Meyer Lemon Margarita
Meyer Lemons add a twist to a simple margarita recipe giving it a little bit of sweetness but with the same burst of citrus flavour, every margarita is known for. A great patio drink for the summer!
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Margaritas are a favourite of many people all year round and are particularly popular in the summer. I find that the traditional margarita recipe is just too sour for me so when I had a bag of Meyer lemons that I know I need to use up I got the bright idea to substitute the lime juice for the Meyer lemon juice.
Warning – these go down really well so drink responsibly. Recipe testing was a hard job and had me going nowhere for the day!
Ingredients you will need:
- Tequila – preferably Reposado or White Tequila
- Triple Sec or Cointreau
- 4 or 5 Meyer Lemons
- Salt
The result … I think I have found my new summer go-to cocktail recipe! Slightly sweet with the same citrus flavour margaritas are known for. This recipe is perfect to go alongside these Baja Fish Tacos or with this Cuban Pork Tenderloin.
How to Make a Meyer Lemon Margarita
A simple margarita recipe without any fuss. Zest the lemons, juice the lemons. pour into a cocktail shaker with ice along with the triple sec and tequila. Shake, serve in a rimmed margarita glass.
Doesn’t get any easier than that!
What is the difference between a Meyer Lemon and a regular Lemon?
Meyer lemons are slightly smaller and rounder than regular lemons and are thought to be a cross between a lemon and tangerine or mandarin orange. They are a little sweeter than a regular lemon so are great for salad dressings and cocktails. So sweet in fact some people eat Meyer lemons just like an orange.
Meyer lemons were first introduced to the United States from Beijing, China, in the early 20th century by Frank Meyer. Hence the name. Check out this article for more on Meyer lemons.
What to substitute for Meyer Lemons if you can’t find them
To replace the juice (or zest) of 1 Meyer lemon, simply swap in the juice (…or zest) of equal parts tangerine and lemon juice or zest.
Because tangerines and lemons are different sizes it is important to measure in parts like 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp tangerine juice because with the different sizes of fruits the juice of one lemon may be more than the juice of 1 tangerine.
Meyer Lemon Margarita – A Twist on a Simple Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Meyer Lemons juiced; two of them zested
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 oz Agave or Reposado Tequila
- 4 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- Zest two of the lemons to make about 1 tbsp lemon zest
- In a small bowl add sea salt, sugar and lemon zest and mix. Place on a shallow plate. Wet the rim of each margarita glass and rim glasses by placing glass upside down into sugar/salt mixture.
- Juice all 4 of the Meyer Lemons over a seive to ensure no seeds get into liquid.
- In a large cocktail shaker add 1 cup of ice cubes, 4 oz Meyer Lemon Juice, 4 oz of Cointreau and 4 oz of Tequila. Cover and shake well with ice to cool. Gently pour into margarita glasses keeping ice out. Serve with a garnish of lemon and cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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It was way too salty! I’d cut this from tbsp of salt to teaspoons
Hi Hunter, Not sue why it would be salty because the salt is only used for the rim of the glass. You need a bit more salt than you will actually so you can rim the glass but the majority of the salt will be tossed once you are done. The salt also can rim several glasses so each Margarita likely actually uses less than a 1/4 tsp of salt. Did you happen to add the salt to the margarita itself? I am just asking to help troubleshoot the problem so you can enjoy it better next time.
I made meyer lemon syrup for this, added meyer lemon ice cubes, cut down on the contreau. Worked well
Meyer lemons have been huge this year…about 1/2 lb each. I made lemoncello and lemon marmalade. What a happy person I am!
BTW, I read comments for ideas others may have.
Commenting that you’d like to try something is very irritating.
That sounds great Barbara. I haven’t tried lemon marmalade but recently made a homemade orange marmalade using naval and blood oranges and it is to die for. I will have to try and make one with lemons!
We love margaritas in the summer, and love Meyer lemons, too, so this is a perfect and refreshing drink for us to try. Thanks for sharing!
I’m not a fan of lemons but this looks good! I love margaritas though and I like trying different flavors. I will have to try this.
Hi Michelle, You might be surprised by Meyer Lemons. They are much sweeter sort of a cross between a lemon and a clementine.
This recipe looks so delish, I love anything lemon..so a margarita with it in…would be exactly what I like!
Fabulous photography too!
Valerie
I love meyer lemons and look forward to trying them in this recipe! Really clever twist!
Thanks!
I love a good margarita!! This one looks exceptionally yummy!!
This sounds delicious and I love the pictures. The yellow and vibrant blues really go together.
Excellent recipe! One note: where you wrote 4 oz Agave or Reposado Tequila, I thought it prudent to mention all real tequila will be 100% blue agave, specifically from Jalisco, Mexico.
The best mixers for cocktails are indeed the reposados. Blancos are often great to use for margarita type drinks as well.
Source: am tequila fiend.
Thanks! I went to a tequila tasting and you are right all tequila is from the agave plant. I will update this. Thanks!
I love margaritas, what a great idea to use meyer lemons! look forward to trying this!
These look SO good! Bright and beautiful too.
Such a beautiful vibrant yellow! I love a good margarita so am curious to try it with Meyer Lemons. thanks for the recipe!
I’ve had many different margaritas, but not this kind. Sounds like the perfect drink for an evening on the patio!
These look sooo refreshing!
Love the use of Meyer lemons with this! Perfect for the warmer weather we are having. Thank you for sharing this!