Smoky Jalapeño Margarita

A Smoky Jalapeño Margarita is just the blend of smoky, savory and spicy to elevate your margarita game to all new heights. With an easy-to-make jalapeño simple syrup and a smoked chili sea salt rim, every sip is an adventure. Trust me when I say, you won’t be able to stop at just one. 

about this smoky jalapeno margarita

I am beginning to work my way back to the dark side…

The dark side of enjoying tequila, that is.

It has taken me SO long to get to the point where I actively want to try new cocktails that incorporate tequila, primarily because of several terrible experiences throughout my life that involved tequila shots.

This led me to only trying tequila in margaritas, and generally those margaritas weren’t amazing, so again, I ran away from tequila at top speed.

I am proud to say that recently I have put my toe back in the water of tequila-land and now.. I think I might be going back to that dark side.

Slowly. But surely.

It’s mostly because spicy margaritas are the best thing ever.

This spicy margarita recipe is my newest cocktail obsession. There are so many layers of flavors in every single sip that truly make it magical.

The homemade jalapeño simple syrup gives the cocktail just a slight hint of sweetness, followed by a delicious heat that’ll tickle your taste buds.

When you pair this with tequila and chili powder, you get a smoky sultry kick of flavor to complete the sweet heat.

Finally, before all of this flavor even hits your lips, you get a smoky chili packed taste of the smoked chili sea salt.

It gives you just the right amount of salt and the smoky flavor is the best pairing with the spice level in this drink.

What I love about this margarita is that it appeals to everyone.

The spicy, the sweet, the smoky – you get it all and it really is perfect for whatever you may be serving for dinner.

Personally, I adore pairing this cocktail with tacos (no, not just because I’m obsessed with cocktails), because it’s a simple flavor pairing and tacos aren’t too heavy to overpower the cocktail itself. You can also serve it with salsa (chunky salsa, pineapple salsa, etc) or guacamole.

Need some more inspiration for Cinco de Mayo? My lovely friends have put together some amazing recipes to indulge in as well! Variety is oh-so important after all 😉

• Simple Orange Lime Margarita from Madison @ A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
• Strawberry Mockarita from Erin @ The Speckled Palate

this recipe’s must haves

Grab a cocktail shaker to shake up the ingredients! This one is my favorite for margaritas and any other shaken cocktails.

A Greenco 3 Tier Bar Glass Rimmer for Margaritas makes it easy to rim your cocktail glasses with this delicious smoked chili sea salt rim. I like to serve a margarita in a rocks glass, but you could also use margarita glasses if you prefer.

Make sure you have a saucepan that comes with a cover so you can make the jalapeño simple syrup and let it steep, all in one dish.

how to make a smoky jalapeno margarita

make jalapeno simple syrup

Combine water, sugar and fresh jalapeño slices in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and discard jalapeno.

make smoked chili salt rim

Combine kosher salt and chili powder in a shalow bowl, stirring to combine.

Rub the edge of two cocktail glasses with a wedge of lime. Run the rim of your glass through the chili salt. Set aside.

make cocktail

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in lime juice (use a juicer for fresh lime juice!), jalapeno simple syrup, tequila (we use gold but you can use tequila blanco if preferred), chili powder, and orange liqueur (we like to use Cointreau). Shake well until chilled through.

strain

Fill the cocktail glasses with ice. Pour the mixture into your prepared glasses. Garnish these spicy jalapeño margaritas with jalapeno slices or a lime wedge.

Finally, if you make this spicy jalapeño margarita recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.

Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!

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Smoky Jalapeño Margarita

Smoky and spicy, this simple yet flavorful cocktail is a fun take on margarita happy hour!

4.6 from 30 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

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ingredients

Jalapeño Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 jalapeño halved

Smoky Jalapeño Margaritas

• Ice
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 1/2 oz Jalapeño Simple Syrup
• 1/3 cup gold tequila
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 oz orange liqueur triple sec or Grand Marnier
• Garnish: slices of jalapeño lime wedges

Smoked Chile Salt Rim

• 1 lime quartered
• 1 Tbsp smoked sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

instructions

• To make the simple syrup, combine water, sugar and jalapeño in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat once sugar has dissolved. Let steep covered for 30 minutes. Discard jalapeño.
• To make the smoked chili salt rim, whisk together salt and chili powder. Add to a shallow bowl.
• Prepare two cocktail glasses by rubbing the rim with a wedge of lime. Rim the glasses with the smoked chili salt rim. Set aside.
• In a shaker filled with ice, combine lime juice, Jalapeño Simple Syrup, gold tequila, chili powder, and orange liqueur for the margaritas.
• Fill the two rimmed glasses with ice. Strain cocktail evenly between the two glasses.
• Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

Category: Booze