Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2024)

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This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish takes any co*cktail from meh to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it.

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (1)

Looking to amp up your margaritas? This margarita salt is the best way to transform your glass from meh to marvelous. And it’s seriously simple too! Alex and I made this margarita salt as part of our Frozen Margaritas, but we realized that it would be just about perfect for any you decide to make. From now on, we’ll be adding it to our Classic Margarita and Lemon Margarita (and maybe even our Paloma, too). Keep reading for all there is to know about margarita salt!

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2)

What is margarita salt?

Margarita salt is the salt added to the rim of a margarita glass. Why is a margarita served with salt? Well, salt intensifies the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. It makes the sour seem brighter, making the overall drink experience that much more pleasurable.

There are lots of store-bought brands of margarita salt out there. But why buy your own when you can make it at home? It’s seriously easy to make, and you don’t end up with random half-used containers lying around.

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (3)

How to make margarita salt

This recipe could not be simpler (literally). Here’s how to make margarita salt:

  1. Place kosher salt, lime zest and orange zest on a cutting board. (Scroll down to the recipe for the exact quantities).
  2. Crush them together using a rolling pin.

That’s it! Now, some recipes will call for drying out the citrus zest in the oven or doing other fancy things. In our testing, we found it’s not necessary: it really is this simple. Store your margarita salt in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month. (It will probably last longer than that; we’re being conservative here.)

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (4)

How to make the perfect margarita salt rim

You might think that making a margarita salt rim wouldn’t have tips and tricks: but like anything in food and drink, it does! Here are our tips to making the perfect rim:

  1. Spread the salt on a plate in an even layer.
  2. Take a lime wedge and cut a notch in the middle: then slide it around the rim of the glass. This perfectly moistens the glass rim without having to use your fingers!
  3. To rim the glass, you’ll want the salt on the outside of the glass only, not the inside where it can fall into the drink. To do this, tilt the glass so that only the outside edge goes into the salt.
  4. Shake off any loose salt into the sink.

What kind of salt for a margarita is best?

The best type of salt to use for a margarita we’ve found is kosher salt. We like the size of the grains and the flavor that it brings. If you’d like to use sea salt for this recipe, you can do this as well. However, do not even think about using iodized table salt! The flavor of this type of salt is much too intense for rimming your drinks.

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Best Margarita Salt Recipe (5)

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Best Margarita Salt Recipe (6)

Best Margarita Salt Recipe

★★★★★5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Sonja
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: ¼ cup 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish takes any co*cktail from meh to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Zest of 1/2 orange

Instructions

  1. Zest the lime. Zest the orange.
  2. Place all ingredients on a cutting board and crush them together using a rolling pin. Break any large pieces of zest with your fingers.
  3. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Margarita Salt, Margarita salt rim, What is margarita salt, What kind of salt for margarita

Looking for other drink recipes?

And a few more popular drink recipes over here, sans alcohol:

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  • Lavender Lemon Spritzer
  • Sparkling Blood Orange Rosemary Water
  • Best Pourover Coffee
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  • How to Make Kombucha
  • Fruit Infused Water Recipe
  • Lemon Water Recipe
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  • Lime Water Recipe with Mint

vegan vegetarian gluten free

Published on / Last updated on

Categorized In:

  • co*cktails
  • Drink Recipes
  • Recipes

Tagged with:

  • co*cktail
  • Dairy-Free
  • Drinks
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Margarita
  • Plant-Based
  • Recipe
  • Salt
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes

About the authors

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (7)

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

About Us

Best Margarita Salt Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best salt for margaritas? ›

What Is The Best Salt For Margarita Rim? The best salt to use is kosher salt, which is more coarse and won't dissolve quickly as table salt will. However, several variations from spicy salt to flavored salt are available today, giving the kosher standard a run for its money.

What is the best salt to rim a glass with? ›

To Rim a Glass

Flaky sea salt, such as neutral Maldon or Himalayan pink salt, is the bartender go-to for rimming glasses. Slightly large, coarse grains may work best for glass rims, marshall notes, as they tend to have less moisture and therefore stay crystallized longer.

Is pink Himalayan salt good for margaritas? ›

Himalayan salt also known as pink rock salt is becoming popular among people who like margaritas because of its unique qualities. These rosy-colored crystals not only make your margarita look nice but they also add just the right amount of crunch.

What kind of salt goes with tequila? ›

Ingredients for a Shot of Tequila

Here's our easy but delightful recipe: Pinch of kosher salt or sea salt. 1 1/2 ounces of Olmeca Gold Tequila. Lime or lemon wedge.

What is the secret ingredient in margaritas? ›

We'll just tell you upfront: The secret to a tasty margarita is freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled stuff) and—here's the real secret—a splash of fresh OJ. That's right. Fresh-squeezed juice from an actual orange (not an orange-flavored liqueur) will produce a cleaner-tasting, more refreshing margarita.

What margarita mix do most restaurants use? ›

Lasco was there from the beginning, perfecting a margarita mix that helped make restaurants and food service operators famous the world over. The Lasco margarita is the perfect blend of lemon and lime, sweet and sour, And our natural ingredients will not leave an aftertaste like other mixes.

Is triple sec or Grand Marnier better for margaritas? ›

Both Grand Marnier and Cointreau are excellent replacements for Triple Sec when making a Margarita. In fact, both of these are significantly more expensive and are considered to be better than inexpensive Triple Sec both in quality and taste.

What do bartenders use to salt rim? ›

The most familiar item to rim a glass with is probably the salt you find on a margarita, but you can use the same principle with sugar, cocoa powder or nibs, chili powder, dried or fresh herbs, or wherever your imagination takes you.

How do you make a perfect salt rim? ›

Simply moisten a co*cktail napkin or paper towel and wipe it along the outside of the rim. Next, pour some of your salt/sugar mixture into a small plate or bowl. Take your moistened glass, tilt it at a 45-degree angle, and lightly roll the outside of it through the mix.

What do bartenders use to make salt stick to glass? ›

Citrus – traditionally Lime juice is used as the glue to stick the salt to the glass. You can also use Lemon juice.

Do you lick the salt before or after margarita? ›

Take a lime wedge and stick it onto the rim of your glass on top of the salt. Tell your guests that they can squeeze the lime into the margarita or keep it as a garnish. Lick the salt off the rim as you drink your margarita.

Why is my margarita so salty? ›

First, it acts as a flavor enhancer, creating a perfect balance between the tartness of the lime and the robustness of the tequila. Second, the saltiness can help to cut through the sweetness of any fruit-flavored margaritas, providing a savory contrast that elevates the overall drinking experience.

What is the proper glass for a margarita? ›

Another specialty drink with its own unique glassware, Margaritas were traditionally served in a margarita glass; a “stepped-diameter variant of a co*cktail glass.” These may be rarely seen in general bars and homes, as it has become the norm to serve margaritas in many other vessels, from pint glasses to double Old ...

What is special about Himalayan pink salt? ›

Pink Himalayan salt contains detoxifying properties and may help to remove toxins from the skin, and thus may have some effect for clean and soft skin. It may keep the skin hydrated that makes it appear young and fresh. One of the reasons for acne is an imbalance in the skin pH.

Can you use regular salt to rim a margarita? ›

Salt: Use kosher salt, sea salt, or celery salt for your co*cktail's salt rim. Avoid using iodized table salt, which clumps together and has an overly strong flavor.

What is the difference between kosher and sea salt? ›

Size: Kosher salt is large, and because it's industrially processed, it's more uniform in size. Sea salt crystals can be fine, flaky, chunky or coarse. Appearance: Kosher salt crystals are coarse and pebble-shaped, whereas sea salt is more delicate and crystals can take on a flaky or pyramid-like shape.

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