Spicy jalapeño infused vodka is tamed with sweet, tart pineapple juice, lime juice and a salt rim to create a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and salty. This is the perfect cocktail to enjoy over ice on a summer day.
Jump to:
🥂 Why We Love This Recipe
- Smoky, sweet, tart, and spicy: This cocktail is a great way to mix up your summer arsenal. If you're tired of drinks that are too sweet or sugary, this pineapple jalapeño margarita will hit all the right notes.
- Infusing is fun and easy: It takes 5 minutes to get your infusion started, and then all you have to do is wait to enjoy a special flavor. Plus, if you don't have time to infuse the tequila ahead of time, we've included an alternative option in the notes section.
- Easy and impressive! Once you've infused the tequila (which truly couldn't be any easier), this pineapple margarita comes together quickly. It's perfect for any skill level, and your friends and family will be so impressed!
🍹 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these pineapple jalapeño margaritas:
📋 Ingredient Notes
- Tequila: we prefer tequila blanco (silver tequila) for these pineapple jalapeño margaritas. Since we're infusing it with jalapeño, it provides a great neutral base. An aged tequila would make for a more flavorful infusion, but it's not necessary here.
- Since you're infusing the tequila with additional flavors, you don't have to use your best or most expensive tequila for this recipe. That being said, don't use something super cheap, either. (No amount of infusion makes up for bad tequila!) Something mid-range is great.
- Agave: This is used to help the salt adhere to the rim, as well as to sweeten the cocktail. You can also use simple syrup, but agave is traditional in margaritas and tastes much better. You can also use a lime wedge to rim the glass, but we've found that agave helps the salt stick a bit better.
- Orange liqueur: You can use triple sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Grand Marnier is actually a blend of cognac and triple sec (orange liqueur), so it adds a bit more depth of flavor, but either is fine.
- Pineapple juice: if you have an industrial juicer and want to make freshly squeezed pineapple juice, go for it! Otherwise, store-bought is perfectly fine. We used 100% pineapple juice with no added sugar.
- Lime juice: ALWAYS use freshly squeezed in cocktails. Believe us, it makes a huge difference.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
Disclaimer: these pineapple jalapeño margaritas require a minimum of 8 hours prep time to infuse the tequila. We prefer to make the tequila a day (24 hours) ahead of time before making the cocktails.
(1) Start by making the jalapeño infused vodka. In a 16 oz jar, pour tequila over sliced jalapeño.
(2) Seal and let infuse at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or up to 24. The longer the time spent infusing, the spicier the cocktail will be.
After infusing, strain jalapeño and store tequila in an airtight container until you're ready to make these pineapple jalapeño margaritas.
(4) Pour about a half oz of agave on a small plate. On a separate small plate, combine lime zest and kosher salt and spread into an even layer.
Dip the rim in agave, let drip for a moment, and then dip the rim in the lime zest / kosher salt mixture. Repeat with the other glass.
(5) Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds, or until your shaker is chilled to the touch.
Strain into glass filled with ice, garnish with lime and enjoy immediately!
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
- Infusing the vodka: The longer you infuse the vodka, the spicier these pineapple jalapeño margaritas will be. We like infusing the vodka with jalapeño overnight so that we're ready to make the drink the next day. Be sure to strain the tequila before adding to the margaritas so you don't end up drinking and jalapeño seeds!
- No time to infuse the tequila? You're in luck! We prefer this cocktail with the jalapeño infused tequila, but you can also infuse the agave if you're short on time. To do so, add 1 cup agave to a small saucepan and add in jalapeño slices. Bring to a boil, stir well, then remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least one hour, then strain. Add to cocktail – you may want to add extra if the flavor isn't prominent enough.
- Make extra jalapeño infused tequila and give as a DIY gift, sip solo, or add to another cocktail recipe! It would be a great way to spice up this tequila mule recipe.
In this case, it takes a minimum of 8 hours for the right level of infusion.
If you have some left over, or just want to wait to make the cocktail, strain the infusion and then store in a jar with an airtight lid. Store in a cool place at room temperature. Ball jars are great for this purpose.
🍽 Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.
Print📖 Recipe
Pineapple Jalapeño Margaritas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 drinks 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Spicy jalapeño infused vodka is tamed with sweet, tart pineapple juice and a salt rim to create a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and salty. This is the perfect cocktail to enjoy over ice on a summer day. Disclaimer: this recipe requires a minimum of 8 hours prep time to infuse the tequila. We prefer to make the tequila a day (24 hours) ahead of time before making the cocktails.
Ingredients
Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita
- 6 oz 100% Pineapple Juice
- 3 oz jalapeño infused tequila (directions below)
- 2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1.5 oz agave nectar
- 1 oz Cointreau (or another orange liqueur)
- Ice
- For rim: kosher salt + agave
Jalapeño Infused Tequila:
- 1 small jalapeño, sliced thinly
- 14 oz tequila blanco (silver tequila)
Instructions
Jalapeño Infused Tequila:
- In a 16 oz jar, pour tequila over sliced jalapeño. Seal and let infuse at least 8 hours, or up to 24. The longer the time spent infusing, the spicier the cocktail will be.
- Strain jalapeño and store tequila in an airtight container until ready to make this cocktail.
Margaritas:
- Pour ½ oz of agave on a small plate. On a separate small plate, spread about 1 tbsp kosher salt in an even layer.
- Dip the rim of each glass in agave, let drip for a moment, and then dip the rim in the salt. Fill with ice and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds, or until your shaker is chilled to the touch. Strain into glass, garnish with lime and enjoy!
Notes
Infusing the vodka: The longer you infuse the vodka, the spicier the drink will be. We like infusing the vodka with jalapeño overnight so that we're ready to make the drink the next day.
No time to infuse the tequila? You're in luck! We prefer this cocktail with the jalapeño infused tequila, but you can also infuse the agave if you're short on time. To do so, add 1 cup agave to a small saucepan and add in jalapeño slices. Bring to a boil, stir well, then remove from heat and cover. Let sit for at least one hour, then strain. Add to cocktail – you may want to add extra if the flavor isn't prominent enough.
Tequila: we prefer tequila blanco (silver tequila) for this recipe. Since we're infusing it with jalapeño, it provides a great neutral base. An aged tequila would make for a more flavorful infusion, but it's not necessary here.
Lime juice: ALWAYS use freshly squeezed in cocktails. Believe us, it makes a huge difference.
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pineapple jalapeño margarita
Let us know what you think!