Cranberry Margarita Recipe – Love and Lemons

This cranberry margarita is the perfect festive cocktail for the holiday season! Sweet, tart, and delicious, it’s easy to make with 4 ingredients.

Cranberry margarita, anyone?! This 4-ingredient cocktail is a holiday twist on my classic margarita recipe. I keep the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime, but I replace the simple syrup with cranberry juice. It’s sweet and tart, fruity and refreshing, and a gorgeous ruby red. Garnished with fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig, it’s so darn fun and festive!

I developed this recipe with Thanksgiving in mind—we’re celebrating in Austin this year, so serving margaritas just felt right. But honestly, I think this cranberry margarita would be perfect for the rest of the holiday season too. With its bold color and seasonal garnishes, it would fit right in at a Christmas or New Year’s party. If you’re a margarita fan, get ready to make it on repeat from now through the end of the year!

How to Make a Cranberry Margarita

This cranberry margarita recipe starts with 4 simple ingredients:

• Cranberry juice – Look for an unsweetened one that’s 100% juice. Most popular brands contain some apple and grape juice for a balanced sweet-tart flavor.
• Blanco tequila – Also known as silver tequila. Feel free to use your favorite brand. Espolon is our go-to.
• Orange liqueur – I like Cointreau, but Grand Marnier and triple sec are also good choices.
• Fresh lime juice – Squeeze it yourself for the freshest flavor!

To make a cranberry margarita, combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass with ice.

If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can stir the ingredients together in a mixing glass instead.

Taste and adjust the balance of flavors before serving. Add more lime juice for a tangier margarita, more tequila for a boozier one, etc! If the cocktail is too tart, add more cranberry juice or sweeten it lightly with agave or simple syrup.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

More Festive Cocktails to Try

If you love this cranberry margarita recipe, try one of these festive cocktails next:

Cranberry Margarita

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves 1

This cranberry margarita recipe is the perfect festive holiday cocktail! It’s sweet, tart, refreshing, and delicious.

• Lime wedge, for the glass rim, optional
• Coarse salt, for the glass rim, optional
• Ice
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 ounce blanco tequila
• 1 ounce orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or triple sec
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• Fresh cranberries, for garnish
• Rosemary, for garnish

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Salt the rim of the glass (optional): Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass. Fill a small plate with coarse salt. Dip the glass into the salt to coat the rim. Fill with ice.

• Place the cranberry juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the glass. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Margarita

Amount Per Serving

Calories 183
Calories from Fat 2

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.2g0%

Saturated Fat 0.04g0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g

Sodium 4mg0%

Potassium 69mg2%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 0.3g1%

Vitamin A 33IU1%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 7mg1%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.