The 10 Best 1-Ingredient Ways To Upgrade A Margarita

Customize your margarita with these 10 ingredients, whether you prefer fruity, herby, or spicy.

A classic margarita is hard to beat once you've learned how to make it. It really takes just three ingredients to master, and from there the possibilities are endless, even if you are new to at-home margaritas. If you start with a basic margarita ratio, you can easily add just one ingredient to create a totally new cocktail. The best type of margarita is the one you love most, after all, and we're here to help you find it. Start with our very easy Perfect Margarita Recipe, and try any of these 1-ingredient twists to take it to the next level. You'll never be bored again, and neither will your guests! Here are 10 ways to upgrade a basic margarita using just one extra ingredient.

The Perfect Margarita Recipe

What makes our classic margarita recipe special is its simplicity that leaves plenty of room to play. Premade, sugar-laden mixes, be gone! This recipe relies heavily on the freshness and acidity of lime juice, accented with only a touch of sweetness from orange liqueur. Be sure to opt for a tequila that you’d be happy to drink on the rocks.

Follow our recipe step-by-step, or simply start with 2 ounces of tequila blanco, 1 ounce of orange liqueur (such as Cointreau), and 1 1/2 ounces of freshly-squeezed lime juice mixed and served over ice.

Classic Margarita Recipe

10 Fresh And Flavorful 1-Ingredient Twists

1. Topo Chico

Give your margarita a fizzy topper with Topo Chico, the Texas-favorite, extra-fizzy mineral water from Mexico. The characteristic glass bottle comes in a few different flavors, making it even easier to add a flavorful zing to your margarita. Go with the basic Topo Chico for a cocktail that feels half margarita, half Texas Ranch Water. Or choose a flavor such as Twist of Lime or Twist of Grapefruit to make it a slightly less potent spritzer.

Related: 15 Topo Chico Cocktails That Are Easy-Sipping And So Refreshing

2. Grapefruit Juice

If you prefer a bit more flavor to your margarita or love a Paloma cocktail, fruit juice is an easy way to give a bit more oomph and sweetness to a basic margarita, which just contains lime. Grapefruit juice perfectly complements the lime juice and tequila, while adding a good balance of sour, sweet, and tangy.

3. Jalapeño

Anyone who always orders a spicy margarita while at a restaurant will be happy to know there are many ways to get the same spicy-sweet-limey effect. You can muddle fresh slices of jalapeños into your glass, or even infuse your tequila by adding tequila and fresh jalapeño slices to a Mason jar and letting it steep for five days.

Related: How To Make a Spicy Ranch Water

4. Basil

While typically herbs are left to other types of cocktails, especially gin and vodka cocktails, you'll never go wrong with letting fresh herbs infuse any drink, including a margarita. Similar to how a Basil Smash uses both citrus juice and fresh basil, a basil margarita with lime juice is a delicious duo. While you can muddle fresh basil into the glass before making a margarita, even just layering a few sprigs of basil as a garnish will fill your nose with a delightful scent each time you take a sip.

5. Watermelon Juice

You won't meet a more perfect summer version of a margarita than one that uses watermelon juice for the freshest, sweetest sips and prettiest pink color. While you can buy watermelon juice at the grocery store, such as the Simply Watermelon Juice, we suggest making your own, which doesn't require too much time or effort. You can put fresh watermelon with a splash of water into a blender, then strain into a mesh sieve. Add a splash of your fresh watermelon juice to your margarita for instant flavor.

Related: How To Make a Watermelon Margarita

6. Mint

Another fresh herb to add a bit of aromatic magic to any margarita, fresh mint goes with lime so wonderfully in other cocktails such as Mojitos. Each time you go for a sip, your nose gets hit with a delicious herby aroma. Simply muddle fresh mint into your glass, or garnish with a few sprigs for a simple but impactful finishing touch.

Related: How To Make Mint Margaritas

7. Orange Juice

Ever heard of a Texas Margarita? Texans love adding a bit of extra orange flavor to their margaritas, which culminated in a new style of margarita that you can easily mimic at home. Since most margarita recipes call for an orange liqueur such as Triple Sec or Cointreau, adding an extra splash of orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed) just adds to the "hint of orange" you already get with a classic margarita, making for a super refreshing take that is perfect for warm weather. Simply add a splash of orange juice to your margarita to get the job done.

8. Frozen Peaches

Making a frozen margarita is harder than it seems, since blending with ice cubes can dilute the inherent flavor of a basic margarita ratio. Therefore, using frozen fruit solves one issue, while also adding a totally new flavor profile at the same time. One of our favorite ways to incorporate fruit in a margarita is by using frozen peaches and blending it all into a frozen margarita. Bonus points if it is an in-season peach that you froze ahead of time—expect major flavor!

Related: How To Make Frozen Peach Margaritas

9. Aperol

It should come to no surprise that an aperol spritz in all of its orange glory would mesh perfectly well with a margarita. Since you're most likely already adding an orange liqueur such as Triple Sec or Cointreau to a classic margarita, adding an extra splash of aperol—an Italian bitter apéritif made with fruits and featuring a bright orange-red color—complements the existing flavors, while also giving a hint of extra sweetness and bitterness to round out the overall combination. Don't knock it until you try it!

10. Chili-Lime Seasoning

Also known by its popular brand name, Tajin, you can upgrade any margarita instantly by adding a flavored rim other than salt or sugar. This zingy chile-lime seasoning offers a punch of flavor to each sip, and it especially pairs well with sweeter or fruitier margaritas.

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