Name: Cranberry Margarita Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
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 ((such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec)); ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed; ¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed; fresh cranberries and orange or lime wedges for garnish, optional

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but is 100% delicious all year round! It’s 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.

We do a small-ish Thanksgiving: my parents, Ben’s parents, my sister and her family, and my family. 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

Cranberry Margaritas

A margarita plus. 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.

Refreshing cranberry juice. The twist is the pretty red cranberry juice. It’s festive, tangy, and oh-so-pretty. I always choose 100% cranberry juice, rather than cranberry juice cocktail. 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.

Goes well with appetizers. Cocktails made with cranberry juice really complement rich appetizers, or cheese and crackers. For a little fancier soirée, serve cranberry margaritas 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.

Ingredient Notes

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 (blanco) tequila. Look for one that is made in Mexico from 100% agave.
Orange Liqueur (Triple Sec): Triple sec (or curaçao) is a dry orange liqueur, that has fruity flavors along with notes of bitter and sweet. Margaritas almost always include some type of this orange liqueur. Cointreau and Grand Marnier are a couple of well-known brands but there are many 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 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!

Recipe Variations

Double or triple the recipe if you’re expecting a crowd. It’s easy to do and the cranberry margarita 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.
Balance the citrus to your preference. This margarita is heavy on the orange because I love the way orange 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 than orange juice.
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.

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