Frozen Cucumber Margaritas

As we move into the warmer summer months, I like to incorporate fresh produce into my cocktails whenever I can.

Prepared correctly, a margarita is a refreshing glass of full-bodied acidity with an earthy agave finish and balanced sweetness. It’s perfect in its original form, but I’m not afraid to play around with perfection, and neither should you be.

The cucumbers give the drink a cool green color and the crunchy, slightly sweet veggies add complexity to the drink. Lively and chilling on a hot day, Frozen Cucumber Margaritas make the perfect pitcher cocktail, and I serve them all summer long.

What’s in a Pickle Margarita?

A Frozen Cucumber Margarita builds on the classic margarita recipe—tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup (or agave). This recipe has an addition of frozen, yes, frozen pickles.

I also find that a touch of spice, whether it’s on the rim of the cocktail glass or in the glass itself (or both if you’re me!), is a perfect complement to the cool, crunchy pickles. Tajín, a spice made from chili peppers, lime and sea salt, is added at the rim of the glass, adding a touch of spice to your cocktail.

If you want to crank up the heat and make a flavorful cucumber margarita, you can throw in half a jalapeño while you’re blending the drink to really make it even better. If condiments aren’t your thing, you can also rim your glasses with kosher salt (and forget all about jalapeno and tajín).

Believe it or not, there’s more to making a good frozen margarita than just throwing everything in a blender and calling it a day. Pay attention to a few details and you’ll have a refreshing drink that isn’t watered down with ice.

Start the day before you plan to invite friends.
I prefer Persian cucumbers because you can put the whole cucumber in the blender. However, if these aren’t available in your area, a standard pickle will also work. Peel most of the rind (it tends to be bitter) and scoop out the seeds first.
Freeze as much as possible before making the drinks, including the pickles.
Make the drink base and refrigerate overnight.
When everything is very cold when you mix it, you need less ice, which means your drink stays refreshing and not watered down.
Not everyone is a planner, I get it. If you didn’t start the night before I would suggest pre-mixing the liquids and slicing the pickles and sticking them in the freezer for an hour or two before mixing just to help them cool.
Small ice is the best kind. Ball ice is great if you have it, or even regular frozen ice, but don’t use your big chunks of specialty ice for cocktails. They can clog your blender and never seem to break down enough for frozen drinks. If you’re looking for a new mixer to buy to enjoy a range of summer cocktails, here are a few brands we love.

Glassware for frozen margaritas

You don’t need to buy special margarita glasses for this cocktail.

In fact, my favorite all-purpose glass – the Double Rocks glass – has enough space for a generously portioned frozen drink and fits easily in my dishwasher. However, if you feel like drinking from a margarita glass is just a margarita, who am I to stop you!

Garnish Options

When it comes to side dishes, it’s nice if they allude to the type of drink you’re drinking. So for a pickle margarita, a pickle ribbon, spear, or round is a not-so-subtle clue as to what’s in your drink.

A decorated border is also a fun extra, but it’s optional. Do you like your salt crust margaritas? That’s still possible here! But as mentioned above, a slightly spicy hint of Tajín on the edge works wonders.

Best brand of alcohol

My favorite tequila for most margarita recipes is Cazadores Blanco. You can find it almost anywhere you would normally buy alcohol, and it’s only around $20.

Don’t bother with a more expensive tequila, reposado or añejo as all the wonderful nuances in tequila are washed out here. Save these for sippers.

If you need more information on the best tequilas to buy and want to delve deeper into the differences between tequila añejo and blanco, we have the perfect guide for you.

Orange liqueur is a broad term here. Anything in the triple sec or Orange Curaçao range will work for a margarita.

You’re looking for a sweet orange flavor, but watch out for the volume of alcohol, as some products have a much higher percentage than others and can drastically change how – erm – strong the drink is.

More great margarita recipes

Classic margarita
Watermelon Pitcher Margaritas
Pineapple Jalapeno Pitcher Margaritas
Blueberry Pitcher Margaritas

preparation time
10 mins

rest time
8 hours

total time
8 hrs 10 mins

portions
6 servings

yield
6 drinks

I recommend pre-mixing the liquid and freezing the pickles the night before serving this cocktail. However, if you’re not a planner, just try to freeze it at least a few hours before serving the drinks.

For the margaritas

1 accumulate Cup cucumberpreferably 2-3 Persian or 1 seedless English cucumber, sliced
8th ounces White tequila
3 ounces agave syrup
2 ounces Orange liqueur
4 ounces lime juice (from about 4 limes), freshly squeezed
3 cups Ice

For garnish

Tajin or kosher salt to frame glasses
cucumber skewers lime Wheels

To freeze cucumbers on a baking sheet:

The night before (or a few hours before preparing the margaritas), place the sliced cucumbers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze.
Freeze cocktail ingredients:

Combine tequila blanco, agave, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a gallon-sized ziplock bag or freezer-safe container and place in the freezer overnight or at least 4 hours before serving.
Mix margaritas:

When ready to make margaritas, blend chilled liquid ingredients (they have a mushy consistency by this point), frozen cucumber slices, and 3 cups of ice in a blender or food processor. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add more ice if needed if you want a thicker frozen drink.
Rim of the cocktail glass:

To rim the jars, use a lime wheel to wet the jars outside Rim of your glass (not the inside, as the ingredients on the rim are more likely to fall back into your drink if you also wet the inside of the glass).

In a shallow bowl that will accommodate the jar, pour tajín or kosher salt and gently press the jar at a slight angle to cover the rim, moving the jar until partially or completely covered, depending according to what you prefer.

Repeat with other glasses.
Pour and Serve Margaritas:

Pour mixed cucumber margaritas into glasses and garnish with a cucumber skewer and lime wheel. Surcharge.