Ring in the holidays with my sweet and tangy cranberry margarita recipe! Bright, tart cranberry juice pairs beautifully with tequila and citrusy triple sec to give you a full-rounded holiday beverage!
If you’re looking for more holiday cocktails, I hope you’ll try our artisanal, non-alcoholic lime rickey, green apple martini, apple pie moonshine, or my Christmas sangria which our family serves all fall and throughout the holiday season, next!
Let’s get mixing!
What I Love About This Cranberry Margarita Recipe
- One step recipe!
- Great for parties
- Recipe can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled……
What Tequila Is Best To Use?
You can use gold, silver, or platinum tequila in this cocktail. Really, any type you like. That said, with all the flavor of the cranberry, I think an expensive tequila is a waste of money. You likely won’t be able to pick up on the flavor nuances that an expensive tequila brings to a cocktail. I would suggest a silver tequila, as it has a mellower flavor the gold. Platinum is generally too expensive for me to use is a flavorful mixed cocktail.
Cranberry Margarita Recipe Notes
Some drink recipes can be overwhelming, which is why I love this recipe. Dump, stir, serve!
- Triple Sec: This addition gives your drink that lovely orange essence. Similar to other citrus add-ins, triple sec is on the milder side. If you want an even stronger orange flavor — and a stronger alcohol content! — try swapping for Cointreau.
- Cranberry Syrup: You can always make your own cranberry syrup by boiling some cranberries and sugar, but who has the time during the holidays? Luckily, you can buy it online or in your favorite grocery store. This really fortifies the cranberry flavor.
- Finishing Touches: The best part of holiday beverages is making them look festive! You can alternatively add some of my sugared cranberries to your drink for a little more sparkle!
Make Ahead Tips
This recipe is great for having on hand. Whip up a batch and store in a sealed jar (mason jars work great). According to StillTasty web site, you can keep it in the fridge for a few months. Just exclude the fresh fruit and add it when you serve!
Serving Recommendations for Cranberry Margarita
The best way to serve this margarita recipe is with lots of delicious finger foods! Salty-sweet bacon wrapped smokies, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, cranberry meatballs, ham and cheese pinwheels, super-easy grape jelly meatballs, or Bisquick sausage balls are all fantastic with this drink.
If you’re more of a dip sorta person, (I’m crazy for dips!) try this with hissy fit dip, crack dip, million dollar dip, or Mississippi sin dip!
Recipe Variations
Want to shake up the flavors in this recipe? Let’s have some fun!
- Add apples. Add in some more fruit for a tequila version of red sangria!
- Add strawberries. Strawberries would give a nice hat-tip to other fun drink favorites like hippie juice, and giggle juice!
More Drinks and Cocktail Recipes
- Pumpkin Pie Martini
- Gin And Ginger Ale
- Pear Martini
- Peach Moonshine
- Pink Margarita
- Sloe Gin Fizz
- Jungle Bird
- Keoke Coffee
- Basil Margarita
- Brazilian Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
- Peach Iced Tea (non-alcoholic)
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cranberry Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 cup tequila
- 1/2 cup triple sec
- 1/2 cup limeade
- 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup cranberry syrup
- 1 orange sliced sliced
- 2 limes sliced
- 1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Pour 1/4 cup of cranberry syrup into a shallow rimmed plate. In a second plate, spread out 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.
- Dip a cocktail glass first in the cranberry syrup and then into the granulated sugar. Repeat with the remaining glasses. Fill glasses with ice.
- Thread cranberries onto a cocktail skewer.
- Add all the ingredients in a pitcher. Pour into prepared glasses. Lay a cranberry skewer over top of each glass. Serve!
My sister loved this!
Yay! Thank you, Glenda! 🙂
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