Blood Orange Margarita Recipe

Prepare rim

Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks or coupe glass. Dip the rim into coarse salt or Tajín placed on a small plate to coat. Set the glass aside in the freezer or at room temperature to chill.

If using whole blood oranges, peel and juice 1 medium blood orange. Strain lightly if you prefer smooth puree, or reserve a small amount of pulp for texture. If using store-bought puree, stir to recombine before measuring.

Fill a cocktail shaker about two-thirds full with ice.

Add blanco tequila (2 oz), triple sec (1 oz), fresh lime juice (0.75 oz), sour mix (0.5 oz), and blood orange puree (1 oz) into the shaker. If the blood orange is very tart, add simple syrup (0.25 oz).

Cap the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and slightly frosted. This chills and dilutes the drink to the proper strength.

Fill the prepared glass with fresh ice if serving on the rocks. If serving up, do not add ice to the glass.

Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared glass using the shaker lid and a fine-mesh strainer to remove ice shards and pulp (if a smooth texture is desired).

Garnish with a blood orange wheel or lime wedge on the rim. Optionally, express a lime peel over the drink for extra aromatics.

Serve immediately.