Margarita

By Rosie Schaap

Updated Dec. 28, 2025

Margarita
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
3 minutes
Rating
5(3,623)
Comments
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Tequila, lime, a touch of orange in the form of triple sec and salt (if that's your thing) is all you need to make a great margarita. No one really knows the true history of the cocktail — there are as many origin stories as there are variations of the beloved drink — but it's a practically perfect drink nonetheless. (Try a frozen margarita, too.)

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • 2ounces blanco tequila
  • Juice of 1 whole lime
  • ½ounce triple sec, preferably Cointreau
  • Salt for rim (optional)
  • Lime wedge, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

186 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 1 gram protein; 340 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add tequila, lime juice and triple sec.

  2. Step 2

    Shake until combined.

  3. Step 3

    Pour, with the ice, into a highball or footed glass (salt rim first if you like). Garnish with wedge of lime.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,623 user ratings
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Comments

Colleen

What could be a more useless measure than the juice of one whole citrus of any type? I am a fan of 3:2:1 tequila:lime juice:Cointreau.

Gordeaux

From years of making margaritas, and after trying many recipes, these proportions work best:

1/2 c. tequila
1/3 c. Cointreau
1/4 c. lime juice

On ice or stained. Salt or not. I have had so many people say this is the best margarita they ever tasted. Thank you Rick Bayless.

John Niedermeyer

Like, how does this scale to be a pitcher of margarita(s?)? I need more volume, or else I won’t be able to attend to my guests.

Help me Rosie!

flo

Just reading all the comments makes me feel I am instantly with a bunch of friends and feeling already tipsy even though I am having breakfast and only coffee... I am a Cointreau girl being originally French, lol, but for those who like a little bit of sweet, you might try instead of simple syrup, ( not my fav... lol ). just one or two drops of liquid stevia. I do that to the glass of a friend who likes her margarita on the sweet side..

Naranja

I will try Rosie's recipe, as she calls for a smidge of expensive Cointreau, which is much stronger-flavored than a decent triple sec; Cointreau and others of its quality can overwhelm any good blanco (I like G4.). So for one drink I've been using 4 oz. G4 blanco, 2 oz. fresh lime juice, 2 oz. triple sec. In the past when I've used this recipe with quality orange liqueurs like Grand Mariner or Cointreau, it came out as sort of a so-so Orange Crush --- meh!

mal

The comments with the disputed ratios were of little help. We did a taste test of two 321 (tequila, lime, Cointreau vs tequilla cointreau lime) and a 211 (tequilla, lime, Cointreau) I prefer a 211 for a more clean tequilla / classic margarita, my husband preferred a 3:2:1.5 tequilla cointreau lime, he loves citrus though. And the 2:1 lime Cointreau was more of a tequilla limeade in our opinion. Taste tested with and without salt. Happy margarita tasting!

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