Watermelon Margarita On The Rocks

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This watermelon margarita on the rocks recipe is a simple, refreshing summer cocktail. Made with fresh watermelon, this is a delicious margarita for beach season.

If you enjoy on the rocks margarita recipes, try this raspberry margarita on the rocks, this lychee margarita or this pineapple orange margarita.

For other watermelon based drinks (cocktails and mocktails), try these watermelon party shots, this watermelon basil mocktail or this watermelon pineapple smoothie.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Pick A Good Watermelon
• How To Make A Watermelon Margarita On The Rocks
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy — This is a simple cocktail recipe that any beginner can confidently make. 
• Refreshing — Watermelon drinks are some of the most refreshing summer drinks! This one is no exception. 
• Large Batch — One watermelon will be able to make a lot of servings of this margarita, so it is a great large batch recipe to serve in a pitcher when you have guests coming over.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Watermelon: Use fresh, seedless watermelon. If the watermelon you choose has seeds in it, remove as many of them as you can before blending the watermelon. 
• Tequila: Use a blanco tequila that is 100% agave for the best quality margarita. If you prefer mezcal, you can use that instead for a mezcal watermelon margarita. 
• Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is a must for any margarita recipe. If you are making a bunch of drinks for a group, use a citrus juicer to save time. 
• Cointreau: Most margarita recipes are made with a dash of orange liqueur, such as Cointreau. You can substitute this with Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. 
• Simple Syrup: Simple syrup adds some sweetness to the margarita. It is easy to make your own simple syrup at home, but you can also use a store bought premade simple syrup. As a substitute, use agave syrup.
• Salt: Use regular salt for the margarita rim, or to be fancy, use margarita salt which adds in a kick of lemon and lime flavor. For a sweet rim, use white sugar instead of salt.

How To Pick A Good Watermelon

Picking a good watermelon that is ripe, juicy and ready to be eaten doesn’t have to be tricky. Here are some tips to make sure you pick the best watermelon:

• The watermelon feels heavy for its size. 
• When tapped, it sounds hollow on the inside. 
• The watermelon has no dents, soft spots or bruises.
• Look at the ground spot (the spot where the watermelon sat on the ground as it grew). Choose one that has a creamy, yellow color. If it is white or green, it won’t taste as sweet.

How To Make A Watermelon Margarita On The Rocks

Step 1: Run a wedge of lime around the rim of the margarita glass. Roll the glass in salt, pressing gently to make it stick. 

Step 2: Blend the watermelon chunks in a blender until smooth. 

Step 3: Use a fine mesh strainer to remove any chunks of watermelon pulp.

Step 4: Add the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and Cointreau to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for 20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosted. Strain and serve.

Expert Tips

• Make it spicy. Want a spicy watermelon margarita on the rocks? Substitute the simple syrup or agave syrup with this spicy jalapeno simple syrup instead. 
• Add some mint. If you have a mint plant, this recipe makes a great watermelon mint margarita. Before shaking the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, muddle a handful of fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the shaker with the simple syrup and lime juice. 
• Make it frozen. Yes, this is an on the rocks recipe, but some guests might prefer a frozen drink. If that’s the case, blend all the ingredients together with a handful of ice, instead of shaking them in a cocktail shaker.

Recipe FAQs

Print

📖 Recipe