Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2024)

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This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish takes any co*cktail from meh to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it.

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (1)

Looking to amp up your margaritas? This margarita salt is the best way to transform your glass from meh to marvelous. And it’s seriously simple too! Alex and I made this margarita salt as part of our Frozen Margaritas, but we realized that it would be just about perfect for any you decide to make. From now on, we’ll be adding it to our Classic Margarita and Lemon Margarita (and maybe even our Paloma, too). Keep reading for all there is to know about margarita salt!

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2)

What is margarita salt?

Margarita salt is the salt added to the rim of a margarita glass. Why is a margarita served with salt? Well, salt intensifies the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. It makes the sour seem brighter, making the overall drink experience that much more pleasurable.

There are lots of store-bought brands of margarita salt out there. But why buy your own when you can make it at home? It’s seriously easy to make, and you don’t end up with random half-used containers lying around.

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (3)

How to make margarita salt

This recipe could not be simpler (literally). Here’s how to make margarita salt:

  1. Place kosher salt, lime zest and orange zest on a cutting board. (Scroll down to the recipe for the exact quantities).
  2. Crush them together using a rolling pin.

That’s it! Now, some recipes will call for drying out the citrus zest in the oven or doing other fancy things. In our testing, we found it’s not necessary: it really is this simple. Store your margarita salt in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month. (It will probably last longer than that; we’re being conservative here.)

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (4)

How to make the perfect margarita salt rim

You might think that making a margarita salt rim wouldn’t have tips and tricks: but like anything in food and drink, it does! Here are our tips to making the perfect rim:

  1. Spread the salt on a plate in an even layer.
  2. Take a lime wedge and cut a notch in the middle: then slide it around the rim of the glass. This perfectly moistens the glass rim without having to use your fingers!
  3. To rim the glass, you’ll want the salt on the outside of the glass only, not the inside where it can fall into the drink. To do this, tilt the glass so that only the outside edge goes into the salt.
  4. Shake off any loose salt into the sink.

What kind of salt for a margarita is best?

The best type of salt to use for a margarita we’ve found is kosher salt. We like the size of the grains and the flavor that it brings. If you’d like to use sea salt for this recipe, you can do this as well. However, do not even think about using iodized table salt! The flavor of this type of salt is much too intense for rimming your drinks.

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Best Margarita Salt Recipe (5)

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Best Margarita Salt Recipe (6)

Best Margarita Salt Recipe

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Sonja
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: ¼ cup 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish takes any co*cktail from meh to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Zest of 1/2 orange

Instructions

  1. Zest the lime. Zest the orange.
  2. Place all ingredients on a cutting board and crush them together using a rolling pin. Break any large pieces of zest with your fingers.
  3. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Margarita Salt, Margarita salt rim, What is margarita salt, What kind of salt for margarita

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And a few more popular drink recipes over here, sans alcohol:

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  • Lavender Lemon Spritzer
  • Sparkling Blood Orange Rosemary Water
  • Best Pourover Coffee
  • Cold Brew Coffee
  • How to Make Kombucha
  • Fruit Infused Water Recipe
  • Lemon Water Recipe
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  • Lime Water Recipe with Mint

vegan vegetarian gluten free

Published on / Last updated on

Categorized In:

  • co*cktails
  • Drink Recipes
  • Recipes

Tagged with:

  • co*cktail
  • Dairy-Free
  • Drinks
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Margarita
  • Plant-Based
  • Recipe
  • Salt
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes

About the authors

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (7)

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

About Us

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best salt for margaritas? ›

What Is The Best Salt For Margarita Rim? The best salt to use is kosher salt, which is more coarse and won't dissolve quickly as table salt will. However, several variations from spicy salt to flavored salt are available today, giving the kosher standard a run for its money.

What is the best formula for margaritas? ›

For A Single Margarita:

1 1/2 ounces silver tequila. 1 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec) 3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice. optional sweetener: agave nectar or simple syrup, to taste.

What is the best salt to rim a glass with? ›

Salt: Use kosher salt, sea salt, or celery salt for your co*cktail's salt rim. Avoid using iodized table salt, which clumps together and has an overly strong flavor.

Is pink Himalayan salt good for margaritas? ›

Margarita Himalayan Pink Salt goes perfectly with your margaritas as well as so many other dishes. Sprinkle it on your seafood, hearty tomato based stews, quesadillas, spanish flavored dishes, vegetables, and chicken. The lime compliments so many foods and the Himalayan has a distinct salty flavor you will love.

What is the secret ingredient in margaritas? ›

The secret to the perfect margarita, we discovered, is to skip Cointreau/orange liqueur altogether and replace it with freshly squeezed orange juice. The difference is remarkable. On Wednesday, to celebrate, I made these margaritas for my friends Alissa and Jordan.

What margarita mix do most restaurants use? ›

Lasco was there from the beginning, perfecting a margarita mix that helped make restaurants and food service operators famous the world over. The Lasco margarita is the perfect blend of lemon and lime, sweet and sour, And our natural ingredients will not leave an aftertaste like other mixes.

What is the best triple sec to use in margaritas? ›

Cointreau is always my first choice,” says Stanislav Harcinik of Mirror Bar in Bratislava. “It brings citrusy-zesty aromatics to a Margarita's flavor profile, and makes the drink even lighter, with its aromatic floral notes that always make me smell it one more time and, of course, [take] another sip.”

What do bartenders use to make salt stick to glass? ›

Citrus – traditionally Lime juice is used as the glue to stick the salt to the glass. You can also use Lemon juice.

How do you salt a rim perfectly? ›

Simply moisten a co*cktail napkin or paper towel and wipe it along the outside of the rim. Next, pour some of your salt/sugar mixture into a small plate or bowl. Take your moistened glass, tilt it at a 45-degree angle, and lightly roll the outside of it through the mix.

What sugar for margaritas? ›

Superfine Sugar I like my margaritas a little bit sweet and a little bit tart. I use “superfine” sugar to get them to taste “just right.” Superfine sugar is almost powder like, and dissolves quicker than granulated sugar–perfect for margaritas. It's a cinch to make at home.

What kind of salt is good for margaritas? ›

Ideally, you would use sea salt (coarse, flaky, pink Himalayan) as opposed to fine table salt. The key is to make sure you don't get too much salt on the inside of the glass so the salt doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the margarita itself.

Do you lick the salt before or after margarita? ›

Lick the salt off the rim as you drink your blended drink.

Lift your drink up to you and lick the rim, then use the straw to sip your margarita. If you don't like the salted rim, you can use the straw to avoid it altogether.

What is the proper glass for a margarita? ›

Also known as a “low glass,” the Old Fashioned glass is short and wide-based. It has a capacity of about 8 to 10 ounces (240 to 300 ml). This type of glass is ideal for margaritas served over ice. The sturdy design of the glass allows the ingredients to mix well and enhances the flavors of the drink.

What kind of salt goes with tequila? ›

Ingredients for a Shot of Tequila

Here's our easy but delightful recipe: Pinch of kosher salt or sea salt. 1 1/2 ounces of Olmeca Gold Tequila. Lime or lemon wedge.

Is kosher salt the same as sea salt? ›

Yes, you can substitute sea salt for kosher salt since its makeup, size and density is similar to that of kosher salt. However, sea salt's flake sizes vary so kosher salt is often preferred for its consistency.

Why does salt make a margarita taste better? ›

First, it acts as a flavor enhancer, creating a perfect balance between the tartness of the lime and the robustness of the tequila. Second, the saltiness can help to cut through the sweetness of any fruit-flavored margaritas, providing a savory contrast that elevates the overall drinking experience.

Is Himalayan rock salt good for health? ›

The levels of sodium in table salt and Himalayan pink salt are roughly the same. Himalayan salt is better for you. Research has not shown that Himalayan salt has any unique health benefits compared to other dietary salt. Its uniqueness comes from its color and flavor.

References

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