^{Oddly sippable and strangely addictive! These margaritas are spicy, sour, have less sugar than usual and strong enough to get you excited about another fun fiesta! They’re wildly delicious and perfect for the heat lover in you!}

Prepare for another confession moment. Here goes. I am super picky and oddly critical of how margaritas should be. Unlike a vodka or prosecco/champagne drink I don’t typically, strive for tequila based drinks as my go-to. If I’m drinking a margarita I expect it to be high in alcohol and very low in sugar. Again, please drink responsibly like myself… 😉

For me, tequila is always the first stop on a Disney trip at Epcot. I skip all the outdoor margarita windows and go straight into the Mexico pavilion to the tiny tequila bar. It used to be routine to take a shot and then we move on and start the day off on a high note. You’re a complete savage if you end your day with hard liquor. Not me, I’m super classy and plan my trips around the Epcot World Showcase wisely.

Margaritas are an odd drink for me. I love limey concoctions that can be transformed in so many different ways. The truth is, I CAN’T STAND weak, overly sweet, lame margaritas! It ruins the experience! In addition to that, I find tequila to be an odd liquor to sip. This cocktail, however, has been a work of art for me. There’s something about spicy margaritas with limited sugar and mixers that I truly enjoy. I also believe the tequila tastes better when it’s paired with more heat…as most things do.

Prime example, there’s a pretty touristy section in Orlando called Icon Park. Within this area, there is a restaurant called Uncle Julios. Their spicy margarita is insane, so much so that they literally write on their menu “two per person limit”. To me that’s like a must try marketing gimmick! So I did and I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since. And, they serve it with a whole jalapeño garnish! My ideal snack!

When I tried this recipe a few times, I sent pictures to my mom for color and dilution analysis. Her response after sending her a photo of several different margarita variations …”Did you test it?” How was it?”… Me: “Amazing! Exactly what I was looking for!” … Mom: “So what did you do with the rest of the drinks you made?”….. Ummm….Quality assurance, I tested them too! Jalapeños are considered a vegetable, right?

Warning – these are stronger! You can certainly portion them out for 3-4 people but I think this is a great recipe for two…(or maybe even one).

I really worked on tasting and testing several variations of this recipe (you’re welcome…that was hard work!). Now I can give you a classy, simple and low calorie variation of a spicy margarita!

This recipe is only for those 21 and old if including the use of alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Refer to disclaimers on the about me section of this website.

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Slim & Spicy Jalapeño Margarita

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Oddly sippable and strangely addictive! These margaritas are spicy, sour, have less sugar than usual and strong enough to get you excited about another fun fiesta! They’re wildly delicious and perfect for the heat lover in you!

Prep Time:15

Total Time:15

Ingredients

5-6 large limes 4-5 juiced, divided
2 teaspoons stevia or sugar free granulated sweetener
6 ounces tequila blanco
2 ounces triple sec
2-4 large jalapeños sliced, divided
2 red chili peppers sliced
1 (12 oz.) can lime flavored sparkling water or diet lemon-lime soda
2 tablespoons chili-lime salt
ice

Instructions

In a small bowl or glass, squeeze enough limes to make about 1/2 cup of lime juice, about 4-5 large limes. Stir in sugar free sweetener and stir until completely dissolved.
In a large cocktail shaker, add sliced jalapeños and chili peppers and half of a whole lime sliced. Muddle the peppers and the limes together for about 30-60 seconds.
Add about a cup and a half of ice on top of the muddled peppers and limes. Pour in the sweetened lime juice, tequila and triple sec and shake for about 30 seconds.
Moisten the rim of 2 cocktail glasses and roll the edge in the chili lime salt. Add ice to glasses and then pour margarita over the ice. Top with sparkling water.
Garnish with more jalapeños and lime slices.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

About an hour, max, on the drink table before your friends get really irritated that they have to remind you to not babysit your drink!

Can you freeze it?

What would be the point of that?

Substitutions?

I did use a tequila blanco with 100% pure agave. Whatever brand that you have on hand is up to you. When it comes to tequila, I prefer those that are higher on the shelves only because of the smoothness of the sip. Pick your favorite brand.

For the spice, I lean towards the safe spice of a jalapeno. I also combined red chiles in this recipe because I wanted the added heat. I don’t think it matters what chili you add, it’s all based on your spice preference. Use two types of chilis for intense, unique flavor.

I never really thought a margarita needed anything on the rim but I know that’s completely a personal preference. I had some chili-lime salt in my pantry from a mango salad I made awhile ago. It was pretty and added a great little flavor boost.

For the sparkling water aspect of this cocktail, feel free to use any flavored sparking water you have on hand. I always have lime-flavored water for my vodka sodas but peach, strawberry or even mango would be delicious. If you really want to make this drink sweet you can use a zero-calorie lemon lime soda instead. Just make sure that it’s added at the end and not before shaking.

Tips and Tricks

There’s no question that your muddling skills need to be at their best with this recipe. The more you press out the chili peppers at the bottom (and the more you add) the hotter the drink. If you’re not interested in heat, make sure that you scoop the veins and the seeds from the jalapeños and the chili pepper and skip the muddling.

Avoid cheap tequila (ALWAYS!) and find something that is smooth with or without mixers. Like wine, if you don’t want to drink it alone, don’t cook with it. In this case, if you really struggle drinking a tequila straight, then it’s probably not going to be the best margarita.

It’s best to use fresh lime juice. Avoid using the bottles of lime juice. Also, you can use a sugar-free simple syrup instead of dissolving the sweetener into the juice. This works just fine!

What to serve with it?

Although it may be spicy, I still drink it with spicy foods. That’s just me.

All Mexican foods that may be salty and slightly fatty go perfectly with this drink as the lime will balance your meal!

***Nutrition does not include the salt content on the rim***