Savor the taste of sweet and salty in this Frozen Mango Margarita—a frozen treat that blends ice with Margarita staples tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur.
The details of the original Margarita’s creation is up for debate. In one corner is Carlos “Danny” Herrera. He worked as a bartender in Tijuana, Mexico. In the late 1930s/early 1940s, Danny had a customer named Marjorie King whom Danny obviously must have had a soft spot for. According to some, Danny immortalized her by naming his new drink after her. Others scoff at that explanation and instead credit Margaret “Margarita” Sames, who supposedly served it to guests while on vacation in Acapulco.
We like to think both played a role in the drink’s creation and enduring popularity. That popularity spread north, into the U.S. We’re willing to bet it was here that the addition of mango was conceived—by whom, we’re not sure, though we’d like to thank them for producing a salty and sweet cocktail that is perfect for girls’ nights in, fancy nights out, and all points in between.
How Do I Choose The Right Mango?
You may or may not know this but there are a few varieties of mango. We’ll go over each one then offer some tips on what to look for when shopping for that special fruit.
Ataulfo (Honey or Champagne) Mango: The Ataulfo mango checks all the boxes. It is creamy, sweet, bears a bright yellow color, and lacks fibrous strings, so its texture will blend smoothly. This is a good entry point to the world of blended mangoes.
Kent Mango: Like the Ataulfo variety but bigger and maybe even juicier. It’s not as smooth as the Ataulfo and has a distinct “tropical” flavor (you’ll know it when you taste it) but still makes for a great smoothie.
Tommy Atkins Mango: No idea who Tommy was but his name is attached to a ubiquitous mango with a tangy flavor. It’s the most fibrous of the lot, so if you’re not big on that stringy sensation when sipping your drinks, avoid this one.
As for choosing a “good” mango, give it a firm squeeze. It should give a little under pressure but not to the extent it feels like your thumb is going to push right through the skin. Before adding the mango to the blender, sample a small chunk to ensure it meets your taste buds’ standards.
What is the Best Tequila to Use?
First, a little background on tequila. Tequila comes from the fermented juices of the blue agave plant, which comes from the town of Tequila, located in the Jalisco region of Mexico. Legally, it’s the only place proper tequila can be distilled. During this process, strict attention is paid to age and color:
- Blanco (silver) is light in color and taste. When you don’t want the tequila to overpower the other ingredients in your cocktail, use this.
- Reposado is an amber tequila. It is a nice middle ground between blanco and the anejo, both in age and color. Not as light and mild as the former, not as dark and bold as the latter. It spends two months to a year aging in oak casks.
- Añejo and Extra Añejo (aged and extra aged, respectively) are for sipping, generally. Añejo is aged for one to three years while Extra Añejo surpasses three.
So, with this in mind, I would recommend the blanco so that your taste buds can focus on the mango, but it really is a matter of preference.
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mango
- 2 ounces tequila
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce orange liqueur (e.g., triple sec)
- 1 cup crushed ice
- salt (for rimming)
- lime wheel (for garnish)
Instructions
- Using a lime wedge, wet the rim of your glass and dip it into the salt. Set aside for serving.
- In a blender, combine the tequila, mango, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice. Blend on a high setting until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into your prepared glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Nutrition
Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect Frozen Mango Margarita
- If you would like something more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill triple sec, try Cointreau, which is a premium orange liqueur.
- If you would like something more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill Cointreau, try Grand Marnier, which blends orange liqueur with brandy.
- Use fresh lime juice to avoid the additives and synthetic taste of pre-packaged juices.
- Feel free to use frozen mango if you can’t place a hand on fresh fruit. Going this route will also aid in creating a slushy texture.
- If you don’t find the cocktail sweet enough, use some simple syrup in the mix.
FAQs
Given this is still a margarita, tradition would dictate you use a margarita glass. It’s stemmed with a wide mouth and shallow bowl. That shallowness always wreaks havoc whenever I use a tray to carry several at once. But no matter. If you don’t have one, any stemmed glass will do. For a garnish, stick a mini-umbrella in there, along with a lime wedge, mango slice, and/or mint sprig. A rim wouldn’t seem out of place on a drink such as this. Use granulated sugar if you find the drink too tart, or a salt/chili mix for a spicy kick.
I usually pour the remnants of my cocktail back into the blender and store the entire jug in the fridge—but only if I know I’ll be coming back to it in a matter of hours. If I want to keep it around longer, I’ll pour the margarita into airtight containers then store them in the freezer, being sure to leave space at the top for expansion. To enjoy them once more, let them thaw slowly in the fridge overnight; this helps maintain that slushy consistency. Then blend them once again, perhaps adding a bit more ice to get that ‘chill’ factor where it needs to be.
There are 225 calories in this cocktail, a majority of which comes from the tequila. To lower this number, shop around for a tequila that boasts fewer calories (it will surely be a blanco tequila).
Of course. If you’re going this route, I recommend adding your ingredients to a shaker with ice and going to town for 30 seconds to ensure everything is properly mixed and chilled. Then pour over ice cubes into your glass.
Did you use enough ice? If not, try blending it with more. Another trick is to add something like honey or agave nectar, which should thicken (and sweeten) the cocktail.
Other Margarita Recipe Variations
- Frozen Mango Margarita Mocktail: Drop the tequila and triple sec and add a splash of orange juice.
- Texas Margarita: Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, orange juice, and simple syrup
- Frozen Margarita: Is it a particularly hot day where you are? Then you’ll want to chill it up with a Margarita that blends its ingredients with ice.
- Strawberry Margarita: You can infuse your margaritas with a sweetness only strawberries can provide.
- Pomegranate Margarita: I pass pomegranates at the grocery store all the time. With this recipe, I finally have a reason to pick one up!
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