Cucumber Margarita
Looking for a refreshing, less sweet cocktail? This 5-ingredient Cucumber Margarita recipe is for you! Made with ingredients you’ve probably already got at home, this cucumber drink is refreshing and delicious. Makes 1 drink.
Love tequila drinks? Give the Cadillac Margarita and Mexican Mule a try!
Our Year of the Margarita continues with a refreshing twist on the classic. The Cucumber Margarita is great for anyone who isn’t into super sweet margaritas and who wants something a little different.
The first Cucumber Margarita I ever tried was a spicy one, complete with a chili rim and jalapeno slices inside.
This margarita recipe is going to be milder than that, but I’ve included instructions on how to spice if up if that’s your thing.
Why I love this recipe:
This Cucumber Margarita recipe is just so refreshing. I love a nice margarita that’s a little sweet (without being too sweet), and this one hits on a different end of the spectrum.
Yes, it takes a little extra time because we have to make fresh cucumber juice from scratch, but if you’ve got a blender and a fine mesh strainer, you’ll be able to make it in no time.
I can envision myself sipping on this cucumber cocktail throughout the summer months because it’s nice and tart, well-balanced and so refreshing.
Other margaritas you might want to test out: Cointreau Margarita | Peach Margarita | Frozen Strawberry Margarita | Apple Cider Margaritas | Cantaloupe Mint Margarita | Pineapple Margarita | Avocado Margarita | Italian Margarita
In the market for a new drink? Check out my Cocktail Recipe Index for inspiration!
What you’ll need to make a Cucumber Margarita
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- Margarita glasses (or other glasses that will work with margaritas)
- Blender
- Jigger or mini angled measuring cup
- Citrus juicer or a citrus reamer
- Fine mesh strainer
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need:
- Cucumber — we’re going to need fresh cucumber to make the cucumber juice. I recommend using regular cucumbers (as opposed to English cucumbers) because their water content is higher, meaning you’ll get more juice.
- Silver tequila — a 100% blue agave brand, please and thank you. This is also known as tequila blanco.
- Cointreau — or your favorite triple sec, if Cointreau is unavailable
- Limes or freshly squeezed lime juice — I purchase the squeezed kind from the refrigerated section at the grocery store. It’s with the pre-chopped fruit and is worth the splurge. However, you can purchase limes and squeeze ‘em yourself.
- Simple syrup — you can make it at home or you can purchase it from the store or online.
Also, if you’ve got some homemade margarita mix at your house, you could use that in place of the lime juice and simple syrup. I have notations on how to do that below, too.
How to make cucumber margaritas
First and foremost, make the cucumber juice. Peel the cucumbers, and toss them into the blender. Blend for a minute or so, until well combined, then strain into a pitcher. Voila! You’ve got cucumber juice. 🙂
Next, juice your limes. I typically do this over a liquid measuring cup with a fine mesh strainer on top of it to keep pulp and seeds out of the final juice.
Pro tip!
You’ll get more juice from your limes if they’re room temperature. If you keep ‘em in the fridge, pop them into the microwave for 20-30 seconds to get those juices flowing!
Also, you’ll want to rim your margarita glass (or regular ‘ol cup) with salt or Tajin if you’re into that at this point. You can also add ice to the glass, as well, if you want your margarita on the rocks to be extra cold.
Once your limes are juiced and other ingredients are acquired, measure the cucumber juice, tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau and simple syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker.
Shake until the ingredients are incredibly cold, then strain and pour into your prepared glasses.
Garnish with cucumber slices and lime wedges, and enjoy immediately.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This Cucumber Margarita recipe is excellent for an at-home happy hour, a homemade Mexican dinner night or even a backyard barbecue because they’re so dang refreshing.
Margaritas at home are simple because they require few ingredients and even less time to put ‘em together! And this margarita recipe is absolutely worth mixing up to share.
Here are a few tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible:
- Make extra. After all, if you’re hosting several friends, you might as well double or triple the recipe so you’re not mixing up margaritas by request throughout the evening. You can also turn these into a pitcher drink—I’ll explain in the recipe card!
- Purchase extra cucumbers, and make the cucumber juice earlier in the day. Have a big ‘ol pitcher full of it so that guests can easily make their drinks without you needing to get out the blender again and again to make more cucumber juice.
- Make your simple syrup 1-2 days in advance… or do what I do and make a big batch so you’ve always got some in the fridge. Let it hang out in the fridge, and make a lot of it, depending on how many friends are joining you.
- Squeeze the limes an hour or so before guests arrive—or take the store-bought shortcut. Just be sure to get the fresh-squeezed lime juice instead of the shelf-stable kind. It makes all the difference, promise.
Frequently Asked Questions
A margarita is a cocktail that consists of tequila, Cointreau (or triple sec) and lime juice. Some people add agave nectar or simple syrup to theirs for a little extra sweetness. I am some people and add simple syrup to mine.
A skinny margarita is typically a margarita that’s considered less calories and “lighter” than a classic margarita.
Yes, it’s a necessary ingredient for a margarita. It brings in orange flavors without you needing to pour in orange juice.
Yes. In fact, I use Cointreau, another orange liqueur, in place of triple sec in all my margarita recipes except for my Cadillac Margarita. Why? I like how much more potent Cointreau is.
Triple Sec is a colorless orange liqueur. It adds orange brightness and citrus to a drink. Cointreau is also an orange liqueur. It has a higher ABV than triple sec, and it’s my orange liqueur of choice for a margarita.
If you’ve got margarita mix (homemade margarita mix or the store-bought kind), omit the lime juice and simple syrup with 5 ½ oz. of the margarita mix.
Take a lime wedge and run it around the edge of the glass. You want there to be enough liquid to where the salt will stick, but that the juice doesn’t run down the side of your glass. (If it does, no big deal—that’ll just add a little extra lime juice to your margarita.) Pour salt onto a small, and gently press the glass into the salt, until salt coats the rim.
Quick tips and tricks for making the best homemade margaritas
- Prep your ingredients before mixing your drinks. That means making your cucumber juice, as well as juicing limes before you get started to make the mixing process easier on you.
- Double or triple the recipe! While this cucumber margarita recipe makes two drinks, you might want to blend up more to share. Do the simple math and throw them all in the blender together!
- Purchase good lime juice or squeeze your own. The shelf stable bottled stuff won’t cut it for a Cucumber Margarita.
- Add some heat! Muddle a few rounds of jalapeno pepper with the cucumber juice to make it a Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita! Don’t forget the Tajin rim, too!
Other cucumber drinks to try:
If you are looking for a cucumber mocktail, check out Blackberry Mint Spa Water and Lemon Cucumber Water.
If you want to mix another cocktail, this Cucumber Vodka Cocktail with Lemonade is refreshing as all get out! So are Pimms Punch and this New Orleans-style Pimm’s Cup.
Here’s how we make this fun twist on a margarita…
Cucumber Margarita
Ingredients
Cucumber Juice
- 2 cucumbers peeled
Cucumber Margarita (makes 1)
- 2 oz. cucumber juice
- 1 ½ oz. silver tequila
- 1 ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 oz. Cointreau or triple sec
- ½ oz. simple syrup optional
- Lime wedges or twists for garnish
- Cucumber rounds for garnish
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Instructions
- Make the cucumber juice
- Peel the cucumbers, and chop roughly.
- Place in the blender, and blend for 45-60 seconds, or until the cucumbers have turned into juice.
- Strain with a fine mesh strainer, and store in a sealed mason jar in the fridge until it’s cucumber time.
- Mix the margarita(s)
- Run a lime along the rim of your glass(es), and coat with salt or Tajin.
- Add ice, and set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker, measure out the cucumber juice, silver tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and simple syrup.
- Add ice and shake until ice cold.
- Strain and pour into the prepared glass. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Cold press freshly squeezed lime juice: It sounds silly, but if you can find this refrigerated lime juice that’s good to go, it’s worth the cost, especially if you’re entertaining.
- Simple syrup: If you’re unsure if you’ll have time to make and then cool simple syrup, they sell this bottled stuff in stores, too!
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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