The Spicy Margarita recipe
for your table
Rub the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and dip it in a mixture of coarse salt and chili powder. Chill the glass.
Briefly muddle two jalapeño slices in the shaker. Two or three presses are enough.
Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, agave syrup, and ice, then shake vigorously for 12 seconds.
Double-strain into the chilled glass over fresh ice and garnish with the third jalapeño slice.
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Send the Spicy Margarita recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you are ready to make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code on orders from € 50 for the glasses to serve it in.
The story
There are at least five stories about the origins of the classic Margarita, all set somewhere between Tijuana and Texas in the 1930s and 1940s. The spicy version is much younger and far easier to date: it belongs to the wave of modern Mexican bars and agave cocktails of the past fifteen years, when bartenders discovered that capsaicin does something sugar and acid cannot. It stretches out the flavor and keeps it in your mouth for a few seconds longer. By now, the Spicy Margarita appears on more menus than many classics, and in the United States it has been one of the most ordered cocktails for years.
The right glass
The margarita glass is one of the few glasses with a real function: its wide, flat rim is designed to hold salt. With a Spicy Margarita, that matters twice as much, because the chili salt is an ingredient here, not a decoration. You taste it with every sip. Choose a model from 28 to 38 cl with a sleek rim that flares out slightly: the wider it is, the more salt will stick. The stem also keeps your hand away from the bowl, so the cocktail stays cold.
Bar Professional Margarita Cocktail Glass 28.5 cl
Bar Professional Margarita Cocktail Glass Blue Rim 38 cl
Both glasses together € 37,90.
The right tools
For a Spicy Margarita, in addition to the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and chili salt for the rim. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 89,70.
Variations & twists
Swap the jalapeño for serrano if you want more heat, or for a smoked chipotle for depth instead of spiciness. Add watermelon or mango for a summery version that beautifully balances the heat. Replace the tequila with mezcal for a smoky Spicy Mezcalita. Prefer no heat? Go to the classic Margarita. More inspiration in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Muddle the jalapeño briefly and then double-strain: pressing for too long makes it bitter and leaves green bits in your glass. The heat is in the ribs. Remove them to get the pepper's flavor without the heat. Making several glasses? Refrigerate tequila with a few jalapeño slices an hour in advance; this lets you distribute the heat exactly evenly among all the glasses.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Spicy Margarita?
A margarita glass holding 28 to 38 cl with a wide rim for the chili salt. View our margarita glasses.
How do you make the chili-salt rim?
Mix coarse sea salt with chili powder in a ratio of three to one. Rub the rim with lime, roll the glass on its side through the mixture, covering only the outer rim, otherwise it all falls into your cocktail.
Which pepper is best to use?
Jalapeño is the standard: spicy enough to notice, mild enough to keep drinking. Serrano is about twice as hot, while habanero is for enthusiasts.
Can you make a Spicy Margarita alcohol-free?
Yes: use 0.0 tequila or an agave alternative, keep the lime juice and agave syrup, and muddle the jalapeño as usual. The chili rim and the acidity carry this cocktail. You won't miss the alcohol.
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