Skinny Margarita Recipe

Craving a citrusy Margarita but without all the added sugar? Let me introduce you to the lower calorie but still delicious, skinny margarita option instead! 

History Of the Skinny Margarita

The classic margarita cocktail has been a staple in the industry for decades. Margarita is a Spanish term for daisy, like the flower.

The margarita cocktail hails from the daisy family of cocktails, which can best be described as a class of sour cocktails that share similar core ingredients. The first daisy group of cocktails dates back to the 1800s, and the staple ingredients include spirit, liqueur, lemon juice, sugar or a sweet component, and an egg white. 

In modern times the classic Margarita became a sugar bomb. Sometimes it is blended with ice and feels like an adult slushy instead of being a sophisticated sour cocktail. The added calories from these intensely sweet sugars can be a turn-off for some people, and the taste was just overwhelmingly sweet! Cue the birth of the skinny margarita. 

The core ingredients of the skinny margarita very closely resemble the original daisy recipe. However, no egg whites are included and liqueur is also omitted.

The result is a citrusy, bright, easy-to-drink cocktail that pairs perfectly with a meal. Margaritas hail from Mexico, so picture yourself sipping on a skinny cocktail while sharing a plate of nachos with your friends. It is the perfect social drink and truly a crowd-pleaser. 

Skinny Margarita Ingredients

A regular margarita contains a lot of sugar, like a lot! The skinny recipe eliminates most of the added sugar from the recipe and relies on natural sweetness from freshly squeezed orange juice. Most skinny margaritas will still call for honey or agave in their recipes, however, the amount used for this cocktail is significantly less than the regular recipe.

Agave nectar is harvested from desert plants. The consistency is of agave is similar to a syrup, so it is slightly runnier than honey and very easy to blend into drinks.

This product is very popular for people who follow a vegan diet because it is a plant-based option, unlike honey which is made from honeybees. Many people say that agave tastes sweeter than white sugar.

With this in mind, add small amounts of agave to your cocktails and be sure to taste along the way. You can always add more agave later if needed. 

The same blue agave plant that is harvested to make agave nectar is also used to make tequila. The Blue agave leaves are fermented and distilled, and the result is an earthy, sweet tequila. 

It seems impossible to create a tequila-based beverage without including fresh limes. The acidity of these happy green fruits cuts through the tequila perfectly and actually, enhances the drinkers’ experience.

Similar to other ingredients in this cocktail, limes are also grown in Mexico and their juice and pulp are often used across the entire Mexican cuisine. 

How To Make the Perfect Skinny Margarita

To keep your life easy, remember to add salt or different seasonings to the rim of your glass in the first step. If you are making several cocktails at once, go ahead and salt each of them before moving on to making your cocktail mix.

Limes can be a challenging fruit to gauge ripeness. You may cut open a lime and be surprised by how little juice can be squeezed out! It is a good practice to roll your lime on a counter before you cut it open.

Use the palm of your hand to firmly apply pressure as you roll the lime. This will soften the pulp and release some extra juice you can use in your cocktail. 

Are you planning to serve this recipe at a party? Skinny Margaritas are great pitcher cocktails! You can easily make this beverage in a large batch and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Remember to keep plenty of ice on hand to ensure this refreshing cocktail is served cool.

Final Thoughts

Margaritas are versatile cocktails, and there are many variations you can make.

My favorite option is to increase the heat of your Margarita by garnishing your cocktail with fresh slices of jalapeño! I think it adds a fun surprise element to the drink while still keeping the overall recipe low in sugar. 

At the start of this article, I mentioned that the classic daisy recipe called for egg whites. Egg whites have been used in bartending for decades to increase the mouthfeel of a cocktail.

The egg whites can be easily aerated, and the result is a silky foamy layer that tops off the cocktail. Many classical recipes will call for egg whites, and you are invited to experiment making this at home and adding it to your margarita cocktail.