Italian Margarita Recipe With Amaretto (Best Cocktail!)
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Sweet and tart, this Italian margarita recipe is the perfect cocktail with such a crisp flavor! This orange margarita is made with Amaretto, Tequila, fresh citrus juices, and a little bit of sugar to create the best classic cocktail. This recipe is super easy and made within minutes with such simple steps. Enjoy this Italian version of a traditional margarita whenever you are in the mood for fresh and bright flavors.
Easily made with limoncello instead of fresh lime juice, this versatile Italian margarita recipe is a classic margarita with an orange twist! Coat the rim of the glass with sugar and relish in the sweet citrus flavors that are perfectly shaken with a shot of Amaretto, orange juice, and a top-shelf brand of Tequila.
Latest Recipe Video!
Unique cocktails are the best! This Olive Garden copycat recipe tastes a little like a traditional margarita but is sweeter, made with orange juice, and can be made with an Italian liqueur.
Add this healthy margarita recipe to your list of tequila cocktail recipes that you need to try the next time you are enjoying happy hour at home with friends and family. This Italian margarita is perfect for the holidays or any time of the year!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Quick: This recipe literally takes 4 minutes to make – and in that time you will have a very fancy looking Italian margarita ready to be poured over fresh ice cubes!
- Flavorful: This is not your typical margarita! Made with a natural base that consists of fresh ingredients and served with lime and orange wedges, this cocktail recipe is filled with bright, refreshing flavors.
- Easy to Make in a Cocktail Shaker: Cocktail recipes made in a cocktail shaker are simple and fast. All you do is just pour all of the ingredients in the shaker and shake. That’s it!
- Versatile: Instead of fresh lime or orange juice, make this Italian margarita with orange liqueur or limoncello. You can also use any kind of Tequila for this recipe and even mix up a simple syrup of sugar and water. Brighten things up with a spritz of fresh lemon juice!
🍸 Are Margaritas Alcoholic?
Traditionally, margaritas are alcoholic. But this recipe can easily be turned into a mocktail! Just leave out the Tequila and Amaretto, and add sparkling citrus flavored water to make this a virgin Italian margarita.
🥘 Ingredients
- Lime: You will need a fresh lime to coat the rim with and also to mix with the base. If you do not have a whole lime, then you can use bottled lime juice.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar coats the rim of the glass to make this citrus-filled drink tart but sweet at the same time.
- Amaretto: Nutty Amaretto is an Italian sweet liqueur that is sometimes made with almonds or apricots.
- Tequila: You don’t have to use the best Tequila but you definitely want to make sure it tastes good! Use Silver Tequila / Blanco Tequila for a cleaner taste or use Reposado Tequila for a richer and stronger flavor.
- Ice: Clear ice cubes are used in the cocktail shaker and also to serve.
- Orange: Any variety of orange will work for this recipe. I used naval oranges but you could use clementines or even blood oranges. Freshly squeezed orange juice gives this Italian margarita an extra sweet flavor.
🍽 Equipment
For this cocktail, you will need a juicer, measuring cup, bar jigger, sharp knife, cutting board, and a cocktail glass.
📖 Variations
- Instead of freshly squeezed orange juice, use bottled orange juice.
- For a more savory flavor, then coat the rim with margarita salt instead of sugar.
- Instead of Amaretto, you can use another almond liqueur.
- Use 1 shot of Limoncello in place of the lime juice.
- Blend the margarita in the blender to make it a frozen Italian margarita.
- Add a shot of Triple Sec or Grand Marnier for an orange liquor flavor.
🔪 Instructions
See the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
Coat the Rim: With a fresh lime wedge, run the lime around the rim of the glass to moisten it.
Dip the rim of the glass into a bowl of sugar to evenly coat the edge.
Combine: In a cocktail shaker, add the Amaretto, Tequila, ice, lime juice, and orange juice.
Shake: Cover the shaker with a lid and shake the cocktail very well.
Serve: Pour the Italian margarita in the prepared glass over ice and serve with fresh lime and orange slices. Enjoy!
❓Recipe FAQs
There are various versions and it’s not clear exactly where this popular cocktail originated! Mexican margaritas are typically more sour and are made with limes instead of oranges. Margaritas are enjoyed in both Mexico and Italy.
The answer is – it depends! If you make your margarita with minimal fruit juice, lower sugar alcohol (like tequila, vodka or gin) and no added sugar, then it will be healthier than most other cocktails. If you omit the orange juice from this Italian cocktail, then each drink will have about 10 grams of sugar (which is lower than the average cocktail!)
A skinny margarita is just a low-calorie version of a regular margarita. Skinny margaritas are made with fresh citrus, low sugar alcohols, and sugar-free sweeteners.
There are a variety of Tequila-based drinks to order that aren’t margaritas! Enjoy a Moscow Mule, Negroni, Tequila Sunrise, Paloma, and many more types of beverages!
👨👩👧 How To Serve
- Pair this Italian margarita with your favorite Italian dishes like this vegan bruschetta, homemade alfredo sauce without heavy cream over noodles, different types of pizza recipes, and pasta dishes like this vegan primavera.
- Enjoy this cocktail for special occasions, birthdays, happy hours, brunches, dinners, and more!
- Make a pitcher of this margarita to serve to larger crowds.
🧊 How To Store
If you’re making a large batch of this margarita, then store the leftovers in the refrigerator in a covered pitcher until ready to use. It will last in the fridge for up to 24-48 hours. Be sure not to store the leftovers over ice as the margarita will become watered down, instead, serve over ice just before drinking.
💭 Expert Tips
- Be sure to use a sharp knife to slice the citrus into even slices for serving.
- Since orange juice and Amaretto are already sweet, this margarita does not need any additional sweeteners.
- Serve this margarita like a martini in a martini glass for a fancier feel.
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Italian Margarita Recipe With Amaretto
Ingredients
- 1 lime wedge
- sugar (for decorating the rim of the glass, not to be included in the actual mixed drink – about 1 tsp needed to coat each glass, maybe more depending on how big the glass is).
- 1 shot Amaretto
- 1 shot Tequila
- ½ cup ice cubes
- ½ lime juiced
- ½ orange juiced (you'll need 1/2 cup juice)
- orange and lime slices to serve
Instructions
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass to moisten the rim. Dip the rim of the glass into the sugar to coat the edge.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the Amaretto, Tequila, ice, lime juice, and orange juice. Cover the shaker with a lid and shake well.
- Pour into the prepared glass. Serve the margarita with orange and lime slices.
Notes
- Margarita can be made with one shot of limoncello instead of fresh lime juice.
- Bottled orange juice can be used instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. Use ½ cup of juice.
- If making ahead, store the margarita in the refrigerator and serve over ice just before serving.
- Nutritional info assumes 1 tsp sugar used to coat the glass.
Very nice and easy to prepare and is very tasty thanks
So glad you liked this recipe Johel!
I love colorful drinks and this Italian margarita is just my kind. Pinning this for later!
Thanks Sandhya! You will love this recipe!
Love this idea! What a delicious spin on my favorite cocktail.
Totally!! It’s a fun way to mix things up! 🙂
Italian’s sure know how to make margaritas! This recipe is incredible and we will be making them often!
Thanks so much!! So glad you liked it!
I love the color! It is so bright and cheery!
Thanks Jess! Enjoy!
This sounds incredible! My mom loves margaritas and amaretto, so I am going to surprise her with this during our Thanksgiving visit!
Yay! I’m sure you will both love this recipe – can’t wait for you to try it!