Name: Cucumber Cilantro Margarita Cocktail
Yield: Makes 1 margarita
Ingredients: Kosher salt, optional; 4 thin slices cucumber, plus a ¼-inch-thick slice for garnish; 2 sprigs fresh cilantro; ½ cup ice cubes; 2 ounces (¼ cup) silver tequila; 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice; ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) agave syrup; ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Bols Triple Sec

Photo of tequila cocktails Margarita with cucumbers and cilantro garnish in cocktail glass with salted rim.

Photo by Ed Anderson

This is a refreshing, summery spin on a margarita. “Muddling” is a fancy term for smashing vegetables and herbs to release their juices and essential oils. In this case you smash a few pieces of cucumber and a sprig of cilantro in a cocktail shaker before adding the alcohol. You can buy a drinks muddler designed specifically for the task, or you can just use the end of a wooden spoon to do the mashing. Shaking the cocktail vigorously for at least 4 seconds is crucial, not just to cool down the drink and incorporate the ingredients, but also to melt a little of the ice so it dilutes the drink slightly and brings all the flavors into balance.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 1 margarita

Ingredients

Kosher salt, optional

4 thin slices cucumber, plus a ¼-inch-thick slice for garnish

2 sprigs fresh cilantro

½ cup ice cubes

2 ounces (¼ cup) silver tequila

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) agave syrup

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Bols Triple Sec

Preparation

Step 1
To salt the rim of your glass, fill a shallow bowl with water. On a small plate, pour a circle of salt. Dip the rim of a rocks glass or margarita glass in the water, then dip it into the salt and set it aside.
Step 2
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the 4 cucumber slices with 1 cilantro sprig until the cucumber releases most of its juices and the cilantro is smashed and fragrant. Add the ice cubes, tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and triple sec. Cover and shake vigorously for 4 seconds. Pour the drink, including the ice, into the glass. Serve the margarita garnished with the remaining cucumber slice and cilantro sprig.

Trejo's Tacos cookbook cover with photo of Danny Trejo standing in front of a table full of tacos.

From Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.. Copyright © 2020 by Danny Trejo and Larchmont Hospitality Group LLC. Photographs copyright © 2020 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Order the full book from Amazon.