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This spicy watermelon margarita recipe is quick and easy to make and offers a wonderful flavor. Think sweet fresh watermelon juice, spicy jalapeno chili peppers and zest lime as the main flavors, with tequila (of course!) and Triple Sec plus the sweetness of agave syrup, all blended up and served over ice. A watermelon jalapeño margarita makes a wonderfully refreshing fruit cocktail for summertime and is just perfect for summer pool parties.
Exotic and refreshing, this watermelon juice and jalapeño margarita is sure to be a huge hit and your next summer party. It only takes 10 minutes to whip up.
Why not also try rum sangria, watermelon gin & tonic, or a tasty watermelon juice boba popsicle? Or a classic Old Fashioned cocktail!
Why You’ll Love It
So tasty: This beautiful cocktail pairs fresh watermelon juice with lime juice, a few jalapeño slices, tequila, and more. Expect a truly superior flavor in every sip!
Simple to make: If you can combine the ingredients to make this watermelon juice margarita mixture, that’s pretty much all there is to making it.
Great for a crowd: It’s worth making a pitcher (or two) of spicy watermelon margaritas. It’s always popular if you’re having a BBQ or party and this summer cocktail is always in great demand.
Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Fresh watermelon: As watermelon juice is the main ingredient in this spicy watermelon margarita recipe, don’t use bottled.
Silver tequila: This is easy to find at any liquor store. If you have an other preference, such as agave tequila or anejo tequila, by all means use that instead.
Lime juice: Fresh is better than bottled!
Triple Sec: Adds an orange flavor for contrast. Use a generic orange liqueur if you prefer.
Agave syrup: For sweetness.
Jalapeños: Fresh jalapeño slices add a touch of spice to the cocktail.
Lime slices: For garnish.
Sea salt: To rim the glasses (optional but good!)
Ice: To keep your watermelon jalapeño margarita cool (of course!).
How to Make a Spicy Watermelon Margarita
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card
Prepare the watermelon: Cut it into chunks, discard the skin and black seeds, and puree for a minute or two, then straight into a pitcher through a sieve.
Add more ingredients: Add ice, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec, and agave syrup to the pitcher.
Spicy it up: Add jalapeño slices and press them using a wooden spoon.
The finishing touches: Rim the serving glasses with salt (if liked) and add ice. Pour the watermelon juice mixture over the ice and serve, garnished with lime and jalapeño slices if liked.
Substitutions and Variations
Not so spicy: If you want to reduce the spiciness, use less jalapeno.
Super spicy: For a spicier finish, use extra jalapeño slices and/or mash them more with the wooden spoon. You can also swap them for serrano peppers.
A different sweetener: Sub simple syrup for the agave syrup or, for a lower carb option, liquid artificial sweetener drops.
Alcohol-free version: If you want to enjoy a fresh watermelon juice mocktail, omit the tequila and Triple Sec.
A different rim: Salt makes a good rim for the glasses. You could also use coarse sugar or how about Tajin? This lime chili salt seasoning is so tasty.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Enjoy jalapeño corn dogs if you’re a jalapeño fan or, if you want something mild, air fried chicken tenders.
Main dishes: A light seafood pasta salad would be good, or maybe hot dogs, burgers or nachos.
Sweet treats: Coconut cream poke cake is another summer favorite.
Other drinks: You can’t beat country fair lemonade if you want something thirst-quenching but without the alcohol, or you can serve some fresh cubed watermelon or watermelon wedges on the side.
How to Store a Watermelon Margarita
Store: Keep leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Plain watermelon juice will keep for up to a week. If you’ve already added ice to the drinks, don’t save them because they will just taste watered down.
Freeze: This won’t freeze completely because of the alcohol content, but you could freeze the watermelon cubes before making the cocktail.
Top Tips
Add ice last: Don’t add the ice cubes until you’re ready to serve the spicy watermelon margarita, otherwise it will water it down.
Don’t use top shelf tequila: Since this cocktail has bold flavors, it’s not a good fit for expensive tequila, as much of the flavor won’t be apparent. Save the good stuff for sipping neat.
Which glasses to use: Choose from low ball glasses, classic margarita glasses (from more basic to a bit fancier), or plastic glasses if you’re serving these up poolside. A margarita glass set is a good investment if you like making cocktails.
Spicy Watermelon Cocktail FAQs
I like to add fresh herbs. Anything goes – mint, basil, rosemary, or thyme are all good.
Freeze watermelon cubes overnight or for at least 4 hours, then puree all the ingredients in a high-powered blender to make a super-cold version of these margaritas.
Watermelon is refreshing but if it’s not your favorite, try cantaloupe or honeydew melon instead. And if you do like watermelon, you can use regular or seedless. Seedless (without those black pips) tends to have a little less flavor than the classic kind but as it’s just an ingredient in a bold-flavored cocktail that won’t matter much (and will save you time picking out the pips!)
Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita Recipe
Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita
Ingredients
- 2½ Cups watermelon, in chunks
- 1 Cup ice, plus more to serve
- ½ Cup silver tequila
- ¼ Cup lime juice, fresh
- ¼ Cup Triple Sec
- 2 Tablespoons agave syrup
- 2 jalapeños, sliced
- 1 lime, thinly sliced
- coarse sea salt, to rim glasses (optional)
Instructions
- Add fresh watermelon chunks to a food processor or blender and puree for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. Discard leftover solids.
- Add a cup of ice, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec, and agave syrup to the same pitcher. Stir to combine.
- Add jalapenos and gently press down on them with a large wooden spoon to release their spicy flavor. Give it one last stir.
- Rim your glasses with coarse salt and pour the mixture over ice.
- Garnish with fresh lime and jalapeno slices and serve immediately.
Notes
Don’t use top shelf tequila: Since this cocktail has bold flavors, it’s not a good fit for expensive tequila, as much of the flavor won’t be apparent. Save the good stuff for sipping neat.
Which glasses to use: Choose from low ball glasses, classic margarita glasses or plastic glasses if you’re serving these up poolside. A margarita glass set is a good investment if you like making cocktails.
Nutrition
This unusual spicy margarita with fresh jalapeños, fresh lime juice, tequila, Triple Sec, and more, takes just 10 minutes to make from scratch. It’s supremely refreshing and a wonderful summer drink. Sip on this perfect cocktail and you’ll love the contrasting spice and sweetness it offers.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
