Cranberry Margarita

A little sweet, tart, and with a great kick, this cranberry margarita recipe is as easy to throw together as it is beautiful! Perfect for the holidays or anytime, really. Make one at a time or a pitcher!

🥂 What Makes This Recipe So Good

• The flavors in this mixed drink are incredible! Even if you’re someone who doesn’t typically enjoy margaritas or tequila in general, I really think you’ll love these cranberry margaritas. They’re a little sweet and a little tart, and we dialed back the lime flavor so it compliments the cranberry rather than being the star of the show.
• It’s absolutely gorgeous, and the perfect festive touch for your holiday parties. Dress it up with a sugar or sea salt rim, a few frozen cranberries, and a sprig of fresh rosemary. It’s like Christmastime in a glass!
• You can easily scale this recipe up to serve a group! You can prep the drink ahead of time, too. Mix the drink without any ice and refrigerate it in an airtight container up to 3 days before serving. Just give it a good stir first!

Chef’s Tips

• Make sure you’re using 100% cranberry juice and not a cranberry juice cocktail. The latter is mostly sugar and it’ll throw off the balance of the drink, especially once you add simple syrup. Trust me, for the best cranberry margarita, use 100% cranberry juice.
• Use a high-quality silver tequila to avoid that “cheap alcohol” flavor (you know the one) but don’t feel like you have to break the bank.
• Use frozen cranberries instead of ice cubes to chill the drinks without watering them down! Ice will melt, releasing water into your margarita. Frozen cranberries, though, will defrost and mostly release juice, adding a little flavor to your drink throughout the night.

A Few of Our Favorite Holiday Recipes

• One-Pan Holiday Meal
• Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole
• The BEST Croissant French Toast Casserole
• Leftover Turkey Poutine
• Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sous Vide Prime Rib with Au Jus
• The Best Ever Cranberry Brie Bites
• Grilled Spatchcock Turkey with Gravy
• 2-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Dates (with Stuffed Option)
• Au Jus Recipe
• One-Pan Cranberry Rosemary Chicken

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

5 from 1 vote

Cranberry Margarita

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 0 minutes minutes

Total 10 minutes minutes

Sweet, tart, and brimming with holiday cheer. This easy drink will be a festive addition to your recipe book!

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1 margarita

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Equipment

• 2 shallow dishes optional
• Serving glasses
• Cocktail shaker or large pitcher
• Spoon optional, for pitcher

Ingredients

To Rim Glass (Optional)

• ▢ maple syrup or simple syrup
• ▢ sugar see Notes
• ▢ salt see Notes

For a Single Cranberry Margarita

• ▢ 1 shot lime juice 1 ½ ounces
• ▢ 1 shot silver tequila 1 ½ ounces
• ▢ 2 shots cranberry juice 3 ounces
• ▢ ½ shot orange liqueur ¾ ounce
• ▢ simple syrup to taste, approximately ¾ ounce

To Garnish (Optional)

• ▢ sprigs of fresh rosemary
• ▢ lime wedges
• ▢ cranberries fresh or frozen

For a Pitcher (Serves 6)

• ▢ 6 shots lime juice 9 ounces
• ▢ 6 shots silver tequila 9 ounces
• ▢ 12 shots cranberry juice 18 ounces
• ▢ 3 shots orange liqueur 4.5 ounces
• ▢ simple syrup to taste, approximately 4.5 ounces

Instructions

• Add maple syrup to one shallow dish. Add sugar and/or salt to second shallow dish.
• Invert serving glass and dip rim of glass in maple syrup. Hold glass above dish to allow any excess maple syrup to drip off, then dip glass into sugar and/or salt. Twist and roll glass to cover rim. Set glass aside. Repeat with any additional glasses as needed.
• Add lime juice, tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup to cocktail shaker or large pitcher. Shake shaker or stir liquid in pitcher with spoon until well combined.
• Add ice to serving glass(es), then pour margarita mixture into glass(es) over ice. Be careful not to spill liquid on rim of glass. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, lime wedges, and cranberries as desired. Serve immediately.

• I prefer to rim the glass with a mixture that’s mostly sugar with a little salt. 
• Cranberry Juice: Make sure you’re using cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail.
• Simple Syrup: For a more tart drink, use a half shot of simple syrup. Increase the amount of simple syrup used for a sweeter drink.

Nutrition Info

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1margaritaCalories: 271calProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 17mgPotassium: 136mgTotal Carbs: 36gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 33gNet Carbs: 36gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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