The Best Spicy Margarita Recipe EVER – Easy, Spicy & Refreshing Habanero Margaritas

A little sweet and a lot of spicy, these margaritas are my spirit drink. Fresh-squeezed tangy lime and hot-but-sweet habanero syrup meet refreshing ice cold tequila to make this delish cocktail recipe my happy hour, pool day or Taco Tuesday go-to.

Spice up your day or night with one of these delish skinny spicy margs, and you’ll basically be on the beach somewhere in Mexico in no time.

As you guys know, we’ve been drinking our way around the world this month (you can check out all of my epic travel-themed cocktail recipes on this  blog post here) and today’s cocktail destination of choice was my all-time favorite – MEXICO.   

Jalapeño margaritas get a lot of attention (and I like them too!) but to be honest habanero margs are so much spicier, so I think they take spicy margs next level!! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments (or tag me on insta with your cocktail! #drinkingaroundtheworld)

*That being said, you can replace habaneros with jalapeños in this recipe and it will still be AMAZING. Go either way and with whatever you can get at the store. 

Grocery List for this Margarita Recipe

(BTW – I love using Drizly for alcohol delivery in under an hour!)

Good tequila (My tequila of choice is usually Casamigos but my all-time favorite high-end tequila is Clase Azul)

Cointreau

1/2 Habanero Pepper

Bag of Limes (you’ll need at least 6 or so)

Sugar

Tools Used to Make This Margarita Recipe

Cocktail shaker, strainer, and jigger. I love this cocktail set! It was on my wedding registry and highly recommend. So chic. 

Citrus juicer. Totally worth it. 

ALSO PSA –  This recipe is also DELICIOUS as a frozen spicy margarita, just blend up all the ingredients with some frozen mangos and ice! So delicious. 

The Best Spicy Margarita Recipe Ever - Habanero Margaritas

The Best Spicy Margarita Recipe Ever - Habanero Margaritas

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Sweet and spicy, this fresh-squeezed refreshing favorite is my go-to cocktail for happy hours, Taco Tuesdays, pool days, or anytime I want to spice up my night. This recipe makes 2 margaritas.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz good tequila
  • ½ habanero pepper, plus extra slices for garnish
  • ¼ cup Cointreau
  • ¼ cup simple habanero syrup (see below for how to make)
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice + lime slices for garnish
  • 2 tsp Agave syrup if you like a little extra sweetness

Instructions

If you have time - infuse the tequila in a mason jar or pitcher with a sliced jalapeño, with seeds, or 1/2 sliced habanero, with seeds. Set aside at room temp for 30 minutes (or longer, the longer you let the peppers infuse, the spicier it will be). You can also skip this step.

Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, combine equal parts of sugar and boiling water, with 1 chopped habanero. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. 

Make the margaritas by mixing together the tequila, habanero syrup, cointreau and lime juice in a cocktail shaker – I have this cute gold one) with some ice. Shake shake shake. Taste it to check. If you want it spicier, add a little more peppers or a little more of the simple syrup and let it it sit a little longer. If you want it sweeter, add some agave. Pour into chili salt dipped glasses filled with ice and add lime slices and peppers for garnish.

To make the Habanero Simple Syrup

  1. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  2. 1/2 cup water
  3. 1/2 a habanero pepper, chopped

Directions:

  1. Heat 1/2 cup water over medium heat and bring it to a boil
  2. Add the 1/2 cup of sugar to the boiling water and the chopped habaneros
  3. Stir the syrup about 4 minutes 
  4. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow to cool
  5. Use or store in storage container and refrigerate. This syrup keeps for up to 6 months in the refrigerator!


To make the chili salt for the margarita rims

  1. Combine 1 tablespoon chili powder with 1 teaspoon cayenne powder and 1 tablespoon seasalt, swipe a lime wedge on the rim of a glass and place bottom up in the mixture to coat the rim in the chili salt

To make the margaritas

  1. Squeeze enough limes to make 1/2 cup juice (I usually need 6 or so) - you're definitely going to want a citrus juicer to help with this part.
  2. Add ice to your cocktail shaker. Then add the lime juice, tequila, habanero syrup, and Cointreau to the shaker.
  3. Shake, shake, shake!
  4. Taste to check, add the agave if you like it a bit sweeter.
  5. Pour into chili-salt-rimmed glasses filled with ice, garnish and serve.


Notes

My tequila of choice is usually Casamigos but my all-time favorite tequila is Clase Azul

You have the option to infuse the tequila with habanero or jalapeno peppers beforehand for a little extra kick! Do this by pouring the tequila in a mason jar along with 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (and seeds) or 1 chopped habaneros (and seeds).

You can also add a splash of club soda if you like that in your margs.

Add in pineapple juice or muddled mangos for a delicious twist on this recipe to make pineapple spicy margaritas or mango habanero margaritas!

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 Enjoy!!

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Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

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