients. It's also a great way to use up lots of watermelon.
- Perfect Summer Drink - This refreshing cocktail is the ideal drink to kick back with on a hot summer weekend! The recipe is easy enough to make anytime you're craving a flavorful drink, and it's perfect for parties and all your summer get togethers, too.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This fresh watermelon cocktail is made with simple, easy to find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Watermelon - Of course, you'll need some fresh watermelon! When choosing a watermelon, look for a heavy melon with a smooth, firm rind and a large, creamy yellow field spot on the bottom. If the stem is attached, it should be dry (not green). Lastly, give it a thump. A juicy watermelon should have a deep hollow sound and feel when thumped.
- Tequila - For the best results, choose a high quality tequila for this cocktail. I like Espolòn.
- Triple Sec - You'll also need some triple sec, which is a type of orange liqueur. Cointreau works great for this recipe.
- Lime - Fresh limes add acidity and brighten the other flavors. You'll use the limes three ways: as juice in the drink, to salt the glass rims, and to garnish the finished drinks. Tip: I always buy extra limes, because it's hard to tell how much juice you'll get from each one.
- Simple Syrup - I'm not a fan of sugary drinks, so I tested this recipe with and without a sweetener. I found that a touch of simple syrup really enhances the drink's fresh watermelon flavor without making it too sweet tasting. Tip: Although you can buy it, I recommend making your own homemade simple syrup. It's super easy and cheap!
- Salt - Coarse kosher salt works perfectly for salting the glass rims. Tajin would also be super delicious. And of course, you can skip this step if you're not a fan of salted rims.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free. For vegans, just make sure to use vegan sugar when making the simple syrup.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a sharp knife to prep the ingredients, a juicer for the lime, a blender to make the watermelon juice and a fine mesh strainer to strain it, a jigger and a glass measuring cup to measure the ingredients, as well as a cocktail shaker to blend everything together. I served my drinks in a rocks glass, but you could use a classic margarita glass if you prefer.
How to Make Fresh Watermelon Margaritas
Ready to start sipping this homemade watermelon drink? You'll find a detailed recipe card below with measurements, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Prepare simple syrup. If you're planning to use homemade simple syrup, you'll need to do this in advance so it has time to cool. To make it, simply combine equal parts sugar and water in a small pot. Then heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it's hot and the sugar has dissolved (no need to boil).
- Make watermelon juice. Next, chop up your watermelon, add it to a blender, and purée until smooth. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, then strain the juice. Tip: I prefer the texture of strained juice, but straining is optional. If you do not strain the melon, you'll end up with about twice as much juice.
- Salt glass rims. You'll prep your glasses next. Fill a shallow dish with salt, then take a lime wedge and run it around the outside rim of your glass. Roll the edge of your glass in the salt, then set aside.
- Combine drink ingredients. Fill your cocktail shaker half full with ice, then add the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup. Close your shaker, then shake vigorously for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Serve. Fill your glasses with fresh ice, then strain the freshly shaken margaritas over the top. Serve garnished with a lime slice.
All right, time to enjoy your Fresh Watermelon Margarita on the Rocks ... doesn't it look delicious?
Variations
This recipe is fun and easy to customize! Here are a few ideas to try:
- Fruits - Blend the watermelon with fresh strawberries or raspberries for a fruity twist on the recipe. You could also prepare it with other types of melon, such as honeydew or cantaloupe.
- Frozen - For a blended margarita, make the recipe with frozen, cubed watermelon. Combine the cubes with the other ingredients, along with a little ice, and blend until smooth.
- Spicy - To make a spicy margarita, you can infuse the tequila with jalapeños. You could also make a spicy simple syrup, like I did for this Spicy Palomas. Serve garnished with jalapeño slices.
- Sweeter - For a sweeter drink, add extra simple syrup to taste.
- Herbs - Blend the watermelon with fresh basil or mint for a tasty, herbaceous flavor.
- Mezcal - For a smoky margarita, use mezcal instead of tequila.
- Tajin - Swap out the salt rims for flavorful Tajin.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this watermelon tequila cocktail with a few simple snacks, like chips and homemade Guacamole, Pink Pineapple Salsa, Texas Nachos, or these Black Bean Taquitos, and you have a party! And of course, this drink is perfect for serving with festive main dishes, like these Vegetable Fajitas, Roasted Veggie Quesadillas, or these Black Bean Enchiladas, too.
Storage
You can prepare the components of this drink (simple syrup, watermelon juice, and lime juice) up to a day in advance. For parties, you can also prepare a big batch (pitcher) a couple hours ahead of time, then add ice shortly before serving.
Related Recipes
Looking for more watermelon drinks? Try one of these easy recipes next:
- Spike this homemade Watermelon Lemonade with vodka for another easy cocktail!
- Treat yourself to these refreshing Watermelon Mojitos! They taste so good on a hot summer day.
- Serve this super simple Watermelon Punch in mini watermelons for the cutest summer drink!
P.S. Need to use up a big melon? You can find more watermelon recipes here!
Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups chopped watermelon
- 1 lime
- kosher salt
- 3 ounces tequila
- 2 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce Cointreau (or other triple sec)
- ½ ounce simple syrup
Instructions
- Using a blender, blend chopped watermelon until smooth.
- Place fine mesh strainer over a bowl (or large measuring cup), then strain watermelon juice. (You will need 1 cup strained juice for the recipe).
- Cut 2 slices from lime (set aside for garnish), then cut remaining lime into wedges.
- Fill a small, shallow dish with kosher salt. Run one of the lime wedges around the outside rim of a rocks (or margarita) glass. Roll the rim in the kosher salt. Repeat with second glass, then set aside.
- Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice, then add 1 cup watermelon juice, 3 ounces tequila, 2 ounces lime juice, 1 ounce cointreau, and ½ ounce simple syrup. Close shaker, then shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Add fresh ice to prepared glasses, then strain margarita mixture into glasses (dividing evenly between the two).
- Serve drinks immediately, garnished with lime slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 Drink - ½ cup watermelon juice, 1 ½ ounces tequila, 1 ounce lime juice, ½ ounce Cointreau, ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 4 Drinks - 2 cups watermelon juice, 6 ounces (¾ cup) tequila, 4 ounces (½ cup) lime juice, 2 ounces (¼ cup) Cointreau, 1 ounce simple syrup
- 8 Drinks (Pitcher) - 4 cups watermelon juice, 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) tequila, 8 ounces (1 cup) lime juice, 4 ounces (½ cup) Cointreau, 2 ounces (¼ cup) simple syrup. Note: Mix in pitcher filled with ice.
- 16 Drinks (Large Pitcher) - 8 cups watermelon juice, 24 ounces (3 cups) tequila, 16 ounces (2 cups) lime juice, 8 ounces (1 cup) Cointreau, 4 ounces (½ cup) simple syrup. Note: Mix in pitcher filled with ice.
Nutrition
