If you love bold cocktails that taste as good as they look, these Blue Margaritas are about to become your new go-to drink. This Blue Margarita Recipe combines premium tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and vibrant blue curaçao to create a cocktail that’s refreshingly tangy with a smooth citrus finish. Unlike sugary bar versions, this margarita keeps things balanced and bright. You will find this drink zesty, refreshing, and irresistible.
Margaritas are definitely one of my go to drinks. But I have become a bit of a margarita snob. I just can’t stand those fake sugar flavored margaritas you get in an all inclusive resort, or bar. So I’d rather pay a premium price for a decent margarita, or better yet, make it myself and get exactly what I want.
This blue curaçao margarita is similar in flavor to a classic lime margarita, as the blue curaçao is an orange liqueur similar to Triple Sec or Cointreau in the classic version. But the blue hue adds a nice fun twist if you are looking for something different. In the winter you could even rim the glass with white salt or even shredded coconut and call it a “Jack Frost Margarita”.
Why You Will Love This Blue Margarita
- Eye-catching color – This cocktail delivers that signature ocean-blue hue everyone expects when they search Blue Margaritas.
- Fresh ingredients, better flavor – Real lime juice gives this Blue Margarita Recipe a crisp, authentic taste without artificial mixers.
- Perfectly balanced sweetness – Blue curaçao adds citrus sweetness that complements tequila instead of overpowering it.
- A dramatic, delicious rim – Agave syrup and a mixture of black salt and sugar create a moody, lightly sweet-and-salty finish that makes this a unique Blue Curacao Cocktail.
- Great for entertaining – If you love experimenting with Blue Curacao Cocktails this recipe needs to be added to your list – it may even steal top spot.
- Versatile for themes – Tropical nights, summer parties, Christmas spreads, or anytime you want a margarita with personality, these Blue Margaritas deliver.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
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- A bartending set with all the basics you need to make this cocktail – jigger, and shaker.
- Low ball glasses or small non-stemmed wine glasses
INGREDIENTS
Blue Curacao – a blue liqueur that gives this drink its signature ocean blue hue. It also has an orange citrus flavor similar to Cointreau or Triple Sec.
Tequila – It’s not a margarita if it doesn’t have tequila. I like to use silver (blanco) tequila, but you can use a reposado, or amber colored tequila as well.
Cointreau – An orange flavored liqueur that is clear not blue. I add it to this recipe so that the blue color is not overwhelming in the drink. But if you don’t have it, just use more blue curacao in it’s place. The final drink will still be delicious, it will just be a darker hue of blue.
Agave syrup – is a sweetener, but can be replaced with simple syrup if you like. I also use it to rim the glass to add sweetness.
Black Salt – used to rim the glass, adds a nice contrast to the drink, could be replaced with a coarse white salt as well.
White Sugar – used to rim the glass with the salt, provides a sweet and salty balance to the rim, but you can use just salt if you prefer.
How To Make a Blue Margarita
Quantities are specified in the recipe card at the bottom
Prepare the Salt Rim:
If your black salt is composed of large granules, grind it slightly (until it is like granulated sugar size) using a spice grinder or crush it gently with a rolling pin.
Mix the salt with the granulated sugar (if using) on a small plate.
On a second plate, pour a little agave nectar. Dip the rim of a lowball or margarita glass into the nectar, then hold it upside down for about 10 seconds to let any excess drip off.
Press the glass rim into the black salt–sugar mix, lift straight out, and set aside.
Shake the Margarita:
In a cocktail shaker, combine fresh lime juice, tequila, Blue Curaçao, and Cointreau. If you prefer it a little sweeter you can add a splash of agave nectar or simple syrup.
Add about 4 ice cubes, seal, and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds. Be sure to hold the lid tight so you don’t have any accidents 😓.
Serve:
Fill the rimmed glass with fresh ice. Strain the margarita over the ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Making a Batch of Blue Margaritas
Making a batch of Margaritas is a great way to serve a crowd. To make four servings add the following ingredients to a pitcher:
½ cup Fresh Lime Juice
¾ cup Tequila
¼ cup Blue Curaçao Liqueur
¼ cup Cointreau
1 tbsp Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup (to taste)
Stir together and place in the fridge to chill. Once chilled and ready to serve, rim the glasses, fill with ice, and pour in the margarita. Garnish as desired. If you don’t have time to chill, you can add ice into the pitcher and stir until chilled, then pour into prepared glasses filled with ice. Remove the ice from the pitcher at this point if there is any leftover going into the fridge. The ice will melt and dilute the drink too much.
Tips and Substitutions For Blue Margarita Success
- Both Blue Curaçao and Cointreau are orange liqueurs. I use both because Cointreau adds depth of flavor while Curaçao provides the vibrant blue color. If you don’t have Cointreau, you can replace it with Triple Sec, or simply replace it with an extra 1 oz of Blue Curacao. The flavor will still be delicious, just a little sweeter and a deeper shade of blue.
- If you don’t have black salt, swap it with coarse sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
- To rim your glass, use agave nectar, lime juice, simple syrup, or even water. The more of the rim you moisten, the more of the salt-sugar mixture will stick – so adjust to your liking. Dip and gently rotate – don’t press in the salt – so the rim stays sharp and dramatic.
- In terms of flavor nothing beats fresh lime juice, since it’s a key ingredient, it makes a huge difference. Giving the limes a gentle roll on the counter while pressing down on them helps to get more juice out when you go to juice them.
- For a sweeter margarita, add a little agave nectar or simple syrup to the shaker. Avoid granulated sugar if possible – it doesn’t dissolve well in cold drinks, though it will work in a pinch. Some limes are more sour than others so the amount of sugar added will vary from batch to batch.
- If making a batch ahead of time, pre-mix the liquid ingredients in a pitcher, but rim glasses fresh right before pouring so the salt stays dry, and crisp.
FAQs
What tequila works best for a blue margarita? Silver or blanco tequila is ideal. It blends cleanly with lime and enhances the citrus profile of the blue curaçao, giving you that perfectly smooth Blue Margarita flavor. But if you only have reposado (aged tequila), it will work too.
What is black salt, and why use it? Black salt (Hawaiian lava salt) is sea salt infused with activated charcoal. It adds a subtle mineral flavor and a nice visual contrast to the blue hue of the drink. But, if you don’t have it, you can certainly go with a large granule white salt, or even a pink Himalayan salt.
Can I make this blue margarita recipe ahead of time? Absolutely. You can mix the tequila, lime juice, blue curaçao, and Cointreau in a pitcher and chill for up to 24 hours. Rim the glasses fresh before serving so the black salt stays bold and textured.
Blue Margarita
Equipment
- 1 jigger
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
To Rim the Glasses
- 1 tablespoon black salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
For Mixing the Blue Margarita
- 2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 3 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Blue Curaçao Liqueur
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1-2 tbsp Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup to taste
- Ice
For Making a Batch of Blue Margaritas (4 servings)
- ½ cup Fresh Lime Juice
- ¾ cup Tequila
- ¼ cup Blue Curaçao Liqueur
- ¼ cup Cointreau
- 1-2 tbsp Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup to taste
Instructions
Preparing the Glass Rim
- If your black salt is composed of large granules, grind it slightly (like granulated sugar) using a spice grinder or crush it gently with a rolling pin.
- Mix the salt with granulated sugar (if using) on a small plate.
- On a second plate, pour a little agave nectar. Dip the rim of a lowball or margarita glass into the nectar, then hold it upside down for about 10 seconds to let any excess drip off.
- Press the glass rim into the salt–sugar mix, lift straight out, and set aside.
Using a Cocktail Shaker
- In a cocktail shaker, combine 2oz fresh lime juice, 3 oz tequila, 1 oz Blue Curaçao, and 1oz Cointreau. If you prefer it a little sweeter you can add a splash of agave nectar or simple syrup.
- Add about 4 ice cubes, seal, and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds.
- Fill the rimmed glass with fresh ice. Strain the margarita over the ice.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Preparing a Batch of Blue Margaritas (4 servings)
- To a pitcher add ½ cup Fresh Lime Juice, ¾ cup Tequila, ¼ cup Blue Curaçao Liqueur, ¼ cup Cointreau, and 1-2 tbsp Agave Nectar or Simple Syrup if you want to sweeten it.
- Stir together and place in the fridge to chill. Once chilled and ready to serve, rim the glasses, fill with ice, and pour in the margarita. Garnish as desired.
- If you don't have time to chill in the fridge, you can add ice into the pitcher and stir until chilled, then pour into prepared glasses filled with ice.
- Remove the ice from the pitcher at this point if there is any leftover margarita going into the fridge. The ice will melt and dilute the drink too much.
Notes
- Both Blue Curaçao and Cointreau are orange liqueurs. I use both because Cointreau adds depth of flavor while Curaçao provides the vibrant blue color. If you don’t have Cointreau, you can replace it with Triple Sec, or simply replace it with an extra 1 oz of Blue Curacao. The flavor will still be delicious, just a little sweeter and a deeper shade of blue.
- If you don’t have black salt, swap it with coarse sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
- To rim your glass, use agave nectar, lime juice, simple syrup, or even water. The more of the rim you moisten, the more of the salt-sugar mixture will stick – so adjust to your liking. Dip and gently rotate – don’t press in the salt – so the rim stays sharp and dramatic.
- In terms of flavor nothing beats fresh lime juice, since it’s a key ingredient, it makes a huge difference. Giving the limes a gentle roll on the counter while pressing down on them helps to get more juice out when you go to juice them.
- For a sweeter margarita, add a little agave nectar or simple syrup to the shaker. Avoid granulated sugar if possible – it doesn’t dissolve well in cold drinks, though it will work in a pinch. Some limes are more sour than others so the amount of sugar added will vary from batch to batch.
- If making a batch ahead of time, pre-mix the liquid ingredients in a pitcher, but rim glasses fresh right before pouring so the salt stays dry, and crisp.
FAQs
What tequila works best for a blue margarita? Silver or blanco tequila is ideal. It blends cleanly with lime and enhances the citrus profile of the blue curaçao, giving you that perfectly smooth Blue Margarita flavor. But if you only have reposado (aged tequila), it will work too. What is black salt, and why use it? Black salt (Hawaiian lava salt) is sea salt infused with activated charcoal. It adds a subtle mineral flavor and a nice visual contrast to the blue hue of the drink. But, if you don’t have it, you can certainly go with a large granule white salt, or even a pink Himalayan salt. Can I make this blue margarita recipe ahead of time? Absolutely. You can mix the tequila, lime juice, blue curaçao, and Cointreau in a pitcher and chill for up to 24 hours. Rim the glasses fresh before serving so the black salt stays bold and textured. Can I use this recipe to make a frozen or slushy blue margarita? Yes you can. Instead of putting the ingredients into a shaker, place them in a blender that can blend ice like a Vitamix blender or a Ninja Blender. The more ice you add the thicker the slush will be.Follow Me On Social Media
If You Liked This Blue Margarita Recipe…
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This was such a fun and tasty drink for New Year’s! Everyone loved the blue color and the fresh limes definitely made this feel extra refreshing.
That’s great to hear Courtney. I love the blue color too!