Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita
This Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita is all sunshine with a little sass. Sweet pineapple brings the tropical vibes, while jalapeno adds just a whisper of intrigue - more flavor than fire. It’s the perfect sip for poolside lounging, backyard BBQs, or sunset happy hours. If On the Rocks Jalapeno Pineapple Margaritas aren't your thing, throw it all in a blender to make a slushy version - the choice is yours.
Equipment
- 1 muddler
- 1 jigger
- 1 cocktail shaker
- 2 cocktail picks (optional)
Ingredients
For 2 Drinks
- 2 tablespoons Tajin
- 1 tablespoon White sugar
- 1 Jalapeno
- 4 oz Pineapple juice
- 1 oz Lime juice freshly squeezed
- 3 oz Tequila blanco or plata preferred
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 ½ oz Agave nectar
For a Batch of 6 Drinks
- 1 ½ cups Pineapple juice
- ⅓ cup Lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup Tequila
- ⅓ cup Cointreau
- 3 tablsepoons Agave Nectar
Instructions
- On a small plate pour out about 1 tbsp of agave syrup and rotate the plate around to form a thin puddle of syrup that has a diameter at least as big as your margarita glasses - see notes. Set aside.
- In another small plate, pour out roughly a tablespoon of tajin and about ½ a tablespoon of white sugar and mix together. Tap the edges of the plate to make a uniform layer of tajin-sugar and set aside.
- Prepare two lowball glasses or non-stemmed wine glasses by turning the glass upside down and dipping the rim into the thin layer of agave syrup on a plate. Lift the glass out vertically being mindful to keep the agave rim uniform around the glass and then place the moistened rim into the Tajin-sugar mixture. Pull the glass up and out of the Tajin and set aside right side up.
- In a cocktail shaker add 3-6 seedless jalapeno sliced rounds into a cocktail shaker - see notes. Gently muddle for a few seconds to help release the juices. The more jalapeno you use, the more jalapeno flavor and spice the drinks will have.
- Into the cocktail shaker pour in the pineapple juice, lime juice, tequila, Cointreau, and agave nectar. Add 4-5 ice cubes, put the lid on and shake for 15 seconds.
- Fill the two prepared margarita glasses with fresh ice, and strain the pineapple jalapeno margarita evenly into them. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and jalapeno rounds.
- Serve and enjoy, Salud!
Notes
- I like Tajin and sugar for rimming the glass, but you could also use just Tajin. If not adding sugar you could also moisten the rim of the glass with lime juice instead of agave nectar. And if you don't like the tajin you can use the traditional salted rim of lime juice and kosher salt. I’ve also seen people use a mixture of black pepper and sugar (2 tbsp sugar to 1 tbsp cracked black pepper). So many options to try - even a plain rim will work too!
- Jalapeno seeds can give a bitter taste, so I like to remove them before I add the jalapenos to the cocktail shaker or to the glasses.
- If you are out of Cointreau, you can replace it with Triple Sec or another orange sweet liqueur such as Patron Citronge, Grand Marnier (don’t add any sweetener if using), or Orange Curacao.
- Agave nectar is great for sweetening margaritas, but you could also use simple syrup if you have on hand or even a tablespoon of sugar if you are in a pinch. You may need to shake longer to get the sugar to dissolve.
- If On the Rocks Jalapeno Pineapple Margaritas aren't your thing, you can also make this a slushy drink by blending it all in the blender, I would only add 1 or 2 jalapenos if that is the case as they will be blended up into the final drink.