Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas for a Crowd

This spicy margarita recipe is so easy and incredibly refreshing! Made with freshly squeezed lime juice, orange juice, jalapeño simple syrup, and blanco tequila. These are heaven in a margarita glass! I love to serve them in a rocks glass with extra jalapeño slices on top!

My Go-To Spicy Margarita Recipe

There are a million and one margarita recipes on the web. You can find every flavor, from peach to blackberry to mango to pineapple. And while I love them all, I’m a sucker for classic margaritas.

Especially If I’m busting out the good tequila! And while my 5-minute margarita is the queen of classic margaritas. These super spicy jalapeño margaritas have been hitting the spot lately!

If you’re a lover of all things spicy like me, you’ll love these spicy margaritas! They’re perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo! Or any night (or day) you’re craving a restaurant-quality cocktail without leaving the comfort of your home!

What Makes this the Perfect Spicy Margarita

Just the right amount of jalapeno pepper heat… these are sweet and spicy
Orange juice and freshly squeezed lime juice add plenty of zippy flavor… so refreshing
Blanco tequila and orange liqueur add the right amount of zing and burn
This spicy margarita recipe makes a huge pitcher, so it’s perfect for entertaining
No cocktail shaker or fussy mixology skills required, just mix everything in a pitcher and chill
You can easily make skinny margaritas by reducing the amount of sugar in the simple syrup
Heaven in a rocks glass, these are a total showstopper with a salt rim and some fresh jalapeno slices on top
Best served with good friends, sunshine, and guacamole

Jalapeño Simple Syrup with fresh jalapeño slices

Let’s Make Jalapeño Simple Syrup

Pretty much every jalapeño margarita recipe I’ve ever seen calls for muddling chopped jalapeño peppers. That, or adding a few measly jalapeño slices to the cocktail mixture and shaking.
Neither option worked for me. I don’t want to be chocking down bits of pepper as I sip my spicy margarita. On the other hand, I didn’t want a vaguely flavored spicy margarita that barely tasted like jalapeños!
That’s where this jalapeño simple syrup comes in! We boil two jalapeño peppers with water, sugar, and lime peel. You’ll drain out the jalapeno slices and seeds, leaving you with a smooth and spicy simple syrup!
The result? The perfect spicy margarita!

How to Make a Spicy Margarita Pitcher

Make the spicy jalapeno simple syrup. Do this right before you plan on making the spicy margs. Or up to 2 weeks in advance and store it in the fridge!
Bust out your favorite large beverage party pitcher! Preferably one that can easily fit into your fridge.
Pour the simple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, blanco tequila, and orange liqueur into the pitcher. Use a cocktail stirring or long spoon to stir until well combined.
If you prefer a shaken margarita, you can pour some into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously! Then pour into a rocks glass or margarita glass filled with ice and enjoy!
To make this in advance, simply follow the instructions but cover and pop the pitcher in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just stir the margarita mixture again before serving.
I like to place my rocks glasses next to a small plate of coarse kosher salt (not sea salt), lime wedges, and jalalpeno slices. And ice, of course! Then my guests can serve themselves.

You can jump to the recipe below for the full ingredient list and quantities needed

Can I Make this into Skinny Spicy Margaritas Recipe?

To make a pitcher of skinny spicy margaritas, just use less sugar in the simple syrup recipe.
I don’t suggest leaving the sugar out completely, as this would make the margaritas extremely bitter, spicy, and unbalanced.
So my suggestion is to cut the sugar in half, which will create a less sweet margarita.
You could also use a 1/2 cup of honey instead of sugar.

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice and Orange Juice

At the end of the day, your margarita recipe is only as good as the ingredients you use.
The two most IMPORTANT ingredients? Freshly squeezed lime juice and orange juice.
Make sure to buy ripe and juicy limes and oranges. And squeeze their juice right before adding it to the margarita mix.
You can use bottled orange juice in a pinch. But never used bottled lime juice in place of freshly squeezed.
A citrus press makes squeezing fresh citrus a breeze!

Blanco Tequila & Orange Liqueur

Good spirits = a good margarita. You don’t have to break the bank on the fanciest tequila and orange liqueur. But I also don’t suggest using the cheapest stuff you can find.
We prefer blanco tequila over gold tequila because it is unaged. Meaning it has a pure, clean, crisp taste. That blends well with other flavors.
In regard to the orange liqueur, Cointreau is our favorite. It has a pure orange flavor, with just a hint of bitterness from the Seville oranges used. But Grand marnier is a close second.
I don’t suggest using a bottom shelf generic triple sec, which won’t add much orange flavor and typically adds a ton of sweetness.

These spicy jalapeños margaritas are best served ice cold, preferably on a sunny day, with good friends! The recipe, as written, will serve about 8. But if you’re serving a large crowd, double it.. or even triple it!