Spicy Margarita
A Margarita with muddled jalapeño and a chilli-salt rim. Heat and lime against blanco tequila — the modern bar's most-ordered Margarita variation, and easy to get right.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Rub a lime wedge round half the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in chilli-lime salt. Fill the glass with ice.
Add the jalapeño slices and agave syrup to a shaker and muddle briefly — a few presses, enough to release the oils.
Add the tequila, lime juice and triple sec, fill with ice, and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain over the fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel or a slice of jalapeño.
A thoughtful finish
- Heat varies enormously from one jalapeño to the next. Taste a sliver before you muddle; two slices of a hot one is plenty, four of a mild one may not register.
- The seeds and white membrane carry most of the heat. Leave them in for a hot drink, scrape them out for a gentle one.
- For a more consistent version, infuse a bottle of blanco tequila with sliced jalapeño for an hour or two, taste, and strain. Then make a standard Margarita with it.
Common mistakes
- Muddling the jalapeño to a pulp. The drink turns vegetal and the heat becomes harsh rather than bright.
- Over-sweetening to tame the heat. Heat is balanced by acid and salt, not sugar; keep the lime generous.
- A full rim of Tajín. Half the rim lets the drinker choose; a full rim makes every sip taste of salt.
A few good questions.
How spicy is it?
As spicy as you make it. Three thin slices with seeds gives a clear, pleasant heat; one slice without seeds is a whisper. Taste the pepper first.
Jalapeño or serrano?
Jalapeño is the standard and the easiest to control. Serrano is hotter and greener; habanero is for people who have made a decision.
What is Tajín?
A Mexican seasoning of dried chilli, lime and salt. It is the usual rim for a Spicy Margarita and is worth having; a mix of kosher salt and chilli powder is a fair substitute.
Can I use mezcal?
Yes — smoke and chilli are natural partners, and a Spicy Mezcal Margarita is a popular variation. Use a little less, as mezcal tends to be stronger-flavoured.
Variations
- Margarita — The original.
- Tommy's Margarita — Agave syrup in place of orange liqueur — works with chilli too.
- Mezcal Margarita — Mezcal for the tequila.
- Paloma — Tequila, lime and grapefruit soda; add a jalapeño slice for a spicy version.
Where it comes from
c. 2000s · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Chilli and tequila are an old pairing in Mexico — the sangrita served alongside tequila has carried chilli heat for a century — but the Spicy Margarita as a menu item is a product of the American craft cocktail boom of the 2000s and 2010s. No single bar can claim it; jalapeño-infused tequila and muddled chilli Margaritas appeared more or less simultaneously in Los Angeles, Austin and New York as bartenders looked for ways to extend the drink. By the late 2010s it was outselling the plain Margarita in many bars, and the Tajín rim — the Mexican chilli-lime salt — became its signature.
Sources
- Robert Simonson, Modern Classic Cocktails, 2022 (book)
- Punch, 'The Rise of the Spicy Margarita', 2019 (article)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
Strength. About 1.67 US standard drinks at an estimated 22.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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