This past weekend, Southern California saw its first signs of summer with temperatures reaching 90°F and higher. Although I was looking forward to working on a new bundt cake recipe (I’m thinking lemon-raspberry), I could not make myself or my family suffer by turning the oven on, and decided to forgo baking altogether. Since it’s been quite some time that I’ve shared a new cocktail recipe - it’s been a YEAR since I posted my Tangerine Margaritas recipe - I figured there was no better time than the present to share another margarita recipe that is very near and dear to my heart: frozen strawberry margaritas.
I have a long history with frozen strawberry margaritas in that my love for them comes from my mom’s side of the family. Growing up, when my mom, her three sisters and my grandma would all be together, which was usually once a year during Christmas/New Year’s Eve time, they would celebrate by making tons of food, dancing like crazy, and most importantly, making batches of blended strawberry margaritas. Those memories, of when my whole family was together and having such a great time, are some of my most cherished from my childhood. So when I was of legal age and finally able to try my very first frozen strawberry margarita, I was brought back to those happy memories where I was playing with my cousins, dancing with my aunts and watching my grandma (who sadly passed away when I was 11) cook and bake up a storm. I guess it’s funny to associate a cocktail with my childhood because obviously I didn’t drink them then, but to me it symbolizes a time when life was easy and fun, and I had no worries in the world. And I don’t know about you, but I think we could all use a reminder of that right now.
And so that’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to continue the tradition of making frozen strawberry margaritas whenever I have a big group of friends around. Over the years, I have lugged my blender with me (yes, I always bring my own blender with me on mini-trips… never trust that an Airbnb has a good one!) to birthday celebrations in Big Bear, bachelorette parities in Palm Springs and our countless Fourth of July vacations in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am that person who will immediately get into the kitchen upon arrival and get straight away to blending up a big batch to pass out to everyone. And when I notice people are running low, I’ll make another batch (and another). It isn’t about getting drunk (well, maybe that’s what it’s about for some people); it’s about creating memories with the ones you care about and the margaritas just so happen to be there when it all goes down.
But if I’m being perfectly honest, I had always made my frozen strawberry margaritas using Costco margarita mix, which is equal parts cheap, convenient and delicious. I have no shame in using margarita mix, but if I were to share a recipe with you that said “go to Costco and buy a mix”, I would consider myself a huge phony. So, I figured out the right ingredients and measurements to make your own mix and I gotta admit, it’s much more delicious and fresher than the store bought version (like that should come as a surprise to no one). The only thing that is kind of a hassle is the squeezing of limes, since fresh lime juice is vital to a good margarita. To fix that problem, I suggest investing in a citrus squeezer, which I actually included in my Gift Guide for Christmas last year.
Frozen Strawberry Margaritas
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 oz. tequila (your choice on what kind, but I prefer blanco)
6 oz. fresh lime juice
4 oz. Cointreau or triple sec
2 oz. agave nectar
8 oz. frozen whole strawberries
3-4 cups of ice
Directions
Salt the rims of your desired glasses and set aside (this is optional but recommended to counter the sweetness of the margarita).
Add all ingredients to a large blender and blend until smooth. Pour into prepared glasses and enjoy immediately.
If you have extra margarita, store it in the freezer. If it becomes too frozen over time, simply re-blend to break it up.