The Best Fresh Blood Orange Margarita

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This is the perfect fresh blood orange margarita! It's more than tart than sweet, as all margaritas should be, and it's bursting with fresh blood orange and lime flavor!

It uses fresh blood orange juice, fresh lime juice, blanco tequila, and grapefruit liqueur (secret key ingredient!).

Blood orange margarita in a glass with a salted rim garnished with mint and blood orange cut into the shape of a heart.

Why you will love this recipe:

Blood orange juice and tequila are a match made in heaven, and this margarita combines sweetness and blood orange tartness into a to die for margarita! The key is plenty of fresh lime juice, fresh-squeezed blood orange juice, and grapefruit liquor!

I've never been a fan of too-sweet desserts and cocktails, and I firmly believe that margaritas shouldn't be super sweet. I love them when they taste really fresh and really let the citrus shine, and this recipe does just that! It truly celebrates the blood orange flavor.

Overhead shot of blood orange margarita.

Key ingredients:

Blanco Tequila: the trick to a good margarita is good ingredients, so use good tequila- my favorites are Casamigos and Espolòn's Blanco. But here is a great list if you want more recommendations. Bonus points if you get one with notes of citrus.

Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice: you can use fresh squeezed or store-bought blood orange juice, but fresh-squeezed usually tastes best.

Lime Juice: no margarita is complete without lime juice!

Grapefruit Liqueur: this is key! Instead of using orange liqueur, this recipe calls for Grapefruit liqueur to really highlight the tartness of blood oranges. I use Giffard Pink Grapefruit Liqueur, and it is so delicious! I also use it in my grapefruit rose sangria and grapefruit margarita.

overhead shot of all the ingredients and a cocktail shaker. — Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Tips and tricks for success:

Use a lime wedge to rim the edge of the glass and then roll the lime-soaked rim in salt. Use sea salt flakes for a more dramatic effect.
Really shake your margarita in the cocktail shaker to get a nice foam top.
Garnish with mint, blood orange slices, and a slice of lime!

FAQ's:

Can I make this margarita into a pitcher?

Yes! Just use the tool in the recipe card and multiply the recipe by how many margaritas you want to fill in your pitcher. Add it all the pitcher and stir!

Looking for other cockatils? Try these!