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READY IN 1+ days

Margaritas to Die For

Read Reviews (44)

"Okay, sure, they require a bit of work, but you'll be so glad you did! Be careful, friends will ask you to bring them to all parties!" — Bev

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

2 limes
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 cup premium tequila

2 tablespoons brandy-based orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
1 lime, sliced into rounds
coarse salt

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Directions

Grate the zest of 2 limes into a small bowl. Cut the zested limes in half, and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup to get 1/2 cup. Combine lime zest, lime juice, sugar and water. Cover, and refrigerate for approximately 24 hours.
Before serving, stir in the tequila and Grand Marnier. Rub rim of 4 glasses with sliced lime, and dip into salt. Take another slice of lime, cut in half, slice under skin of lime to halfway point, and place on glass for garnish.

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PREP 20 mins
READY IN 1 day 20 mins

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This IS delicious. Makes the best margarita my husband and I have ever had and we are margarita connoisseurs! :o) It is work squeezing all the limes and grating them... we make a double batch though! First sip is a doozy, then it's sooooo mellow. We also use Corazon, Patron or Cabo Wabo tequilla. The best tequilla makes all the difference! Enjoy.

—LISAGHM

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 15, 2003

Not terrific. It seemed to pack too much of a punch. I probably could have halved the amount of liquor and been quite happy with this recipe. Ended up squeezing more lime juice and adding water to take the edge off of it.

—MEANDMYJULES

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47 Ratings

Dec 07, 2003

I absolutely loved this recipe! I won't have on the rocks any other way! I used Cointreau instead of Grand Marnier. I think a cup may be a little strong, though I use the quantities listed here to make just 2 drinks, not 4.

—NATES

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Jan 24, 2004

Love at first sip! These margaritas are perfection---intensely flavored, not "icky" sweet, and very smooth. My only change will be that after the 24 hour marination, I will strain out the lime zest. Actually one more change---I plan on making these often, and who needs to read the word "die" every time. From now on, these fabu maggies will be entitled "Margaritas Bev". Much thanks for sharing Jeff Winett

—chefjeff

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Dec 07, 2003

These were good but oh boy, they are STRONG! And that is after I decreased the amount of tequila a bit. They tasted great, you could smell the liquor but not really taste it. However, making the sweet and sour was kind of a pain. Next time I'll probably just make Margaritas on the rocks (also from Allrecipes). However, if you have the time and initiative, try these.

—amydoll

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Sep 08, 2009

By far the best Margarita's on the rocks we've ever had! I make the in mass (up the servings to 20) for parties. They are so strong...more like martini's than a traditional margarita, so be sure to warn guests. Instead of grating the lime zest, I use a potato peeler and peel it making it much easier to strain out later.

—kmlg

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Dec 07, 2003

My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! I had never had a non-blended one before and my husband said it was the best margarita he'd ever had. I was expecting something harsh but this was smooth and actually kind of sweet. I picked this over the others available because it wasn't blended. I didn't have 24 hours to wait so I warmed the water, lime zest, and sugar on the stove until the sugar dissolved and added the juice off the heat. I let it set while preparing the glasses and measuring the tequila and Triple Sec (instead of Grand Marnier as called for). We didn't prefer the zest in our drinks so I strained it when adding it to the alcohol. We also used sugar instead of salt on the rims. The only thing I'm left wondering is if the recipe should be for two drinks. We made a double batch and ended up with four small sized margaritas. We'll definitely make these again...

—Sweet Pocahontas

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Feb 10, 2010

I have made this recipe countless times and will never buy margarita mix again. If you are a margarita or tequila connosieur, you will love these and not mind the extra work involved. If you would ever consider putting beer or frozen limeade with your tequila, you will probably say these are too much trouble. If you do decide to make this delicious concotion, try these tips: 1. If you are in a rush, mix it in a glass bowl or cup and microwave for about 20 seconds to dissolve the sugar and bring the oil out of the zest. If you have time to wait overnight, marinate in the fridge and shake occasionally. Mason jars work great for this ;) 2. Unless you like drinking greenery with your margarita, strain the zest out before mixing/serving. 3. You can easily reduce the tequila by half and still feel good after drinking it :) 4. You probably won't get a full four drinks out of one batch so go ahead and plan to make a double!

—KATSKI

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