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.
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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.
This margarita 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.
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
- Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
is my favorite kind of shaker to have around for margaritas and all other sorts of shaken cocktails. - Greenco 3 Tier Bar Glass Rimmer for Margaritas makes it easy to rim your cocktail glasses with this delicious smoked chili sea salt rim.
- Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 1-Quart Saucepan comes with a cover so you can make the jalapeño simple syrup and let it steep, all in one dish.
is my favorite kind of shaker to have around for margaritas and all other sorts of shaken cocktails.
Pin this Smoky Jalapeño Margarita recipe for later!
Smoky Jalapeño Margarita
ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 jalapeño halved
- 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
- 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.
Krista says
Do you remove the seeds from the jalapeño? Thanks!
Meghan Y. says
Depends on the spice level you like! If you like it spicy, keep the seeds. If you want it more mid level on the heat, remove the seeds!
Auri says
Can you tell me which smoked sea salt you used?
Meghan Y. says
I bought mine at Savory Spice Shop but I know that Penzey’s also sells it. You can also order some on Amazon!
Teresa Carter says
Just made this with my smoked jalapeno simple syrup that I made for the holidays. delish!