These cranberry margaritas are a party in your mouth. They’re sweet, tart, and pack a nice punch. But be careful, you’ll want to drink more than just one!

A cranberry margarita with a sprig of rosemary sticking out, next to a bowl of cranberries, half a lime, and two sprigs of rosemary

Margaritas might be the most universally loved cocktail. Who doesn’t love a margarita? But I think they’re fun to play around with too, which led me to my new favorite cocktail … cranberry margaritas.

Cranberry margaritas have everything you love about margaritas. There’s the balance of sugar, lime juice, and strong tequila. They’re refreshing. They go perfectly with chips and salsa, or other spicy Mexican food. But these cranberry margaritas add a new element, with tart cranberry juice. It makes them a little bit less strong, but don’t worry, they’re still a party drink! Make a big batch of these the next time your friends are over, and watch them disappear!

Overhead view of a bottle of tequila, a bottle of triple sec, a glass of cranberry juice, and a lime cut into wedges.

What You’ll Need

Here’s everything you need to make this super simple cocktail. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the exact quantities of each ingredient.

Tequila – You can use any type of tequila, but I recommend a blanco tequila for this cocktail.
Triple sec
Cranberry juice
Lime wedges

What is Triple Sec?

Triple sec is a very sweet orange liqueur from France. It can vary in alcohol content, but is usually between 20% and 40%. If you don’t have any triple sec, you can use other orange liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier or orange curacao.

How to Make Cranberry Margaritas

Here’s how to make these quick and easy cocktails.

Ice up. Fill your glasses with ice.
Add the alcohol to a shaker. Fill a shaker with ice, and add the tequila and triple sec. Shake until the shaker is frosted on the outside, which should take 10-20 seconds.
Pour. Strain the alcohol into the glasses.
Finish. Pour the cranberry juice on top of the margarita, and squeeze a lime wedge into the drink. Garnish with another lime wedge, and drink up!

Four pictures: the first of a shot glass pouring tequila into a shaker; the second of a shaker pouring tequila and triple sec into a glass with a salt rim, filled with ice; the third pouring a glass of cranberry juice into a glass filled with ice, tequila, and triple sec; and the fourth a hand squeezing a lime into a cranberry margarita.

Variations

A cranberry margarita is already a variation of a margarita. But we can take it a step further with some more variations! Here are some fun ways to mix up your cranberry margaritas.

Blend it. If you want to make restaurant-style margaritas, you can easily do that by blending this recipe. Add the tequila, triple sec, cranberry juice, and juice from the lime wedges into a blender with some ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth, then serve with a straw.
Spice it up. Margaritas always go well with a little bit of heat, and cranberry margaritas are no exception. Adding a jalapeño to this recipe is a good way to give the cocktails an extra kick. I like to chop up a few jalapeño slices, and add them to the cocktail shaker when I make the drink. You can also garnish with fresh jalapeño slices.
Flavor the rim. The traditional way to drink a margarita is by salting the rim. To do this, pour some kosher salt or coarse salt on a plate, then run a lime wedge around the rim of your empty glass. Dip the rim of the glass in the salt, then continue making the drink. I like to use tajin in place of salt for a spicy kick. If you’re not a fan of salty or savory cocktails, you can use a sugar rim instead.

Two cranberry margaritas topped with fresh cranberries, lime wedges, and fresh rosemary, next to a bowl of cranberries, a bottle of cranberry juice, some sprigs of rosemary, and some lime halves

What to Eat With Cranberry Margaritas

Cranberry margaritas go wonderfully with Mexican food. Here are some of my favorite dishes to eat with cranberry margaritas.

How to Store Cranberry Margaritas

You can store leftover cranberry margaritas in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the fridge. Because the margaritas have a high alcohol content, they won’t spoil. However, over time, the quality of the flavor will get worse. I recommend drinking margaritas that are stored at room temperature within 1 month, and drinking margaritas stored in the fridge within 3 months.

A cranberry margarita in a salt-rimmed glass, topped with a sprig of rosemary, with another cranberry margarita and a bowl of cranberries in the background, and lime wedges all around.

Love Margaritas? Try These Other Recipes

If you love margaritas as much as I do, then check out some of my other margarita recipes.

Prep: 5

Total: 5

Ingredients

3 oz. tequila
1.5 oz. triple sec
3 oz. cranberry juice
2 – 4 lime wedges

Instructions

Fill each glass with ice.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the tequila and triple sec and shake until the exterior of the shaker is frosted.
Strain into the prepared glasses. Add the cranberry juice and squeeze in the juice from the lime wedge. Add a second lime wedge for garnish if you like.

Nutrition

cuisine: American

course: Beverage

Cranberry Margaritas