Pineapple Jalapeño Margaritas

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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.

side view of pineapple jalapeño margarita in glass rimmed with salt with a fresh pineapple in background.

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🥂 Why We Love This Recipe
🍹 Ingredients
📋 Ingredient Notes
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

🥂 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.

side view and overhead view of jalapeño infused tequila in a small jar.

(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.

on the left: dipping cocktail glass in salt. on the right: ingredients for pineapple margarita in cocktail shaker.

Strain into glass filled with ice, garnish with lime and enjoy immediately!

pouring pineapple jalapeño margarita from cocktail shaker into glass with salt rim and ice.

💭 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.

How long will it take to infuse the alcohol?

In this case, it takes a minimum of 8 hours for the right level of infusion.

How do I store infused liquor?

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.

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