Skinny Margaritas

Skinny Margaritas are the healthier, low-calorie alternative to those bright green margaritas made with premade margarita mix. Plus, you can customize however you like with fun flavors, adding more or less sweetness, or unique garnishes!

Making margaritas at home is a specialty of mine, and I'm always searching for ways to make my favorite restaurant version a little bit healthier.

These Skinny Margaritas are made in a big pitcher with fresh juice, tequila, and agave syrup for sweetness. I added equal parts lime juice and orange juice for a vibrant flavor and seltzer for some bubbles and to make the drink bigger, which is always a plus! Making healthier margaritas at home has never been this easy.

Want more easy cocktail recipes? Try this Classic White Wine Spritzer and these Easy Mojitos!

What's the best tequila for skinny margaritas?

The best tequila for a skinny margarita is something clean, crisp, and unnamed, like blanco (silver) tequila. It allows the lime and orange juice flavors to shine without being overpowering! I always recommend 100% agave for the best flavor and mouthfeel. Some great options that won't break the bank are Espolòn, Olmeca Altos, El Jimador, and Cazadores.

Can I use triple sec instead of orange juice?

Yes! I'm not a fan of orange liquor and prefer the taste of fresh orange juice, but you can absolutely swap the juice with triple sec instead.

Recipe Ideas and Margarita Flavor Ideas

As soon as you start thinking about margaritas, you probably start thinking about all the different flavor combinations you want to try out.

• Fruit: These can easily be transformed into fruit-flavored margaritas using strawberries, raspberries, mango, pineapple, peaches, watermelon, and more. For a quick and more rustic prep, just muddle the fruit in the bottom of the shaker before adding the other ingredients. For a smoother option, blend the fruit into a puree before adding it to the shaker.
• Lime flavor: If you prefer a more lime-centered margarita, use a little less orange juice, about two tablespoons.
• Spicy: For a spicy margarita, muddle a few slices of jalapeno in the bottom of the shaker before adding the other ingredients. Then garnish with a few extra pieces of sliced jalapeno.
• Fresh herbs: Adding some fresh herbs to a margarita can be really delicious. Consider rosemary, thyme, cilantro, or basil. Simply muddle the fresh herbs with the lime juice in the shaker. Then add the other ingredients and shake. Garnish with extra fresh herbs.
• Frozen: To turn this into a frozen margarita, simply blend it with some ice - about 1/4 cup per serving to make sure it doesn't get watered down.
• Frozen fruit: For the best frozen fruit margarita that isn't watered down, simply mix the margarita recipe below with a 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (per serving) in a blender. This works best when you prepare a few servings at a time.
• Spiced rims: There are so many different ways to coat your margarita rim to create fun flavor combinations. Our favorite is using Tajin, a Mexican chili lime seasoning. You could also use the Trader Joe's chili lime seasoning mix. Another option is to make your own flavored salt rim by adding citrus zest, dried herbs, or other spices to your salt rim.

How do you make a pitcher of skinny margaritas?

Once you start making these lightened-up margaritas, you'll want to make them by the batch for a fun Taco night or get-together. This recipe will make about 8 drinks.

• 1.5 cups tequila
• 8 large limes, juiced (about 1.5 cups)
• 4 oranges, juiced (about 1.5 cups)
• 2.5 tbsp agave

Since you can't really shake drinks by the pitcher, I like to mix this in advance and chill in the fridge if I have time. That way, the ice cubes don't water down the drink. Then simply set up your salted glasses, add ice, and you are ready to go.

If you are serving these with seltzer water, add it just before serving or place it on the side for those who want to use it.

Can I make these in advance?

If you plan to make these for a crowd, you can combine the lime juice, orange juice, tequila, and agave up to 4 hours in advance and place it in the fridge to chill. Then just stir it well before serving.

If you plan on making these a few days in advance, you can mix the lime juice, orange juice, and agave. Then, when ready to serve, add the tequila and shake or stir.

If you are adding seltzer water, add it right before serving so it is nice and bubbly.

Why add seltzer water?

Seltzer isn't a traditional ingredient in margaritas, but as someone who appreciates having a bigger drink, I love adding some lime, lemon, or grapefruit flavored seltzer to my margaritas. Not only does it double the size of the drink, but it also adds some delicious bubbles.

If you decide to add bubbles to your drink, you can start small and just add a splash, or some people like to use a tall glass and fill it with seltzer. You can always squeeze in an extra lime if needed.

One quick note: If you add seltzer, especially a large amount, it will dilute the other flavors of the drink so it won't taste as much like a standard margarita.

What can I use instead of agave?

Since tequila is made from agave, I like to complement that flavor by using agave as the sweetener. However, you could also use honey, maple syrup, or simple syrup.