Name: Frozen Margaritas
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Citrus Rim Salt (optional) (see headnote); Lime wedge; 6 ounces blanco or reposado tequila; 4 ounces orange liqueur; 1 (12-ounce) container frozen limeade concentrate; 20 ounces (5 cups) ice cubes

Time

15 min

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

Frozen Margaritas are a mainstay companion for nachos, tacos, and more. If you only know the sickly sweet, too-icy machine slush, get ready for a revelation. Our frozen version has tangy, true citrus flavor and a perfect consistency. Rather than squeezing, sweetening, and freezing juice from fresh limes, we opted for the convenience of frozen limeade concentrate (made with real limes), which offered the ideal sweet-tart balance and also helped create the ideal semifrozen texture when combined with ice. We then tested our way to the best, most balanced proportions of citrus to alcohol.

Find our recipes for flavored rim salts here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Citrus Rim Salt (optional) (see headnote)

Lime wedge

6 ounces blanco or reposado tequila

4 ounces orange liqueur

1 (12-ounce) container frozen limeade concentrate

20 ounces (5 cups) ice cubes

Equipment

Blender

Rasp-style grater

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

Spread salt, if using, into even layer on small saucer. Moisten about ½ inch of 4 chilled old-fashioned glass or margarita glass rims by running lime wedge around outer edges; dry any excess juice with paper towel. Roll moistened rims in salt to coat. Remove any excess salt that falls into glasses; set aside.

Recipe Tip

We prefer using our Citrus Rim Salt here, but you can substitute another flavored rim salt from or plain kosher salt; find the recipes in the article linked in the Why This Recipe Works section.

Add tequila, orange liqueur, limeade concentrate, and ice to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Pour into prepared glasses. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Recipe Tip

You can use blanco or reposado tequila in this recipe; reposado will provide more nuanced aged and oaky notes to the drink, while blanco will create a brighter and more tequila-forward cocktail.

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

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Recipe FAQs

Can I just use bottled margarita mixer instead of limeade?

Answered by Joe

Senior Editor, Books

With so many mixers to choose from, it’s easy to see why you might reach for any bottle of margarita mixer, in fact you may already have one in your cupboard. But we recommend you do not use it. Frozen limeade concentrate contains just the right balance of sweet and tart, comes already frozen, and is made with real limes so you know the flavor is pure and authentic. Using frozen limeade concentrate is too easy and too delicious to use anything else.

Do I have to use the rim salt for this margarita?

My drinks tasted too salty—what went wrong?

Answered by Carolynn

Instructor, ATK Classes

There is an art to making a proper salt rim on your glass, and it’s easy to master once you know what you’re doing. But if you’re not careful, it could impact the overall flavor of the drink. When running the lime wedge on the rim of the glass, have a paper towel handy to mop up any drips. Your goal is to get the salt to stick only to the rim of the glass. Once you dip the moistened rim into the salt, take care that no salt falls into the glass, and if it does remove it immediately. With just a thin rim of salt on the lip of the glass, you will have just the right amount for your margarita.

Frozen Margaritas

Recipe By Lawman Johnson