Home > Spicy recipes > Jalapeño mezcal margarita

Jalapeño mezcal margarita

Name: Jalapeño mezcal margarita
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Serves 1
Cuisine: Mexican recipes
Ingredients: 200g jar sliced pickled jalapeños; 100g sugar; Tajin spice to rim the glass (optional); 1 lime; 50ml mezcal; 25ml Cointreau, triple sec or other orange liqueur

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 16 Jun 23
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Are you partial to a margarita? This is the best version of the cocktail we’ve come across. Mezcal (tequila’s smoky cousin) and lime are offset by a cleverly simple jalapeño syrup to create a perfectly balanced cocktail with a fiery finish.

Entertaining a crowd? Make a pitcher of classic margarita.

Easy
July 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 1
Hands-on time 15 min

Entertaining a crowd? Make a pitcher of classic margarita.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 224kcals
Fat: 0g fat (0g saturated)
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 12g (12g sugars)
Fibre: 0g
Salt: trace

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

200g jar sliced pickled jalapeños
100g sugar
Tajin spice to rim the glass (optional)
1 lime
50ml mezcal
25ml Cointreau, triple sec or other orange liqueur

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Begin by making a jalapeño sugar syrup. Pour the jar of jalapeños into a small pan, including the liquid they’re stored in, then add the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. You should be left with crinkly, chewy jalapeños and a spicy sugar syrup. Leave to cool, then pour back into the jar.
Sprinkle some Tajin onto a small plate (if using), then cut out a wedge of lime and run it around the rim of a cocktail glass. Tap the glass into the Tajin to get a nice even rim.
Pour the mezcal, Cointreau, 25ml lime juice and 10g of the syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake, then pour through a strainer into the glass. Garnish with a few candied jalapeño slices and serve.

Recipe from July 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 224kcals
Fat: 0g fat (0g saturated)
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 12g (12g sugars)
Fibre: 0g
Salt: trace

delicious. tips

Don’t waste it: The candied jalapeños make a great topping for tacos or nachos – the perfect snack alongside your margarita. They’ll keep in the fridge for 3 months.

Easy swaps: Mezcal gives a wonderfully smoky flavour which works well with the jalepeños, but you can switch it with tequila if you prefer a more classic margarita.
Tajin is a Mexican spice blend of chilli, lime and salt, often used to sprinkle over fresh melon or pineapple. You can find it online or in specialist shops.