Upgrade happy hour at home with this refreshing, vibrant Prickly Pear Margarita recipe!
Want to shake up your next happy hour at home? This vibrant pink Prickly Pear Margarita is here to make your cocktail game way more fun—and super delicious!
Prickly pear margaritas are a sweet, tangy, citrusy twist on a cocktail classic. The bright magenta color alone is enough to wow your guests -- or just make Taco Tuesdays feel a little more exciting.
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
There are so many reasons to make this prickly pear margarita at home!
- It's gorgeous—like, seriously Instagram-worthy
- Tastes like a tropical getaway in a glass
- Super easy to make with just a few ingredients
- Perfectly balanced: sweet, tart, and strong
- Can be made by the glass or as a pitcher
- A fun way to use prickly pear syrup (and yes, it's delicious)
- Totally customizable—swap in what you’ve got
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Tequila - Use blanco or silver tequila for a crisp, clean base.
- Triple Sec - This orange liqueur adds citrusy sweetness and brightens everything up.
You can use Cointreau instead if you prefer. - Prickly Pear syrup- This is the star! It’s sweet, fruity, and has a unique berry-watermelon vibe. Look for it at liquor stores or online. You can also make your own if you’re feeling crafty.
- Lime juice - Always go fresh if you can; bottled lime juice just won’t give you that zing.
- Citrus Salt (optional) - mix together kosher salt with lime, lemon, and/or orange zest. Kosher salt is best, as it has a milder flavor but bigger flakes than regular salt, which has smaller granules and can dissipate quickly.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
- Rim your glass with lime juice and dip in citrus salt .
- Fill a shaker with ice.
- Add tequila, Triple Sec or Cointreau, prickly pear syrup, lime juice.
- Shake it like you mean it—about 30 seconds.
- Strain into your glass over fresh ice or without.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Sip. Smile. Repeat!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
It’s subtly sweet, with flavors similar to watermelon, bubblegum, and berries. Super refreshing!
A good-quality silver tequila—smooth but not too pricey. Don’t waste the top shelf here, but skip the super cheap stuff too.
Absolutely. Just multiply the recipe, mix everything in a pitcher, and chill until serving.
Just skip the tequila and Triple Sec and mix the syrup with lime juice, sparkling water, and ice.
🍽 Serving ideas
This Prickly Pear Margarita is perfect for Cinco de Mayo celebrations, or any spring or summer evening.
Serve it alongside on or more of these tasty Mexican-inspired dishes:
- Tacos of any kind—try our Easy Shrimp Tacos or taco bowls.
- Chips and guac or fresh pico de gallo.
- Grilled shrimp skewers
- Mexican street corn (elote) or Mexican street corn pasta salad.
- Instant Pot chicken fajitas
This margarita is perfect for summer BBQs, girls’ night in, Cinco de Mayo, or any time you’re craving a fruity, colorful drink that makes you feel like you’re on vacation.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? You really just need a cocktail shaker and measuring spoons or a cocktail jigger!
More cocktail recipes
More Mexican-inspired recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Prickly Pear Margarita
Equipment
Ingredients
Citrus salt
- ½ cup salt
- 1 Tablespoon lime zest or orange zest
Margarita
- 2 ounces tequila blanco
- 1 ounce triple sec or cointreau
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce prickly pear syrup
- lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Run a sliced lime around the rim of a cocktail glass. Then coat the rim with the citrus salt.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, triple sec (or cointreau), prickly pear syrup, and lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Strain into the prepared cocktail glass. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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