The Best Skinny Margarita Recipe

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I’m in love with this perfect, easy skinny margarita recipe! It’s sweet, it’s tangy, it tastes just like a regular margarita, and it even fits the requirements for a low carb keto margarita. Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to make (just like my pina colada recipe) — can’t get any better than that! If you love Taco Tuesday as much as I do but don’t want all the calories and sugar, this is the drink for YOU.

I served these skinny margaritas (with a slice of my keto tres leches cake) to some friends and they didn’t even know that they were healthy or sugar free! They agreed with me that these are the best skinny margarita version they’ve ever had.

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 either artificially sweetened or still contain sugar. The ones I have seen also have preservatives and other artificial ingredients. I prefer to avoid all the sugar and artificial stuff by making my own low carb drinks instead.

What Is A Skinny Margarita?

A skinny margarita is a lighter version of a traditional margarita drink, with fewer calories and sometimes less sugar. This keto margarita recipe is both low calorie and low sugar, plus it’s naturally sweetened. It’s got all the citrusy flavor of a keto key lime pie, in a sweet cocktail!

Skinny Margarita Ingredients

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a sugar free keto margarita, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Tequila – 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. Classic margaritas typically use silver tequila, but gold will work if you like.
• Lime juice – Fresh squeezed if you can, for the best flavor! Most margaritas in the U.S. use regular limes, but key limes are common in Mexico.
• Orange extract – We’re using this to get the same flavor instead of the sugary triple sec that is typically use. FYI, Triple Sec is an orange flavored liqueur and contains 11 grams of sugar per ounce.
• Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Or sugar free simple syrup. See my explanation above for why these make the best skinny margaritas!
• Ice cubes
• Sea salt – For salting the rim of your margarita glasses. Coarse sea salt works very nicely, but any kind you have is fine!
• Lime wedges – A must for garnish, and also to help the salt stick to the rim.

How To Make A Skinny Margarita

This section shows how to make a low carb margarita without sugar, including step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

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.

• Blend. Combine tequila, lime juice, orange extract, Besti, and ice cubes in a powerful blender.

TIP: 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.

• 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.

• Salt the rim. 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.

• Serve. Pour frozen margaritas into the glasses. Don’t forget to garnish with slices of lime!

How To Make a Skinny Margarita 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.

TIP: 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.

• Salt the rim of the margarita glass.
• Place ice cubes directly into the glass, or into a large pitcher if you want to make a larger batch.
• 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.
• Pour the skinny margarita over the ice.
• Garnish with lime.

TIP: If you have a cocktail shaker, that’s even better! Divide the recipe by 4 to make a single serving, then just shake all the ingredients in the shaker with ice.

Frequently Asked Questions

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:

• Best case scenario: If it’s a margarita from scratch, using only 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, and that’s with NO simple syrup added, which is unlikely.
• Small margarita using a mix: 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.
• Large margarita (common restaurant sizes): A large margarita at a restaurant is may be 2, 3, or even 4 times the above amounts, 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!

How many calories in a skinny margarita?

Most skinny margaritas have around 130-180 calories per serving, while regular versions are around 200-250 calories per serving. Since my recipe uses a natural sugar free sweetener, it’s even lower, at only 106 calories per serving.

How many carbs in a skinny margarita?

Carbs in a skinny margarita can vary widely depending on the sweetener that is used, and how much. Often times, restaurant versions will substitute agave in place of simple syrup, which is natural but still loaded with sugar, so skinny margaritas can have upwards of 30-40 grams of sugar per serving.

In contrast, my low carb margarita recipe has less than 1 gram of carbs and 0.3 grams of sugar per serving!

Can you make a skinny margarita mix?

Yes, you can make homemade skinny margarita mix! To do so, simply blend together the lime juice, orange extract, and sweetener from this keto margarita recipe.

To use the mix, you can blend the mix with tequila and ice right before serving, to make 4 servings. Or for an individual serving, you’ll need 1.5 tablespoons of mix, 1.5 ounces tequila, and 1 1/4 cups of ice.

Can you make this keto margarita ahead of time?

The ice will melt if you make margaritas ahead, so it’s best to make them fresh. But, you can make the keto margarita mix base (as described above) ahead of time. Just add ice and tequila right before serving.

How to order a skinny margarita at a restaurant?

Ordering a truly sugar free skinny margarita at a restaurant or bar is tricky, because many places use a pre-made mix that is loaded with sugar. It’s worth asking if they don’t use a mix, because if not, you can ask for it without simple syrup. But, this only works if they don’t use a mix.

If they tell you they have it pre-made from a mix, a good alternative is to get a mojito without simple syrup, as this is usually not pre-mixed and can be ordered sugar-free very easily. (Learn more skinny drink options in my guide to alcohol on keto here.)

Keto Margarita Variations

• Skinny spicy margarita recipe – Muddle sliced jalapenos with lime juice, then strain out the peppers and proceed with the keto margarita recipe below as written.
• Avocado margarita – Puree avocado, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender, then add to the other ingredients in the skinny margarita recipe below. Omit the orange extract.
• Skinny strawberry margarita – Blend in some fresh strawberries! Healthy and delicious. You can also try other low carb fruits for different flavors.
• Skinny watermelon margarita – Watermelon on keto is usually limited to small amounts, but if you just want a skinny margarita and a little natural sugar isn’t an issue, blending some fresh watermelon into your margarita is delicious.
• Margarita ice pops – Pour your prepared skinny margarita mix into an ice pop mold and freeze.

What To Serve With Skinny Margaritas

Now that you know how to make the best skinny margarita, what Mexican foods will you serve it with? Some of my favorites are below. I’d love to hear all about yours!

• Taco Salad
• Keto Tortilla Chips & Guacamole
• Keto Tamales
• Chicken Fajitas
• Barbacoa Beef
• Stuffed Poblano Peppers