Margarita Pitcher - Classic Margarita Recipe (2024)

The Margarita is a classic co*cktail that is easy to make for any occasion with just four simple ingredients. This margarita pitcher recipe has the right mix of lime juice, tequila and triple sec to make about eight strong servings. It’s easily doubled, tripled and quadrupled for a good time — it’s the BEST margarita recipe you’ll ever drink!

Want make ahead instructions? Check out my Margarita Mix Recipe!

Oi, Gente!

Margaritas are one of my favorite co*cktails. With all my years spent in California and Texas, I can safely say I’ve been exposed to some of the best margaritas around.

This classic margarita recipe is based on my favorite margarita from a restaurant in LA that, sadly, no longer exists. Thanks, 2020…

I had such amazing times at that bar sipping on their margs that, I had to recreate the recipe at home so I could carry on the good times.

Being a regular there, I boldly asked them about their margarita recipe, but the only information I was given was that they used agave to sweeten them.

I took what I could get and then used my chef’s palate to manage the rest. I continued to drink and test at home until I arrived at the perfect mixture. Ta-da!!

If you know me, you know I make my drinks STRONG and in batches because I can’t be bothered to stop drinking to make another drink for someone or even myself… I like to do the work once and for all, then enjoy it for an extended period of time.

I’ve been making this recipe for many years now and just now decided to post it here because every time I serve these margaritas and a great ole time is had, my friends and family always ask for the recipe.

So here we are. I hope you love it as much as everyone in my life does.

Saúde!!

Beijinhos xx

Other co*cktail recipes you’ll love: Coconut Margarita | Classic Caipirinha | Batida de Maracuja – Passion Fruit co*cktail with Vodka | Caipirinha de Maracuja – Brazilian Passion Fruit co*cktail

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• Lime juice — freshly squeezed is best. Limes tend to have about 2 tablespoons of juice in them, so you’ll need between 16-18 limes to get the amount of juice necessary for this pitcher margarita recipe.
• Tequila Silver — also known as tequila blanco. It’s the clear kind, not golden-colored. You want to use a good quality tequila.
• Agave — this is the sweetener I use for my margaritas.
• Triple sec — or Cointreau… or any other orange liqueur you want. This adds just a little extra sweetness and balance to the margaritas.
• Kosher salt — we need a pinch for the margarita mix, as well as for the rims of our glasses.
• Ice

*full recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Tasting trick: if you think your limes are too sour, or tend to prefer more mellow lime flavor, squeeze 1 1/2 cups of lime juice and add 1/2 cup of water. Just make sure you manage the amount of ice you add into the drink so it doesn’t end up being too watery in the end.

You’ll also need:

• Citrus juicer
• Mesh strainer
• liquid measuring cup
• Pitcher or another container to hold your margaritas
• Ice cube maker – you can go with regular ice, or make it cute with these tiny ones I like.

How to make Classic Margaritas in a pitcher

Juice the limes! You’re going to need several of them to get the amount of fresh lime juice we need.

A note on juicing limes: When you juice limes, you’re also getting some delicious limey oils from its skin released into the juice. When you use a squeezer, you get most of the juices out, but if you are too rough in this process, you can also get some extra bitterness squeezed into your juice. Squeeze just enough and you’ll be fine!

Measure the lime juice into a container or a large pitcher with the tequila, triple sec, agave syrup and a pinch of salt and some ice.

Stir vigorously until all the ingredients are cold and combined.

This recipe serves a crowd, and you can easily do the math to serve a larger group of people.

How to rim a glass with salt:

Slice a lime into quarters. Take a wedge of the lime and gently run it along the rim of the glass you intend to drink your classic margarita from.

Measure some salt into a small plate and gently place the lime juice-coated glass in it. Move it around until salt coats the rim.

Once the glasses have been prepared, fill them with ice.

Pour the classic margarita recipe over the ice, then garnish with a lime wedge or a lime wheel.

Tips and tricks for mixing the best margaritas at home:

• Double, triple or quadruple this recipe for a crowd. The overall ratios for easily multiplied OR halved if you don’t want as many.
• Be gentle while juicing the limes. The lime oil from the skins of the citrus can add some bitterness to the juice, so don’t squeeze them too hard.
• Limes too sour? Use less lime juice and add a little water to balance it out. Give it a good taste before doing this because this, after all, contains homemade sour mix, which is obviously a little sour. It’s limes after all lol!
• Make it early, and keep it in the fridge for 2 weeks! Just don’t add ice until you’re ready to serve so the margaritas are not watered down.

Other margarita recipes to try:

• Coconut Margarita Recipe
• Passion Fruit Margarita
• Spicy Jalapeno Margaritas
• Frozen Mango Margarita
• Cadillac Margarita

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