Blood Orange Margarita

This vibrant blood orange margarita recipe is fresh, flavorful, and visually stunning. Freshly squeezed juice takes this classic cocktail over the top for a refreshing beverage you won’t be able to put down!

Blood orange juice tastes like regular oj. There is a slight difference in flavor, but not much. Of course, one of the biggest differences is the beautiful color.

The fresh blood orange juice is not only absolutely delicious and vibrant, but the juice is naturally beautiful and which translates to a gorgeous cocktail.

In fact, the next time I make a Harvey Wallbanger cocktail, I’ll be using this juice instead of regular orange juice.

There is something about using premium ingredients in a margarita. Some people say you can’t tell, but I’m here to tell you that you can. My sister was over one night and I made her my signature Cadillac margarita. I had run out of my usual Patron silver tequila, so I used another brand.

My sister said, “This tastes different.”

See? She could tell and you could too, so I always say, buy the best you can afford. Here’s a guide to different brands of tequila.

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Helpful tips

• If you are going to use fresh juice, buy 5 or more blood oranges, since it’s surprising how little juice you get out of them.
• I leave the oranges in the refrigerator until I’m ready to juice them.
• If you can find fresh pre-squeezed juice, you will save time when making this recipe. I sometimes get it at Whole Foods.
• When juicing the blood oranges, wear an apron as this juice will stain light colored clothing.
• If you’re thinking of making a large pitcher of this margarita, use pre-squeezed juice as you don’t want to be juicing all night long. Use the slider in the recipe card to adjust the servings.
• How to salt the glasses: Pour out a little bit of kosher salt on a small plate. Wet the rim of the glasses with a little simple syrup. Dip the rims into the salt and with the glass upside down, shake off the excess salt and set it upright.
• Use glasses that please you. I used my thick double old-fashioned glasses. Other great options are the classic margarita glass, mason jar, or even a rocks glass.
• Blood orange juice has the same sweetness as regular orange juice, but if you like a sweet margarita, you could add 1/2 ounce of simple syrup. I suggest making it first without simple syrup, tasting it, and then if you want it sweeter, add simple syrup a little at a time.
• When pouring the drink into the glasses, be careful not to pour the liquid over the salted rims as it will put salt IN your drink.
• I don’t use limes or fresh lime juice in this margarita. There is no need as the blood orange juice is ample.
• I use the orange liqueur, Cointreau, but you can substitute it with triple sec.

How to make a blood orange margarita

Pre-step

Get a cocktail shaker, fill it halfway with ice, and also get your measuring glass and glassware.

After measuring out the ingredients, pour into the cocktail shaker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – tequila blanco, Cointreau, and fresh blood oranges.

Step two

Measure 4 ounces of tequila. (A)

Step three

Measure 2 ounces of Cointreau. (B)

Step four

Measure 7 ounces fresh blood orange juice. (C)

I wanted to also show the ingredients in the cocktail shaker. Isn’t it gorgeous? (D)

Step five

Add fresh ice to the glasses.

Place the lid on the shaker, shake it for 20 seconds and pour, strain, and divide the contents between the two glasses.

Add slices of blood orange into the glasses.

Per-FECT-o!

Here’s another shot, taken from a different angle.

I hope you enjoyed this blood orange margarita recipe. It truly is a fruity and delicious cocktail. I hope you try it!

Other popular margaritas

• Cadillac
• Lemon curd
• Melon

Leave me a comment. What is your favorite margarita?

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

This is a redo of my original post that was published February of 2016.