Skinny Margarita Recipe – A Beautiful Mess

This skinny margarita recipe is fresh and light, easy to make for a crowd, and is less calories than a classic margarita but still packed with flavor. Instead of simple syrup, we use agave syrup for a more natural sweetness and switch out the traditional orange liqueur of triple sec or Cointreau for fresh orange juice.

All you need is four simple ingredients and a few minutes to make the freshest low-calorie margarita you’ve ever had (and all without counting calories!).

Related: Homemade Margarita Mix, Frozen Margarita, Pineapple Margarita, Prickly Pear Margarita, Blood Orange Margarita, Virgin Margarita, Blue Margarita, Watermelon Margarita, Spicy Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Spicy Watermelon Mezcal Margarita, Frozen Mango Margaritas

There are a few simple bar tools that will make your homemade margarita experience simpler and quicker. I recommend a handheld citrus squeezer, a measuring shot glass and a cocktail shaker.

Skinny margarita ingredients:

Tequila: The type of tequila you use is up to your personal taste preference, so white, silver, blanco, reposado, or añejo will all work. The better the tequila, the smoother your margarita will be, so try to at least buy a mid-shelf brand like Patron verses the cheapest option.

Lime juice: You can use the bottled lime juice in a pinch, but try and squeeze fresh lime juice if possible for the brightest tart flavor.

Orange juice: If you only have store bought, that will work, but fresh is always the way to go if possible when it comes to the best tasting skinny margarita.

Agave nectar: Using light agave syrup provides a natural sweetener for your skinny margarita rather than using the classic simple syrup.

For your glassware, you can use either the classic margarita glasses or more of a shorter tumbler.

How to make a skinny margarita:

Mix: Add all of your ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake: Shake vigorously until cold and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime or orange wedge if desired.

TIP: To get the most juice from your limes and oranges, start with room temperature fruit and roll them back and forth gently on the cutting board for a minute before slicing widthwise and juicing.

How to make a salt rim:

While you can use lime juice to adhere your salt to the rim of your glass, agave is a little more hearty and holds more salt than lime juice alone. When you do a salt rim, be sure to only do the outside edge so unwanted salt isn’t falling into your drink.

To make a salt rim, add your agave to a small plate and roll the rim of the glass into the sticky substance (or run a wedge of lime around the top of the glass if using a lime). Next, dip the sticky rim onto a plate with a layer of margarita salt or course kosher salt so the salt sticks to the tacky surface. You can always salt just half the glass rim so that way guests can use either side depending on whether or not they enjoy a salted rim.

Tips for making skinny margaritas:

• If the flavor of your fresh-squeezed lime juice is too tart for your taste, add a splash of water to your drink to lessen the lime flavor.
• The best way to serve a skinny margarita on the rocks is in a rocks glass with a few ice cubes.
• Add extra citrus flavor with some citrus zest mixed into the salt rim.

Skinny margarita variations:

• For a twist on the classic flavor, try adding some fresh grapefruit or watermelon juice to create a fresh, fruity flavor.
• You can also muddle fresh fruit like strawberries, blackberries, or mango in the bottom of your shaker before pouring in your skinny margarita mixture (and you can also do the same with fresh herbs like basil or cilantro).
• Add a slice of a jalapeño or serrano pepper for a spicy skinny margarita.
• Try liquid stevia, monk fruit, or any other other liquid sweetener substitute to taste in place of the agave syrup.

How to make skinny margaritas for a crowd:

In a large pitcher with ice, add 1 1/2 cups of tequila, 1 1/2 cups of lime juice, 3/4 cup orange juice, and 2 tablespoons of agave syrup. Stir to combine and pour into 6 salted glasses filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Pair a skinny margarita with: