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This keto margarita recipe is a low-carb take on the classic Mexican-inspired cocktail. Simple yet fancy, with 5 delicious flavor combinations!
Love low carb drink recipes? Try my keto mojito, keto drink mix, and keto lemonade.
As someone who enjoys a good cocktail every now and then, I can attest to how challenging it is to find keto versions of my favorite cocktail: margaritas. Today, though, I have you covered with my homemade recipe.
Table of Contents
Are margaritas keto-friendly?
Unfortunately, traditional margaritas are not keto-friendly. They contain triple sec or Cointreau, which contain excessive amounts of sugar and sugar syrup, sometimes up to 30 grams of carbs per jigger!
Luckily, with a few simple swaps, you can enjoy margs on a low carb diet. Here are some reasons why I love this recipe:
- 5 Ingredients. Just tequila, flavor extract, a sugar-free syrup, a mixer, and some limes are all you’ll need.
- Easy to customize. Fruity, sharp, or with sweeter notes, you can customize this cocktail any way you like.
- Uses real keto simple syrup. Thanks to my keto simple syrup, this truly tastes like the original. And unlike a traditional skinny margarita, there’s no sugar needed!
- It just tastes good! It’s chilled, smooth, and goes down dangerously easy. The subtle sweetness from the lime and orange pairs perfectly without being overpowering.
Ingredients needed
- Tequila. Use good quality and subtly flavored tequila, like Patron or Don Julio.
- Simple syrup. Adds a little bit of sweetness adding no extra carbs or sugar. I used a keto simple syrup.
- Orange extract. Gives some lovely orange flavor, with no oranges needed.
- Soda water, seltzer, OR water. To thin out the margarita. If you prefer some fizz, opt for soda water or seltzer.
- Limes. Fresh limes juiced, with several slices for decoration.
- Ice. A must for any good cocktail.
How to make a keto margarita
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Add ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2- Serve. Carefully strain the margarita into two glasses and garnish with a lime wedge, then serve and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
How someone takes their margarita is up to them. Personally, I like my margaritas ‘up’ with a salted rim. If you’d prefer it on the rocks, strain the margarita over a glass filled with ice. To make a blended margarita, add everything to a blender, blend to combine, then pour into a glass and garnish.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Tone down the sweetness. If you prefer a less sweet margarita, omit the simple syrup and use seltzer or soda water.
- Amp up the flavor by using lime or lemon flavored seltzer.
- For aesthetic purposes, lightly brush the edges of the glass with water and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- For a keto margarita mix, you can prepare all the ingredients, minus the water/seltzer up to two weeks in advance. When ready to enjoy, add the mixture, along with the seltzer, into a cocktail shaker, and mix and serve!
Flavor variations
The beauty of this margarita is just how easy it is to customize. Here are some low carb flavor ideas to try:
- Strawberry. Add 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries and blend everything together. If desired, use frozen strawberries for a frozen margarita.
- Watermelon. Omit the orange extract and replace it with watermelon extract.
- Jalapeno. Omit the orange extract and add 3-4 sliced jalapenos. If too spicy and salty, add a little extra simple syrup. This is also known as a spicy margarita.
- Blue. Add 1-2 drops of blue food coloring.
- Pineapple. Replace the orange extract with pineapple extract and double the amount of simple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
When made as written, this drink has zero carbs.
These margaritas are fun to serve as is, but they’re even better to serve alongside keto salsa, keto guacamole, and keto tortilla chips!
More keto drink recipes to try
Keto Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 ounces tequila 90 mls
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon keto simple syrup or keto maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 cup seltzer or soda water or water
- 1/4 cup ice
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully pour into two glasse and serve with freshly sliced limes.
Notes
- Strawberry– Add 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries and blend everything together. If desired, use frozen strawberries for a frozen margarita.
- Watermelon– Omit the orange extract and replace it with watermelon extract.
- Jalapeno– Omit the orange extract and add 3-4 sliced jalapenos. If too spicy and salty, add a little extra simple syrup. This is also known as a spicy margarita.
- Blue– Add 1-2 drops of blue food coloring.
- Pineapple– Replace the orange extract with pineapple extract and double the amount of simple syrup.
This is so good. Margaritas are my favorite and my go-to cocktail. I’ve done keto in the past, but recently just started focusing on a low carb lifestyle and really missed my margaritas. This has become my go-to low carb recipe. If you’re doing dirty keto or just a low carb lifestyle, Sprite Zero works well instead of seltzer and keto sweetener. Prosecco also makes a good bubbly substitute for a boozier version.