Spicy Cucumber Margaritas

By Alexa Weibel

Updated July 2, 2024

  • Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Lish Steiling.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(380)
Comments
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Verdant and herbaceous, this margarita is slightly more work than the classic, but you can produce it hours in advance. Some cocktail recipes call for preparing simple syrup on the stovetop, then combining with other ingredients, but this one uses a blender to combine the cucumbers, cilantro, sugar, lime zest and juice as a shortcut. Using delicate, thin-skinned Persian cucumbers ensures a vibrant color, and cilantro adds grassy notes. Because the heat levels of jalapeños can fluctuate, allow guests to garnish with sliced jalapeño to taste.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 drinks

  • 1 pound Persian cucumbers (about 7 cucumbers), roughly chopped

  • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest plus ¼ cup lime juice (from about 3 limes)

  • 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño, plus more diagonal slices for garnish

  • Sea salt, as needed

  • 6 to 8 ounces white tequila, depending on preferred strength

  • Ice, as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

14 grams carbs; 132 calories; 289 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 12 grams sugar

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

    In a high-speed blender, blend the cucumbers, cilantro, sugar, lime zest, lime juice and minced jalapeño until mixture is foamy and blended. (Reserve the lime rinds for Step 3.)

  2. Step 2

    Pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large measuring cup and strain liquid from solids. (You may want to stir the liquid a bit to speed up the process.) You should have 1 ½ cups strained liquid; discard the solids. Stir in a large pinch of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon). Mix strained cucumber liquid with tequila; set aside or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

  3. Step 3

    When ready to serve, rim your glass with salt, if desired. Using the reserved lime rinds, moisten the rim of a rocks glass. Set 3 tablespoons sea salt in a shallow rimmed plate, and dip the moistened rim of each glass into the salt to coat. Fill glasses with ice.

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches, shake margaritas in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Divide among prepared rocks glasses. Set a slice or two of jalapeño directly on top of the ice in each glass, as desired for heat, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
380 user ratings
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Comments

JW

Highly recommend with this letting it sit in the fridge for several hours BEFORE straining, not afterwards. Strain solids before serving and flavor will go up several notches.

Erin

Agree with the comments about tweaking the sweet/sour ratio on this a bit! Firstly I would use an english cucumber rather than several persian cucumbers if I had one on hand vs. the other. I think this concoction would benefit from a cucumber with a little more water content but it won't make or break the drink. What really matters IMO is decreasing the amount of sugar to at most 1/4 cup, and doubling the amount of limes you're juicing. Rim your glasses with Chamoy then dip in Tajin and enjoy!

Ellen

This is sensational. I recommend 2 ounces of tequila for every 4 ounces of the spicy cucumber mix.

MaryC

I won’t be repeating this recipe. I served it to a group of 8 and nobody really liked it. Some commented it left an odd after taste. It is quite labor intensive and not much value for all that work. It tasted like a veggie drink from a sports bar but with alcohol.

Sharon

Why not use agave nectar instead of sugar?

Lee, KY

I'm not much for tequila, but I'll bet this mixture would be smashing with a good vodka.

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