Frozen Watermelon Margarita

This Frozen Watermelon Margarita is such a delicious and flavorful summer cocktail! Freezing chunks of watermelon to use instead of ice gives the drink a silky texture and amazing flavor. The tequila and lime are a great counterpoint, and a watermelon rind syrup gives an extra punch of flavor!

This is an amazing summer cocktail, perfect for any hot afternoon. Using watermelon instead of ice keeps the drink delicious to the last sip!

If you're looking for a different style of watermelon drink, try out my delicious Watermelon Mojito recipe.

Looking for more margarita ideas? This Smoky Peach Margarita is a frozen drink, too, but with a mezcal kick. Or, try out a Pineapple Coconut Margarita, a color changing Galaxy Margarita or a raspberry flavored Chambord Margarita.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for these Watermelon Margs:

• Watermelon - you'll need fresh watermelon to cube up and freeze, plus a wedge for garnish.
• Tequila - tequila blanco works great. You can also use reposado if you prefer, but the watermelon and lime both go really well with blanco.
• Cointreau - this is a tasty orange liqueur.
• Watermelon Rind Syrup - this is my favorite way to use leftover watermelon rinds, and it makes the drink even more watermelony! Find the full recipe here: Watermelon Rind Syrup.
• Lime - freshly squeezed lime gives the best flavor.

Substitutions

Here are some ways you can substitute the ingredients in this cocktail:

• Tequila - if you don't have tequila, try subbing in vodka, gin or white rum.
• Cointreau - if you don't have this specific brand, you can use an Orange Curaçao liqueur instead. Or, try using Triple Sec. Just keep in mind that most Triple Sec liqueurs have less alcohol than Cointreau, so you may need to either use more or add more tequila.
• Watermelon Rind Syrup - if you don't have this, you can use plain simple syrup, maple syrup, or agave nectar instead of the watermelon rind syrup. Or, you can use a sweetened store bought watermelon puree instead for more watermelon flavor.
• Lime - use lemon instead if you don't have limes around.

Variations

Here are some variations on this cocktail recipe:

• Non-alcoholic Watermelon Margarita - it's pretty easy to make this drink without alcohol. If you want to just omit the tequila and Cointreau, add a little more of the syrup to replace the sweetness from the liqueur. If you still want the tequila flavor, try using a non-alcoholic tequila like Lyre's Agave Blanco, plus Lyre's Orange Sec as a replacement to the Cointreau.
• Mint - watermelon and mint go so well together, and makes things even more refreshing! Rather than blasting the mint in the blender, though, you can use fresh mint by adding it as a fragrant garnish. If you want even more mint, I suggest gently muddling it along with the lime juice, and then taking out the mint leaves before adding the juice to the blender.
• Cucumber - try freezing a few chunks of peeled cucumber along with the watermelon chunks for an even more refreshing drink.

Equipment

You'll just need a couple of things to make this drink!

To make the watermelon cubes, grab a knife and cutting board, plus a baking dish lined with waxed paper or parchment.

To make the drink, you'll just need a blender (I used an Americana brand personal sized blender, but any kind should work great), a jigger to measure everything, and a cocktail serving glass.

You'll probably want a small dish for adding salt to the rim of your glass too!

Instructions

Start out by making your frozen watermelon cubes. (Bonus: you can make these well in advance and stock up on them for parties!)

Cut up the watermelon into around 1 inch cubes. Then line a baking tray or other flat tray with waxed paper or parchment and lay the cubes down so they aren't touching.

Let the cubes freeze for about 2 hours. At that point, you can use them, or transfer them to an airtight container for longer storage.

When the watermelon is ready to go, start making your drink! Make your lime garnish if you're using it by cutting a slice from the center of a lime.

Then, wet the rim of your serving glass, either using water or your cut lime. Dip it into a small dish of fine-grained salt, and set the glass aside while you make the drink.

Add the lime juice, tequila, syrup and Cointreau to your blender cup.

Add in the watermelon chunks. Then pulse the blender until it's running smoothly, and then let it run continuously for 20 to 30 seconds to make sure you get all of the chunks.

If you have a blender with a smoothie program, that should work too.

Pour the slushy drink into your serving glass. Then add the lime garnish to the rim of the glass, and rest the watermelon wedge in the glass next to the lime.

Serve and enjoy!

Hint: The tequila flavofr tastes the strongest when you first make the drink, and as the watermelon ice melts the liquid will taste less like tequila (even though the same amount is still in there).

Top tip

If you're making batches of frozen Watermelon Margaritas for a party, try grouping your frozen watermelon into batches too, rather than having it all in one container.

This will make it easy for you to grab a container per batch! You can also pre-measure the tequila and Cointreau for each batch too!