HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT JALAPEÑO MARGARITA

One of the hottest trends in tequila cocktails and Mexican cuisine is a spicy margarita. These margaritas are the perfect choice for all you heat lovers wanting to add a nice kick to your cocktail order. At the Rio, we offer a fresh Jalapeño Margarita to satisfy this craving. 

The Jalapeño Margarita recipe is fairly simple. All you need is tequila, citrus, jalapeños, simple syrup, and fresh lime, but the key is the type of tequila you choose. After testing several, including blancos, which are the norm for spicy margs, we settled on Cazadores Tequila Reposado for our recipe because of its earthy and herbaceous notes. This particular reposado plays beautifully with the tasting profile of the jalapeños.

Jalapeño Margarita Recipe

To make a Jalapeño Margarita, all you’ll need is a muddler, shaker and kitchen knife, in addition to the margarita ingredients. Here is the recipe that we perfected over time:

  • 1

    Muddle ¼ of a fresh jalapeño (de-seeded, no stem), ¼ – ⅓ of a lime cut into wedges or ½ wheels and 1 oz. of simple syrup in a mixing glass (Tip: make sure to really bruise the jalapeño in the muddle process to release the oils.) 

  • 2

    Mix 2 oz. of Cazadores Reposado with 1 oz. of Triple Sec

  • 3

    Top with 6 fl oz. of ice and shake vigorously

  • 4

    Pour into a 13 oz. highball glass (or whatever you can find at home!)

  • 5

    Squeeze ½ a lime with your citrus press into the cocktail (Tip: only squeeze the press about halfway)

  • 6

    Garnish is a float of 1 or 2 thin jalapeño slices

One thing to keep in mind is jalapeños can be seasonally spicy or mild, so you’ll need to taste test in the process. Things tasting too spicy? Add some simple syrup to balance it out. Too mild? Try adding more jalapeños, or even serrano peppers, to the blend. 

Once you’ve made your jalapeño margarita, consider pairing it with a juicy steak entrée – like beef fajitas or tacos, or even a portabella dish. The earthiness of these meaty items pairs nicely with the spicy heat from the peppers.