Frozen Mango Margarita
When it comes to refreshing cocktails, few drinks can beat a margarita.
The combination of tart lime juice, sweet orange liqueur, and crisp tequila is a classic. But have you ever tried a frozen margarita? Or, better yet, have you tried a frozen mango margarita? If you haven’t, you are in for a treat!
This mango margarita is the most delicious fruity margarita you’ll ever make!
My usual go-to margarita is a spicy grapefruit margarita. However, this mango version has quickly climbed to the top of the list. One sip, and you’ll understand why it’s so popular!
The recipe is easy to create with just five simple ingredients: frozen mango chunks, freshly squeezed lime juice, tequila, triple sec, and a touch of agave syrup.
Pair it with your favorite Mexican dishes, like fish tacos with avocado sauce, ground beef tacos, guacamole, salsa and chips, or a Mexican corn salad with feta.
Why you’ll love this frozen mango margarita
- Smooth: the addition of frozen mango chunks gives it a velvety texture, making it creamy and satisfying.
- Easy to make: with just a few ingredients and a blender, you can whip up a batch in no time.
- Perfect for any occasion: whether it’s Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, a summer barbecue, or a lazy afternoon in the sun, this frosty cocktail hits the spot.
- Customizable: get creative and try different fruits for variations like strawberry margaritas or watermelon margaritas.
Ingredients & substitutions
Here are some helpful notes about the key ingredients for this fruity summer cocktail:
- Mangoes: use frozen mango chunks to avoid diluting the drink with ice. If unavailable, cube fresh mangoes and freeze them beforehand.
- Tequila: Blanco tequila (also known as silver or white) works best as it complements the other ingredients without overpowering the drink.
- Triple sec: this orange-flavored liqueur adds a nice touch. My favorite is Cointreau, but Grand Marnier is a good substitute. You can replace it with fresh orange juice for a less alcoholic version.
- Fresh lime juice is key to adding a zesty and bright flavor to your cocktail. Use freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Agave syrup: if you don’t have agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, or simple syrup work as good substitutes.
- Chili powder + sea salt to rim the glasses: adjust the spice level to your liking or skip this if you prefer a non-spicy drink.
See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
How to make the best frozen margaritas
Get ready to enjoy the best blended margarita you’ve ever tasted with these simple steps:
- Salt the rim of your glasses by running a lime wedge around the edge and dipping it in a mixture of chili powder and sea salt. This is optional, but it enhances the sweetness of the mango and adds a mild, spicy contrast.
- Blend the frozen mango chunks, lime juice, tequila, triple sec, and agave syrup until smooth.
- Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking for sweetness or strength. If you like a stronger drink, add more tequila. For a sweeter margarita, add more agave or simple syrup.
- Pour the margarita into the prepared glasses, garnish with lime wedges and fresh mint sprigs, and serve immediately.
Recipe variations
This recipe is incredibly versatile, making it perfect for any time of the year. Here are some ways to customize it:
- Use different fruits: don’t limit yourself to just mangoes! You can use any fruit you have on hand or that’s in season. Peaches, melon, watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries are all great options. Just make sure to add them frozen so the drink maintains its slushy consistency.
- You can easily turn this into a virgin margarita by swapping the tequila for mango nectar or mango juice and the triple sec for orange juice.
- For a spicy twist, infuse tequila with jalapeño slices or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the blender.
- Make it skinny by using fresh orange juice and a small amount of agave nectar instead of triple sec.
- Make it on the rocks: for a non-frozen version, use mango juice instead of frozen mango. Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mason jar and serve over ice. You don’t need any sweeteners for this version since the mango juice is already sweet enough on its own.
Make ahead
You can make frozen margaritas ahead of time and store them in the freezer until ready to serve.
Pour your blended margarita into a sealable container and place it in the freezer. Occasionally, give it a stir to prevent it from freezing completely solid and to maintain its slushy texture.
While the texture won’t be as smooth as freshly blended, the taste will still be great. When ready to serve, give it a final stir and pour it into glasses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional margarita glasses are wide-rimmed and stemmed. However, if you don’t have them, margaritas can be served in cocktail, old-fashioned, or highball glasses.
This recipe makes 2 margaritas, but you can easily double or triple it to make a pitcher for a party or gathering. Click on the number of servings in the recipe card below and slide the toggle that appears to the number of servings you want to make. The ingredient amounts will change accordingly.
Triple sec is a key ingredient in a classic margarita, adding sweetness and balancing the lime juice’s tartness. However, you can omit it or use a different orange-flavored liqueur or fresh orange juice if preferred.
Can I make a frozen margarita without a blender?
Unfortunately, a blender is necessary for the slushy texture of a frozen margarita. Instead, you can make a traditional margarita on the rocks by shaking all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mason jar and serving it over ice.
Yes, you can use fresh mango instead of frozen. However, you will need to add ice to achieve the slushy consistency, which can water down the drink. Alternatively, you can cube the fresh mango and freeze it the night before to avoid using ice.
Try these happy hour inspirations next!
Have you tried this frozen mango margarita recipe yet? Share your feedback, variations, or any questions you have in the comments below. We’re here to help!
How To Make It: Frozen Mango Margarita
Ingredients
For the mango margarita:
- 2 cups (280 g) mango chunks frozen
- 3 oz. (90 ml) tequila
- 1 oz. (30 ml) triple sec
- 2 limes juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons agave syrup or to taste
For the chili-salt rim:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Garnish (optional):
- fresh mint
- lime wedges
Instructions
Rim the glasses
- Mix the chili powder and salt on a small plate.Rub a lime wedge around the edge of your glasses, then dip the rim in the chili powder/salt mixture and twist to coat.
Prepare the mango margarita mixture
- Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth.Taste and, if desired, add a little more tequila or agave syrup.
Serve
- Pour the frozen mango margarita into the prepared glasses, and garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint.Serve immediately, or transfer it to a container and store it in the freezer until needed.
Notes
- Use Blanco tequila for the best results.
- My favorite triple sec is Cointreau. Grand Marnier is a good substitute.
- You can replace agave syrup with honey or simple syrup.
- For a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe to make a pitcher. Simply click on the number of servings in the recipe card and slide the toggle that appears to the number of servings you want to make. The ingredient amounts will change accordingly.
- To make a non-alcoholic version, swap the tequila for mango nectar and the triple sec for orange juice.
- For a skinny margarita, replace the triple sec with fresh orange juice and a small amount of agave nectar.
- Use fresh mango instead of frozen for a margarita on the rocks.
- Make ahead by storing the margarita mixture in an airtight container in the freezer.
So delicious and refreshing. I added some ice cubes to make it less thick but everything else was exactly the same.
Great eye appeal and tasty as written
Oh dear ! You make me soooooo thirsty !
Great recipe! I didn’t realise how fun it was to put chilli powder on my rim. My partner really enjoyed the taste of it!
Glad your partner liked this recipe, John! Thank you for the feedback! :)
I am a huge margarita fan…and the thought of mango with tequila has me giddy :-).
My husband and I definitely appreciated this recipe. We rimmed with Tajin instead of chilli, definitely good. Thank you.
That’s wonderful, Dominique!
This was delish! I didn’t add the chili on the rim, I used powdered sugar! Oh so good!!!
Glad you liked this margarita, Darlene! :)
This was sooooooo good. We loved the smooth texture achieved by not using ice in the recipe. We did a salt/sugar rim, which was delish. Thanks!
Glad you liked this margarita recipe, Beth! Thank you for the feedback! :)