Skinny Margarita Recipe
We all know it can be hard to watch our calorie and sugar intakes, especially when consuming something as delicious and flavorful as a margarita. Before we know it, we can quickly consume two or three, which can be a problem for anyone counting their calories.
Fortunately, skinny margaritas are the perfect drink for the balanced healthy consumer. Skinny margaritas use ingredients that have fewer sugars and calories so that the drink is an overall healthier option. After all, the alcohol used in margaritas isn't what contains all of the calories and sugars; it's the ingredients we add to them.
Skinny Margarita Ingredients
These key ingredients are essential to every skinny margarita to ensure they are healthier alternatives.
- Orange Extract: Most margarita recipes use orange liqueur; it's almost a signature ingredient. However, orange liqueurs like Triple Sec and Cointreau are very sugary and add a lot of additional calories to the drink overall. The orange extract has the same flavor but contains less sugar.
- Lime Juice: It's very important to use freshly squeezed lime juice. Store-bought or concentrated lime juice can have other additives that you don't want in your skinny margarita.
- Sugar-Free Simple Syrup: The common sweeteners used in margaritas are agave nectar and simple syrup. Agave nectar is very popular due to its organic and natural flavor. Still, it contains a considerable amount of sugar. Using the simple sugar-free syrup to craft the perfect skinny margarita cocktail is essential.
How To Make Skinny Margarita
Making a skinny margarita is similar to making a regular margarita. The only difference is the types of ingredients. Below are the recipes for single-serving skinny margaritas and pitchers of skinny margaritas.
Single Serving - Skinny Margarita Recipe
The single-serving skinny margarita recipe only takes five minutes to prepare and is very straightforward.
Ingredients:
- 2 fl oz tequila
- 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1//2 tsp orange extract
- 1 tbsp sugar-free simple syrup
- 1 cup of ice
- Lime wedges for garnish
- Salt
Start by salting the rim of your margarita glass. Use a lime wedge around the mouth of the glass to lightly dampen it and dip the rim into a plate with salt. However, you can skip this step if you want a plain skinny margarita.
Add all of the ingredients except for the garnishes into a blender until the mixture is slushy. Add a few extra ice cubes if you want the consistency of the drink to be thicker. Pour the margarita mix into your glass and garnish before enjoying.
Pitcher Serving Skinny Margarita Recipe
If you're looking to share this healthy recipe with your friends, you are in luck since this recipe makes four servings.
Ingredients:
- 6 fl oz tequila
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp orange extract
- 3 tbsp sugar-free simple syrup
- 5 cup ice cubes
- Salt
- Lime wedges to garnish
If you're going to salt the rim of your glasses, do this before preparing the mixture.
Pour all the liquids and ice cubes into your blender and blend until you achieve the perfect smooth consistency of your choice. Then pour the blended drink into your margarita glasses and add your garnishes. Enjoy!
Alternate Margarita Recipes
If you're not looking for a skinny margarita recipe, there are plenty of other recipes to choose from.
- Jalapeno margarita
- Mango margarita
- Strawberry margarita
Skinny Margarita FAQ
How much sugar is in the typical margarita?
It depends on the margarita. If it is a margarita made from scratch with the typical ingredients, the sugar will generally come from the triple sec or whatever orange liqueur is used, which tends to have 11g of sugar per ounce.
Margaritas that are created using pre-made mixes can have up to 24g of sugar per serving. The large margarita pitchers that are commonly found in restaurants can have up to 192g of sugar.
Can skinny Margaritas be made ahead of time?
Skinny margaritas can absolutely be made ahead of time! Simply blend the mixture together and pour it into a freezer-safe container. The mixture will typically last up to a year.
How many calories are in a skinny margarita?
Skinny margaritas tend to have between 130 to 180 calories per serving, while a regular margarita will have upwards of 200 calories per serving. The skinny margarita in the recipe above has only 106 calories per serving because of the sugar-free sweetener.