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Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 10, 2013

Time

25 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 4 cups)

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

Ingredients

4 cups frozen strawberries ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup kosher salt 3 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate 2 cups ice ⅔ cup tequila (silver)⅔ cup Triple Sec

Before You Begin

If you don’t have kosher salt, substitute 1/2 teaspoon table salt in step 1 and 2 tablespoons table salt in step 2. You will need roughly 16 ounces of frozen strawberries for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 cups strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until berries begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Mash with potato masher until fruit breaks down, then simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in limeade concentrate and transfer to large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. (Mixture can be made 1 day in advance.)
  2. Combine remaining sugar and salt in pie plate. Remove strawberry mixture from refrigerator and dip rims of serving glasses in liquid. Press rims of glasses into salt mixture and set aside. Transfer chilled strawberry mixture to blender. Add remaining frozen strawberries, ice, tequila, and triple sec and blend until smooth. Pour into salted glasses.
Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

25 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 4 cups)

Ingredients

4 cups frozen strawberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups ice
⅔ cup tequila (silver)
⅔ cup Triple Sec

Ingredients

4 cups frozen strawberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups ice
⅔ cup tequila (silver)
⅔ cup Triple Sec

Ingredients

4 cups frozen strawberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
2 cups ice
⅔ cup tequila (silver)
⅔ cup Triple Sec

Why This Recipe Works

For a smooth consistency in our Frozen Strawberry Margaritas we found equal amounts of ice and frozen berries worked best. Cooking down additional frozen berries into an intensely flavored syrup was the best way to add rich strawberry flavor to the frozen base. Instead of fresh lime juice (which steamrolled the strawberry flavor), just a few tablespoons of sweet and sour limeade enhanced the strawberry flavor perfectly and kept the smooth, frosty texture intact.

Before You Begin

If you don’t have kosher salt, substitute 1/2 teaspoon table salt in step 1 and 2 tablespoons table salt in step 2. You will need roughly 16 ounces of frozen strawberries for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 cups strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until berries begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Mash with potato masher until fruit breaks down, then simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in limeade concentrate and transfer to large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. (Mixture can be made 1 day in advance.)
  2. Combine remaining sugar and salt in pie plate. Remove strawberry mixture from refrigerator and dip rims of serving glasses in liquid. Press rims of glasses into salt mixture and set aside. Transfer chilled strawberry mixture to blender. Add remaining frozen strawberries, ice, tequila, and triple sec and blend until smooth. Pour into salted glasses.

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