37 Tequila Cocktail Recipes to Sip All Summer Long
We’re all for a classic margarita (and we have the *perfect* recipe for one, but more on that later). But if the only tequila libations you’ve ever tried starred lime juice and a salt rim, it’s about time you expanded your horizons. Tequila is a blue agave-based spirit that hails from Mexico. Silver tequila is famous for its earthy, semi-sweet flavor, while aged reposado and añejo tequilas are beloved for their oaky, mellow notes. From tart palomas to spicy jalapeño margs to sweet rosé sangria, we rounded up the 37 best tequila cocktail recipes to try at home.
RELATED: What Is Mezcal? (Hint: It’s *Not* a Type of Tequila)
1. The Original Margarita with Cointreau
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Let's get the O.G. out of the way, shall we? Cointreau, a French liqueur made from sweet and bitter orange peels, is a margarita essential for many bartenders, but you can substitute Grand Marnier or triple sec if you'd prefer.
2. Sangrita
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Fruity, orange-kissed red sangria meets refreshing tequila, all under the halo of a lime-sugar rim.
3. Brazilian Breezer Tiki Cocktail
Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus infusion time)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
The key to this sipper is the pineapple-infused tequila and rum, which you'll need to prepare a week ahead of serving. (It's worth the wait, trust.)
4. Beer Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Choose your favorite Pilsner, spike it with margarita ingredients and you're good to go. (Mexican lagers will work, too.)
5. Cranberry Margarita
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
This tart-sweet stunner has Christmas cocktail hour written all over it.
6. Paloma Fizz
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Shake up this sparkling grapefruit and tequila fizz in mere minutes. (We’re total suckers for coupe glasses and edible flower garnishes, BTW.)
7. Rhubarb Mint Margarita with Jalapeño Tequila
Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus infusing time)
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy
Unleash your inner mixologist with this elevated cocktail. It combines jalapeño-infused tequila with homemade rhubarb-mint simple syrup.
8. Tequila Sunrise Mimosa
Time Commitment: 1 minute
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
We won’t judge if you drink tequila at brunch. There is orange juice involved, after all (and Champagne).
9. Jalapeño Watermelon Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
The lightened-up marg is here to stay, so why not put a new spin on it? Try Coterie member Monique Volz’s recipe with muddled jalapeño and fresh watermelon juice.
10. Papaya Mango Frozen Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
You don’t have to journey to a Caribbean resort for a killer frozen cocktail. Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp's tropical recipe is proof.
11. Spring Garden Margarita
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy
Tequila may love fruit, but it also pairs beautifully with fresh herbs and vegetables. Case in point: This cucumber-mint cocktail with snap peas, wildflower honey-black pepper syrup and an edible flower garnish.
12. Summertime Rosé Tequila Sangria
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
If two summer beverages were ever meant to marry, it’s tequila and rosé. Their union produces this next-level sangria bursting with strawberries and peaches, plus the sweet herbal notes of basil.
13. Watermelon-Cucumber Kombucha Cooler
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Making your own watermelon kombucha takes a bit of patience—but it's totally worth it. Coterie member Phoebe Lapine says the tequila is optional, but we beg to differ.
14. Blood-Orange Thyme Paloma
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
We’ll sip a classic paloma any time of year, but this one (made with bubbly blood orange soda) is particularly refreshing when the weather's warm.
15. Frozen Margarita Ice Pops
Time Commitment: 5 minutes (plus freezing time)
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Nothing says summer quite like an ice pop. And if you’re over 21, we suggest you make it a boozy one.
16. Light Blackberry Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
The secret to the sweet-and-savory aspect of this blackberry margarita? Coating the rim in sugar and salt.
17. Passionfruit Margarita
Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus cooling time)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Keep the bartending to a minimum with this three-ingredient cocktail. Make the lime simple syrup in advance—that way, you won't have to wait for it to chill come happy hour.
18. Salted Watermelon Paloma
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Aka summer in a glass. The key is blending fresh watermelon until smooth, then straining the juice. (P.S.: If you don't know how to cut a watermelon, we've got you covered.)
19. Watermelon Basil Colada
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Hi there, summer crush. It's sort of like an herbaceous, watermelon-infused piña colada that calls for tequila instead of rum and from-scratch coconut cream. Thanks, Coterie member Jodi Moreno.
20. Tequila Old Fashioned
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Replacing traditional rye whiskey with reposado tequila gives this classic sipper an oaky, caramelly twist.
21. Tequila Rosé Spritz
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
This beauty is destined for your Mother's Day table, from the Himalayan pink salt rim to the chopped strawberries.
22. 5-Calorie Raspberry Lime Margarita Fizz
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: low sugar, beginner-friendly
The key to this virgin recipe is combining raspberry-lime sparkling water with sugar-free margarita mix. All that's missing is two fingers of tequila (which, yes, will take it over the five-calorie mark, but...worth it).
23. Ginger Beer Mexican Mule
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
Make the trip from Moscow to Jalisco by trading vodka for blanco tequila. Its earthy notes pair gorgeously with the spicy ginger beer and jalapeño pepper.
24. Peach Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Go above and beyond by blending your own peach purée from scratch...or save time by using store-bought. It'll be our little secret.
25. Raspberry Rose Tequila Kombucha
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy
Oh, you fancy, huh? Lace this drink with the floral notes it deserves by making your own rose water at home (it's easier than you'd think).
26. Classic Cantarito Cocktail
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, low sugar
Also called the cazuela cocktail, this drink is sort of a mashup between a margarita and a paloma. It's less boozy than the former and less sweet than the latter, thanks to using three different types of citrus juice and grapefruit soda.
27. Blackberry Tequila Lemon Cooler
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Not a fan of blackberries? Feel free to swap in raspberries, blueberries, cherries or even peaches—the five-ingredient recipe is beyond forgiving and flexible.
28. Tequila Sunrise
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Proof that a little grenadine goes a long, long way. Your Instagram followers truly won't be able to keep themselves from double-tapping this classic.
29. Sparkling Strawberry Basil Limeade with Tequila
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
If you're pulling out all the stops, look no further than the tequila-lime ice cubes. They're as simple as chopping strawberries and limes, placing the pieces in an ice tray, filling the holes with lime juice and tequila and freezing.
30. Orange Turmeric Margaritas
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
You only need to work with turmeric once to figure out how easily it can stain your clothes and surfaces. Mix the cocktails on a baking sheet to save yourself the mess.
31. Aperol Paloma
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
A splash of Aperol turns the citrus factor up a few dozen notches, giving the cocktail a pleasantly robust, bitter orange flavor.
32. Frozen Mango Mojito-Rita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Bust out the blender for this one: Things are about to get frosty. Sweet frozen mango and acidic lime juice enhance the flavor of the fresh mint, while also curbing its intensity.
33. Pineapple-Lime Beer Margaritas
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Fresh pineapple juice + silver tequila + Mexican lager = the most refreshing sweet-and-sour summer bev of all time.
34. Fresh Fig Margaritas
Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Fair warning: You'll want to drink the three-ingredient fig simple syrup straight from the bottle. All it takes is water, sugar, fresh figs and lavender buds.
35. Mezcal Aperol Spritz
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Sure, this recipe calls for mezcal—an agave-based Mexican spirit known for its smokiness—but tequila is an excellent substitute in this cocktail if that's what you have on hand.
36. Pineapple Mint Julep Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
We know what you'll be sipping during the Kentucky Derby. (P.S.: See this expert mixologist's tips for keeping your mint garnish looking as fresh as possible.)
37. Tequila-Spiked Horchata
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
You know and love the iconic spiced rice milk drink. One sip of this grown-up rendition and you'll be transported straight to a Mexican beach.
