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Frozen Watermelon Margarita

4.8

(11)

Frozen watermelon and tequila in stemmed glasses with slices of watermelon.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

Sure, you could make a regular frozen margarita. Or you could make a frozen watermelon margarita, which is so much more fun. Instead of filling up the blender with ice, achieve that dreamy slushy texture (not to mention a more flavorful drink) with frozen watermelon cubes. If you can’t find a seedless watermelon, don’t even worry about seeding it; watermelon seeds are completely safe to consume (yes, even the crunchy black ones), and a whiz in the blender quickly breaks them down along with the rest of the fruit. On a particularly hot day, freeze the whole mixture before blending to get the coolest, creamiest results.

Watermelon varies in sweetness, so taste as you go and adjust the amount of sugar accordingly. You can also swap the white sugar for agave syrup to complement the tequila’s flavor. As for that spirit, blanco tequila has a mild, grassy flavor ideal for this summer cocktail—the richer barrel-aged flavors of reposado may overpower the melon. Don’t skimp on the freshly squeezed lime juice here: It rounds out sweet watermelon and punchy tequila with a bright boost of acidity.

If you have poco glasses, now’s the time to break them out for a little resort-style flair. Otherwise, a margarita glass or any tall glass is fine. Whatever you use, chill the glasses first to keep the drink cooler for longer. Want to mix it up? Check out our Frozen Mango Margarita or an avocado margarita on the rocks. Want to get back to basics? There’s always the classic margarita recipe. Just don’t forget the salted rim.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    3 hours 10 minutes

  • Yield

    6 servings

Ingredients

1 3-pound piece watermelon, plus 6 watermelon wedges for garnish
1 cup blanco tequila
½ cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
¼ cup sugar, or to taste

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Remove rind from 1 3-pound piece watermelon and cut enough fruit into 1-inch pieces to measure 5 cups. Freeze watermelon in a sealable plastic bag at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.

    Step 2

    Transfer frozen watermelon to a blender and add 1 cup blanco tequila, ½ cup fresh lime juice, and ¼ cup sugar. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Divide margarita among 6 glasses and garnish each with a watermelon wedge.

    Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in the July 1997 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our best watermelon recipes →

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