Watermelon Frozen Margaritas

Frozen watermelon margaritas only need three ingredients and a good blender. Freeze the watermelon ahead of time and you get a thick, slushy margarita that never turns watery. Grab a ripe juicy watermelon, cut it, freeze it, and then blend it with some lime and tequila.
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frozen watermelon margarita in a margarita glass with a lime on the rim.

What You Will Love the Most About These Frozen Watermelon Margaritas

  • I love that all I need are 3 ingredients and a strong blender.
  • The worst part about a frozen drink is always the fact that it melts and you are left with a watered down drink. More often than not, frozen drinks are made with ice so it waters down the drinks as it melts, especially in the hot weather outside.
  • To keep my blended drinks from being weakened by melted ice, I simply freeze the fruit that I will be using to make it.
  • When I buy watermelons, I simply get an extra one and cut one up for freezing!
  • Just like in my regular watermelon margaritas, watermelon is the star!
watermelon chunks in a food processor with lime zest and juice.

Ingredients Needed For Frozen Watermelon Margarita

  • Watermelon. Pick a ripe, seedless watermelon. The riper it is, the sweeter and more flavorful your margarita will be. If all you can get is seeded, take some time to pick out the seeds.
  • Tequila. I like silver tequila here because it stays light and lets the watermelon flavor lead. Reposado works too if you want a rounder finish.
  • Lime. Fresh lime juice and zest cut through the sweetness and keep the drink from tasting flat. Skip the bottled juice; it won’t give you the same punch.
  • Orange liqueur (optional). A splash of Cointreau or triple sec adds classic margarita depth. It’s not required, but if you love that flavor, check out my classic margarita recipe to see how I use it.

How To Tell If Watermelon Is Ripe

  • The “ground” spot should be yellow, not white when the watermelon is ripe.
  • Watermelon should feel heavy and sound hollow when you knock on it.
  • If the stem is still attached, it should be brown and not still green.

How To Make Frozen Watermelon Margarita

  1. Cut and freeze the watermelon. Slice off the rind and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes in a gallon freezer bag and freeze for at least 4 hours. Use two bags if your watermelon is large. Try not to overpack the bags or it will take longer to freeze.
  2. Break up the frozen watermelon. Take the bag out of the freezer and hit it on the counter a few times to loosen the cubes.
  3. Blend. Add the watermelon, lime juice, lime zest, and tequila to the blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture won’t move, add a splash of juice. I find that apple juice is not overpowering. You can mix some water and apple juice so the flavor doesn’t get watered down.
  4. Rim the glass, if you like. Watermelon is already sweet, so I usually go with salt or skip the rim completely.
  5. Pour and serve right away for the best slushy texture.
pouring the frozen margarita into a glass.

Frozen Watermelon Margarita FAQs

Can I use pre-cut watermelon from the store to make margaritas?

Yes. Just make sure the pieces are small enough to freeze evenly, and give them the full 4 hours in the freezer. Make sure watermelon is fresh and you trust the source. (I have a personal bad experience with pre-cut fruit from the store so I always opt for cutting my own fruit.)

Can I make a big batch ahead of time?

Freeze the watermelon ahead, but blend the margaritas fresh right before serving. The texture is best straight out of the blender and it will not stay frozen for long. It will take 5 minutes to put together once fruit is frozen.

Is this watermelon margarita recipe gluten free?

Yes. Tequila is made from agave, so this margarita is naturally gluten free. If you add orange liqueur, double check the label to be safe.

above shot of frozen margarita in a glass with limes on the side as garnish.

SOME MORE EASY RECIPES TO TRY:

If you’ve made my margarita recipe and found useful information, PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter

top of a frozen margarita in a glass with lime wedges as garnish.

Frozen Watermelon Margarita Recipe

Frozen watermelon margaritas only need three ingredients and a good blender. Freeze the watermelon ahead of time and you get a thick, slushy margarita that never turns watery. Grab a ripe juicy watermelon, cut it, freeze it, and then blend it with some lime and tequila.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freezing time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 130kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 5 lb watermelon (this should yield about 60 oz watermelon meat to freeze)
  • 5 limes (juice all, zest 2)
  • 12 oz silver tequila (more if you wish)

Instructions

Freeze Watermelon Ahead of Time:

  • You will need at least 4 hours before serving!
    Cut the watermelon into slices and cut off the rind. Cut watermelon meat into about 1/2 inch cubes.
  • Place watermelon cubes into a gallon freezer bag, spread it evenly throughout the bag, and freeze for at least 4 hours. (You may need to use more bags if it’s a large watermelon.)

Making Margaritas:

  • When you’re ready to make some frozen margaritas, just take out the freezer bag, hit it on the counter a few times to break apart the watermelon, and place as much as you need into the blender.
  • Add lime zest, lime juice, and tequila to the blender as well and blend until all smooth.
  • Depending on how much you need to make at a time, cut the recipe in half or thirds to make separate batches of margaritas. 
    You can adjust amount of tequila according to your preference.
  • Note: watermelon is already pretty sweet so adding a sugar rim will make this cocktail quite sweet. You may choose to add salt to the rim or nothing at all. 

Video

Notes

Want to add orange liqueur? Not a problem, simply add 4 oz. of Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grans Marnier, or another preferred orange liqueur. 

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 23.4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.6mg
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

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