This vibrant pink dragon fruit margarita has dragon fruit syrup, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. It’s pretty and delicious!
When it comes to cocktails, the only thing I love more than a margarita is a pretty margarita! And this dragon fruit margarita is the prettiest. It’s a beautiful bright pink color with a delicious tropical flavor.
Enjoy them for a girls’ night at home watching rom-coms or with a taco dinner.
Love margaritas? Give this Grapefruit Margarita a try! It’s citrusy and delicious.
What is a Dragon Fruit Margarita?
A basic margarita contains tequila, lime juice, and orange liquor. They are served over ice in a highball glass or cold in a stemmed margarita glass. Margaritas are excellent cocktails to experiment with different flavors. This margarita incorporates dragon fruit.
Dragon fruit, also called pitaya, is a tropical fruit. It grows on a cactus plant and the thick pink skin looks a bit like a succulent. The pitaya typically has pink or white flesh on the inside with black seeds. The outside of the plant is inedible, like a kiwi.
Pitayas have a delicious flavor. It’s similar to a kiwi and pear together. Frozen dragon fruit is often a rich pink color. It makes for beautiful, and yummy smoothies or beverages.
This dragonfruit margarita contains dragon fruit juice, dragon fruit syrup, tequila, lime juice, and triple sec.
Ingredients for Dragon Fruit Margaritas
- Dragon Fruit Juice – Use frozen dragon fruit for this recipe. It will give the cocktail a vibrant color. And it is available at more grocery retailers. Strain the juice to filter out the seeds and pulp.
- Dragon Fruit Syrup – This simple syrup adds additional flavor and a touch of sweetness to the margarita.
- Tequila – Use a blanco tequila for this cocktail. A gold tequila will change the color of the drink. Blanco also has a better flavor for fruity margaritas.
- Triple Sec – This liquor enhances the citrus flavors of the margarita because it is made from oranges. Substitute triple sec for Cointreau or any other orange liquor.
- Lime Juice – This citrus flavor is key for any margarita. It gives the cocktail its signature flavor, which should still be present under any additional flavors. Fresh lime juice is best.
Make Your Own Dragon Fruit Syrup
Simple syrup is a common ingredient for adding sweetness to cocktails. Flavored syrups add both sweetness and additional flavor. It’s easy to make your own flavored syrup at home. To make dragon fruit syrup all you need is frozen dragon fruit, water, and sugar.
First, combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of frozen dragon fruit in a small saucepan. Then, heat the saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir it every few minutes.
The liquid should be bright pink. What is left of the fruit itself will be very squishy. Strain the syrup using a mesh strainer. You may need to strain it more than once to catch all of the seeds!
Allow the syrup to cool in the refrigerator. Then transfer to a bottle for easy pouring. Homemade fruit syrup lasts about 2 weeks in the refrigerator!
How to Make a Dragon Fruit Margarita
These delicious pitaya margaritas are vibrant pink. They are simple to make too! The hardest part will probably be finding dragon fruit at the grocery store.
Step 1 – Thaw a cup of frozen dragon fruit chunks in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes. Then muddle the fruit or blend it in a small blender. Strain the juice from the smashed or blended fruit. Be sure to remove as much of the seeds and pulp as possible.
Step 2 – Combine the dragon fruit juice, dragon fruit syrup, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
Step 3 – Add a handful of ice to the shaker. Then firmly place the lid on the cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds to combine the cocktail ingredients and chill them.
Step 4 – Strain the drink into a cocktail glass with a salted rim. Garnish with a slice of fresh dragon fruit slices or a lime wedge.
What Type of Glass Do I Use?
- Margarita glass – Margarita glasses are an obvious choice for margaritas. They have a stem and a wide mouth. A wide-mouth glass allows the alcohol to “breathe” or disperse more evenly. The stem allows the drink to stay cold. You hold a margarita glass by the stem so the cocktail doesn’t warm from your hands. Usually, a frozen margarita is in this type of glass.
- Short tumbler – Not everyone has a set of margarita glasses at home. So a short tumbler is also perfect for a margarita. With this glass, you would add ice to keep your cocktail cold. Also, the ice dilutes the cocktail a bit. That’s perfect if you don’t like your margaritas as strong. Personally, I prefer margaritas over ice with a straw!
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How to Salt Rim a Glass
Many margaritas have a salted rim. This is incredibly easy to do and adds a special touch to the cocktail glass.
First, take a lime wedge and run it along the rim of the glass. This creates a wet and sticky surface for the salt to stick to.
Next, flip the glass upside down and place it in a shallow bowl of coarse salt. Coarse salt is bigger salt flakes that are more visible. It also has a better flavor. If you make a lot of margaritas, consider buying a salt rimmer.* (Affiliate link)
Can I Make This Margarita in Advance?
Yes! Margaritas are great for making ahead of time! Combine all of the ingredients, without ice, and store in an airtight jar or glass bottle until it is time to serve.
You may store this cocktail in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, the flavor profile may change a bit the longer you store it!
Make Dragon Fruit Margaritas in Bulk!
Since this delicious cocktail stores so well, it’s also great for making in bulk. Multiply the ingredients by the number of guests you wish to serve. Then mix all of the ingredients, without ice, in a large pitcher. Store the pitcher in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve!
More Tequila Cocktails!
Dragon Fruit Margarita
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
- margarita or short tumbler
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen dragon fruit
- 1 oz dragon fruit juice
- 1 oz dragon fruit syrup
- 2 oz tequila
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1 oz lime juice
Instructions
- Thaw a cup of frozen dragon fruit in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Muddle the fruit or blend it in a small blender. Strain the juice.
- Combine dragon fruit juice, dragon fruit syrup, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Add a handful of ice to the shaker. Then firmly place the lid on the cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds to combine the cocktail ingredients and chill them.
- Strain the drink into a cocktail glass with a salted rim.
- Garnish with a slice of fresh dragon fruit or a lime wedge.
Dragon Fruit Syrup
- Combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of frozen dragon fruit in a small saucepan.
- Heat the saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.
- Strain the syrup using a mesh strainer.
- Allow the syrup to cool, then transfer to a bottle for easy pouring.
