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Happy National Tequila Day! Did you know that’s a thing? Yep. I didn’t either, until it randomly showed up on my news feed this morning. It’s great timing, though, because I happen to have a low carb drink recipe with tequila to share today. And, I’m pretty sure this is the best skinny margarita recipe I’ve ever had!
Apparently, there’s actually a separate National Margarita Day in February. Today, it’s all about simply tequila. But if you ask me, a skinny margarita recipe is the best way to use tequila, anyway.
It feels a little strange to be talking about drinking a sugar-free margarita in the middle of a Monday afternoon. I mean, let’s be real. You’re probably not going to be drinking right now.
Most of us are working at this time, including me. That doesn’t mean you can’t save this easy skinny margarita recipe for this weekend. I still thought today is a great day to share it!
How Much Sugar is in a Margarita?
Do you know how much sugar is in a margarita? You might be surprised. Virtually all sweet mixed drinks are incredibly high in sugar, and margaritas are no exception.
The amount of sugar in a regular margarita varies depending on how it’s made. If it’s a margarita from scratch, using tequila, triple sec and lime juice, the sugar will just come from the triple sec. This is the best case scenario, with about 11 grams of sugar in the margarita.
That doesn’t seem too bad, but sometimes this amount can actually be double or more. This is because a large margarita at a restaurant is almost always more than a typical 4 oz serving size.
Even worse, most bars and restaurants make margaritas using a mix. These can vary, but on average, the sugar content per serving is 24 grams! To put that into perspective, a teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams. So, just one serving of margarita mix is equivalent to 6 teaspoons of sugar.
And as mentioned before, a large margarita may be 2, 3, or even 4 times this amount, if not more. I’ve even seen large 32-oz margaritas. That would be a whopping 192 grams of sugar in the whole drink! Another way to put it would be 32 teaspoons of sugar. Can you imagine?!
Clearly, we need some better options. Fortunately, it’s easy to make your own healthy skinny margarita without sugar!
A Healthier Skinny Margarita Recipe
This skinny margarita recipe has only 106 calories, less than 1 gram net carbs, and 0.3 grams of sugar. It only takes a couple minutes to make, using just five ingredients. Can’t get any better than that!
And yet, it tastes absolutely delicious.
I served these low carb paleo margaritas for some friends and they didn’t even know that they were healthy or sugar-free! They agreed with me that these are simply the best skinny margarita version they’ve tried.
There is some controversy about whether alcohol is allowed on a paleo diet. It’s your call, but if you are okay with it, this paleo margarita recipe is as natural as it gets.
Either way, drinking these homemade skinny margaritas is much better option than regular ones that are filled with sugar. Sweet drinks have always been my favorite kind, but the sugar in them is a problem.
And, even if you buy the best skinny margarita mix out there, it will probably be artificially sweetened. The ones I have seen also have preservatives and other artificial ingredients. Not good at all! Sadly, I have yet to find a low sugar margarita at a bar or restaurant, or as a mix.
Sweetener for a Sugar-free Paleo Skinny Margarita
I prefer to avoid all the sugar and artificial sweeteners by making my own low carb drinks instead. Don’t worry, it’s very simple and easy!
This skinny margarita recipe is sweetened with stevia, but even my husband (not a stevia fan!) couldn’t tell. I have tried making it with erythritol before, which works okay, but it doesn’t dissolve very well.
Because of the dissolving issue, a liquid sweetener like stevia or monk fruit works better. And, it’s still completely natural.
For the stevia, there are a couple different options you can use here. The recipe includes a combination of orange extract and liquid stevia to create a healthier, sugar-free version of the typical syrups used in margarita recipes.
If you’d like, you can use orange liquid stevia instead and skip the orange extract.
You can also use liquid monk fruit sweetener instead of stevia.
The reason for the orange stevia or orange extract is to replace the Triple Sec used in traditional margarita recipes. In case you didn’t know, Triple Sec is an orange flavored liqueur. It contains 11 grams of sugar per counce.
For a homemade skinny margarita, it’s best to use a sugar-free alternative.
How To Make a Skinny Margarita
The steps for how to make a skinny margarita are so easy! I can hardly call this a recipe, there really isn’t much to it.
Start with the sugar-free homemade margarita ingredients. Combine tequila, lime juice, orange extract, stevia, and ice cubes in a powerful blender.
Select the ice crush setting on your blender. Or, you can use any setting that is powerful enough to get through the ice. Blend until a slushy texture forms.
Side note here – I recommend a high quality tequila. Even though it’s mixed in, you’ll get a much smoother skinny margarita if the alcohol is not harsh.
Add more ice if needed, to make about 32 fl oz total. This will be equivalent to four 1-cup margaritas. The exact amount of ice will vary because it depends on the size of your ice cubes and how they fit into a measuring cup. Just use your judgement to get the right amount.
Run a slice of lime around the rim of each margarita glass. Dip the rim into a plate or shallow bowl covered in sea salt. Coarse sea salt works very nicely, but any kind you have is fine!
Pour frozen margaritas into the glasses. Don’t forget to garnish with slices of lime!
How To Make Homemade Margaritas on the Rocks
I like my sugar-free margaritas frozen, so that is how this recipe is written. If you like it on the rocks, you can definitely do that, too.
Aside from preferences, a skinny margarita on the rocks is a good option if you blender is not powerful enough to crush ice.
After salting the rim of the margarita glass, place the ice cubes directly inside. Blend the rest of the ingredients (without ice). It will be pretty concentrated this way, so you’ll need to add a few tablespoons of cold water, to taste.
Once combined, pour the skinny margarita over the ice. Again, garnish with lime.
So, now that you know how to make the best skinny margarita, what foods will you serve it with? Some of my favorites are low carb tortilla chips, healthy taco salad and 3-ingredient queso dip. I’d love to hear all about yours!
The Best Skinny Margarita Recipe (Sugar-free Low Carb Paleo Margarita):
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RECIPE CARD
The Best Skinny Margarita Recipe - Sugar Free, 5 Minutes
RECIPE VIDEO
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PrintIngredients
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- 6 fl oz Tequila (use quality tequila)
- 1/3 cup Lime juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- 1 1/2 tsp Orange extract (*optional - see notes)
- 1 tsp Liquid stevia (*or liquid monk fruit sweetener, or orange liquid stevia - see notes)
- 5 cup Ice cubes (or more - see instructions)
- Sea salt (for salted rim)
- Lime wedges (for garnish)
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Combine all ingredients (except sea salt and lime wedges) in a powerful blender. Blend using the ice crush setting until a slushy texture forms. Add more ice if needed to make about 32 fl oz (a little less than 1 L) total (for four 1-cup margaritas).
- Run a slice of lime around the rim of each glass. Dip the rim into a plate or shallow bowl covered in sea salt. Pour frozen margaritas into the glasses and garnish with lime.
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Recipe Notes
- You can omit the orange extract by using orange liquid stevia instead of regular liquid stevia.
Serving size: 1 margarita, or 1/4 of entire recipe
Video Showing How To Make a Skinny Margarita:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make a Skinny Margarita!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
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Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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33 Comments
Lisa
This really hit the spot with the perfect ratios of ingredients. Instead of using a blender, I pored over ice and added about an ounce of water and a grind of salt. Too lazy for the other work!
Dana
Hi Maya, first, thank you for such a delicious recipe! My first time was with stevia and orange extract and couldn’t believe how great it was! Then I thought I’d try it with Patron Orange Citronge instead and discovered 1oz has over 10g sugar. Ok, can deal with that (wasn’t as good, have to say!) but then looked up the nutritional info on my Silver Patron and was shocked by the carbs, 17.5 or so. So how do you get yours so low? What do you use? Unfortunately I thought any tequila would be extremely low carb!
Wholesome Yum
Hi Dana, glad you liked it! Your tequila (including Patron) should have 0 net carbs unless it has been flavored somehow.
Vicki Blackmon
Really wanted to make these this evening for friends, but Amazon didn’t deliver my liquid stevia on time. So disappointed! Can you tell me if there is a substitute for liquid stevia?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Vicki, liquid monk fruit drops would be the next best option. You could also use granulated or powdered erythritol, but it may not dissolve as easily.
S kocher
Have you used orange blossom water in place of the orange extract?
Wholesome Yum
I have never tried that! Let me know if it works for you!
Nikki
What can i use instead of the orange liquid stevia ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nikki, You could use regular liquid stevia and orange extract.
Adam
My wife and I personally love a sugar-free margarita mix that we buy. Our family has been on the Keto diet 18 months now and only drink water or sugar free drink mixes – we’ve lost over 280 lbs. total!
Raven
What brand do you buy premixed?
Cathy
WOW. Probably the best margarita I’ve ever tasted!
Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay, so glad to hear that, Cathy!
Bridget
How much orange stevia and lime juice and tequila do you use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bridget, The amounts are on the recipe card above. Please note that ingredient amounts don’t show up correctly in Safari reading mode, so switch to normal mode and you’ll see them.
Erin
Hi Maya!
This looks like a lot of fun to try. I was partial to strawberry margaritas before going low carb. Could strawberry extract be used in place of orange extract? If so, would you use the same amount?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Erin, Yes definitely! I’d start with the same amount and adjust to taste. Also, you can easily blend in a few strawberries in there. Berries are fine on low carb in moderation!
Shelb
Hi, so glad you reposted this recipe on Instagram for the holiday! Have you tried using “true orange” (also there is the popular “true lemon”) in this mix instead of orange extract? I’m thinking it might be a good substitute. Thoughts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shelb, I hadn’t heard of that, but looks interesting when I look it up. It seems to have a very small amount of sugar as a bulking agent, but they consider it negligible so can be acceptable for some people. I think you can definitely try that instead of the orange extract, though I would imagine it would be less potent.
Jack
Hi,
If you sub the orange stevia for the extract did you use the same total of stevia at 1 tsp?
Thanks in advance!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jack, Yes, I used the same amount. Feel free to adjust to taste if you’d like, though.
Hannah
Amazing love them so much!!! Perfect way to have a margarita paired with stuffed peppers without all the guilt 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
What a great idea, Hannah! Cheers!
Gabby
Hey this looks great! I prefer my margs on the Rocks, would I just mix all of the ingredients together in a shaker and pour over ice instead? Thanks! Also, have you tried any of those sugar free mixers I’ve seen floating around?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Gabby! Yes, you can definitely do that! I don’t use the sugar-free mixers since the ones I have seen are made with artificial sweeteners and other artificial ingredients.
Courtney
I just bought a margaritaville and trying this recipe out on it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Cheers, Courtney! Have a great day!
Debbie
I think one lime has 7 carbs. It seems like more than one lime would be needed and therefore this is not really a low carb drink.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debbie, This is definitely a low carb drink. The nutrition info is on the recipe card.
Adriana
YES! Looking forward to trying this one! Thank you for making the recipe that makes a pitcher full and not one glass at a time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You’re welcome, Adriana! Enjoy!
Bridget Kelly
Sounds good except for the fact that alcohol turns to sugar once it’s consumed.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bridget, That’s actually a myth and not true. The liver detoxifies alcohol before processing anything else, but this processing doesn’t actually transform the alcohol into glucose. Since the alcohol gets priority, this can actually cause blood sugar levels to drop. No one will tell you that drinking margaritas is “healthy” for you. This one without sugar is definitely better than most, though. I’m definitely not advocating going crazy with these, but don’t see anything wrong with having an occasional drink on a weekend. It’s a personal choice, of course. 🙂