This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but is 100% delicious all year round!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This cocktail is easy to make and not too sweet.

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: juicer, small pitcher
Servings: 5 cocktails, and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe.

Image of a beautiful cranberry margarita in a salt rimmed glass, garnished with a lime wedge, an orange wedge, and fresh cranberries.
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We do a small-ish Thanksgiving; my parents, Ben’s parents, my sister and her family, and us of course. That comes out to 8 adults and 4 kids and it’s always a really relaxed and fun day.

Usually my mom comes over early and helps me cook a little (no surprise there, right?) and then everyone else comes and we snack on cheeseboards and appetizers, and sip on wine until the dinner is ready.

This year, I’m thinking we need to make these margaritas instead of having wine for our appetizer hour. They’re fun, festive, and so delicious (maybe too delicious, actually…these are a little dangerous).

image of cranberry orange margaritas, shot from above

About this Margarita

We’re not totally reinventing the wheel here. A cranberry margarita still boasts the flavors you’d expect in a classic margarita: lime, orange, and tequila. 

The twist is the pretty red cranberry juice.  It’s festive, tangy, and oh-so-pretty.   I love cranberry juice in this cranberry gin and tonic with rosemary or a refreshing Bay Breeze cocktail, too. It’s nice and tart so your drinks aren’t sugary sweet. Cranberry juice cocktails really complement appetizers, or cheese and crackers.

For a little fancier soirée, serve them with this fancy looking but easy to make baked brie topped with cranberries and bourbon pecans. For more informal gatherings, make homemade cranberry salsa (with only two ingredients!) and serve it with chips or crackers. Homemade crostini topped with various goodies are always a hit, too.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cranberry Juice: Look for brands that are 100% cranberry juice. Many popular brands are cranberry beverages, with lots of sugar and not much cranberry.
  • Tequila: Choose your favorite brand of plata, silver, or white tequila.
  • Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec): Cointreau and Grand Marnier are a couple of well-known brands but there are lots more.
  • Orange Juice: Buy a few oranges and squeeze them for the freshest, best flavor.
  • Lime Juice: Same with the lime juice. Don’t use concentrates or bottled juice — it’s just not as good.
  • Garnishes: Lime wedges, orange wedges, fresh cranberries, sugar for the rim…choose one or use them all. Personally, I really like to top the cocktail with a few fresh cranberries; the pops of dark red make this margarita extra pretty especially around the holidays. It’s also fun to serve these with sugared cranberries.
This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but is 100% delicious all year round!

FAQs

Is Triple Sec necessary for margaritas?

Triple sec (or curaçao) is a dry orange liqueur, that has fruity flavors along with notes of bitter and sweet. There are lots of varieties of triple sec. Margaritas almost always include some type of this orange liqueur.

What’s the best tequila for margaritas?

Use a blanco, plata, or silver tequila. There are many brands. Look for one that is made in Mexico from 100% agave.

Make It Your Own

This margarita is great just like the recipe is written, but you can make a few minor changes:

  • Double or triple the recipe if you’re expecting a crowd. It’s easy to do and the mixture keeps well in the fridge.
  • Substitutions: Try this with pomegranate juice instead for a pomegranate margarita. Another option is a pineapple margarita with pineapple juice.
  • Make it sweeter: Add just a touch of simple syrup.
  • This margarita is heavy on the orange because I love the way it complements the flavor of the cranberry juice, but you could do more even ratios of lime and orange if you want. If you go this route, you might want to also add a little agave since lime juice is more tart. 
  • Frozen margaritas: I haven’t tried it that way, but there’s no reason why it wouldn’t work to throw this in a blender with some ice and serve it that way.
  • Like some bubbles? Try topping the cocktail with club soda.
  • Looking for a punch recipe? Try Strawberry Margarita Punch, it’s one of our favorites!
image of a cranberry margarita with orange and lime, garnished with fresh cranberries.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Make it in advance: Juice the oranges and limes, measure everything out, and keep the mixture in your fridge. You can prepare this the day before you plan to serve the margaritas, perfect if you know you’ll be busy cooking a big meal. All that’s left to do when it’s “margarita time” is rim your glasses in kosher salt and pour the margarita over ice.

This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but is 100% delicious all year round!

Festive Libations

More Cocktails

Recipe

Cranberry Margarita Recipe

4.61 from 23 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 5 cocktails
This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but is 100% delicious all year round!
Save this recipe!
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Ingredients 

  • kosher salt for rimming glasses
  • 1 ½ cups cranberry juice (look for one that is 100% juice)
  • ¾ cup tequila
  • ½ cup orange liqueur
  • ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • fresh cranberries and orange or lime wedges for garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • If desired, rim glasses by dipping the top of the glass into juice and then kosher salt. 
  • Stir cranberry juice, tequila, orange liqueur, orange juice, and lime juice together; serve over ice. Garnish with fresh cranberries or orange and lime wedges.

Notes

  • Want it a little sweeter? Try adding just a touch of simple syrup.
  • Make a pitcher. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled and you can make it up to a day ahead. Store in the refrigerator.
  • Pomegranate juice can be substituted for the cranberry juice for a pomegranate margarita. Or try my pineapple margarita.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.61 from 23 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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14 Comments

  1. Kate says:

    If I want to use club soda to I need to remove anything from the recipe? How much club soda would I add?

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      It depends on how much you want to add. I’d just add a splash in immediately before serving and not change anything else.

  2. denise says:

    perfect for Thanksgiving.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Yes, it’s so festive!

  3. Chey says:

    Yahoo! I am definitely making these for the day after the Thanksgiving feast! Thank you so much for this! I am sure these will be perfect. :) Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I am truly enjoying your site and recipes. Very inspiring and easy to follow.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Thank you so much for the kind words, they brought a smile to my face!

  4. Sabrina says:

    yum, nice cranberry contrast against the citrus flavors, thank you!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

  5. denise says:

    I’d drink it! Yum.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      It’s very tasty!

  6. Chris-27 says:

    Wow, this packs a punch! Great flavor, and very pretty. I wanted to try a glass or two before Thanksgiving on Thursday, and this margarita definitely makes the cut. I thought I’d offer some club soda, too, in case anyone wants to make it a longer drink. This’ll make a nice change from the usual (albeit delicious) wines … and my orange and lime trees are having a good year.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Yes! We actually discussed adding club soda as another option, but then forgot to add that tidbit into the post. Thanks for mentioning it! I’m very jealous of your citrus trees!

  7. Vivian @RISVK says:

    This recipe sounds interesting will try thit this weekend

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      I hope you love it!