Blood Orange Margaritas

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Blood Orange Margaritas combine a simple combination of tequila, triple sec, freshly squeezed blood oranges, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake it up in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice, and pour it into two glasses rimmed with salt. Cocktails for two, always!

If ya’ll want to try some other cocktail recipes on the blog, try my Frozen Pina Colada Recipe or the best Blueberry Mojitos! Some delicious Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktails would also be delish!

Side view of two margaritas with blood orange juice.

Orange Margaritas

QUESTION: If you were stranded on a deserted island, which cocktail would be required?

MY ANSWER: Margaritas! 😀 What’s yours?

I love a good margarita, especially ones I make at home, simply because they aren’t loaded with sugar and they contain good quality alcohol. If I order them at a restaurant, I prefer the skinny versions, because as you can see, I add little to no added sugars.

THESE margs are naturally sweetened with the fresh blood oranges and are delicious during orange season. Try them as is before you add sugar.

In addition to these margaritas, I love a good Apple Cider Margarita, a Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Margarita (great for making large batches), and a spicy Orange Jalapeño Margarita. Oh, and these Cherry Margaritas!

Closeup overhead view of a blood orange margarita with an orange ice cube.

Ingredients needed:

Tequila – I always go with a silver tequila. Make sure you buy good quality or the best tequila that’s in your budget!
Triple Sec – Cointreau is my triple sec (or orange liqueur) of choice.
Blood Oranges – You’ll need about four to five blood oranges for this recipe, but getting a couple extra is always a good thing. The fresh citrus juice adds just the right amount of sweetness to margaritas.
Limes – A definite requirement for margaritas, in my opinion.
Lots of ice – For the cocktail shaker and for the glasses.
To serve – Kosher salt to rim the glasses and blood orange and lime slices.
Optional – You can make your own simple syrup to add if you are serving folks who like a sweeter drink.

Small jars of the margarita ingredients.

How to make the best blood orange margaritas:

Step 1
Juice the fruit. Use a juicer to squeeze the blood oranges and the limes. Strain the pulp from the blood orange juice before using.

Overhead view of a board with the squeezed fruit and a measuring cup.

Step 2
Measure all ingredients. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker – the tequila, cointreau (or triple sec), blood orange juice, and lime juice.

Step 3
Prep glasses. Run a lime wedge around the rim of two glasses. Dip in a plate of kosher salt. Garnish with blood orange slices and lime slices.

Overhead view of a jar of blood orange margarita mix.

Overhead view of two glasses with orange ice cubes and a salty rim.

Step 4
Shake. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake, shake, shake. Pour into prepared glasses.

I often freeze orange juice into ice cubes and use them for these blood orange margaritas.

Step 5
Drink. Enjoy the best margaritas with someone you love.

To serve a group, make an extra large batch of this orange cocktail and pour into a large pitcher to serve.

Overhead side view of two orange margaritas on a dark background.

Why we love these Gorgeous Blood Margaritas:

Great for CITRUS SEASON – Maximize the fresh oranges and use them in your favorite cocktails. A perfect way to get that vitamin C during the winter months.
GORGEOUS COLOR – We eat and drink with our eyes first, right? The beautiful blood oranges adds wonderful color AND sweet flavor to this great cocktail.
Pairs well with your favorite MEXICAN RECIPES! Try some Crunchy Shrimp Tostadas, Carne Asada Burrito Bowls, and Healthy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas!

Recipe FAQs

What are blood oranges?

The blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, almost blood-colored flesh. This color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of polyphenol pigments commonly found in many flowers and fruit, but uncommon in citrus fruits. The main compound found in red oranges is Chrysanthemin.
The buying season for blood oranges is typically from December to May, depending on the exact type. They are very hard to find outside these months.

What do blood oranges taste like?

Blood oranges are slightly sweeter than regular oranges. They are a great combination of sweet and tart, with hints of grapefruit and raspberry flavor. Blood oranges are also quite juicy, making it an easy fruit to squeeze for drinks and other recipes.

What is silver tequila?

Silver tequila or blanco tequila, is tequila in its purest form. Silver tequila is clear in color and usually bottled directly following the last distillation. I find it to have a smooth taste compared to it’s counterparts.

Snacks to go with these margaritas:

You gotta have snacks to go with margaritas. A MUST!

Overhead view of two blood orange margaritas with orange ice cubes.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue