Blueberry Ginger Mint Frozen Margaritas

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Who doesn’t love a variation of a classic margarita recipe?
• Super simple to make and delicious
• This brings somewhat unusual ingredients to a simple frozen drink to really amp it up.
• It’s adaptable to many different tastes.
• Perfect homemade margarita for margarita lovers!

What tequila should I use for frozen margaritas?

What tequila you use in margaritas is definitely a personal preference. Really, there are three main choices – silver, añejo and reposado tequila. Mescal and sotol are not technically tequilas – and obviously neither is vodka – but we've heard of (and tried) all three of those being used in margaritas as well.

Back to talking about the true tequila, it really depends on what you are going for and what other ingredients you will be adding. If you don’t mind a yellowish/brownish tinge to your drink, you can use reposado or añejo. You can see from the photos that we did not use these this time, but we definitely do from time to time.

Añejo will be the tequila aged the most, usually the darkest and often the smoothest, but it is not as often used in margaritas. This is your sipping tequila.

If you are using a clear orange liqueur in addition to tequila (like many on the market or triple sec) and want the fresh color of your drink to remain that way – use a quality silver tequila. Honestly, we like them all except for cheap, poorly made silver tequilas that have a strong and unappealing “bite” and aroma that overpowers the essence of the cocktail.

If you have no idea what to use, get a decent silver tequila and start there, then work around some others and decide what you like best!

Ingredients

These frozen margaritas are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Here's what you need to add to your grocery list in order to make these fresh blueberry margaritas:

For the blueberry simple syrup:

• Fresh Blueberries: We made a blueberry simple syrup with fresh blueberries to add sweetness, flavor and color to this margarita. Making the syrup is so easy (instructions in the recipe card below), and it is good in a variety of cocktails in addition to this margarita. We store the simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for about a month - if it lasts that long.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar is the best choice for this simple syrup.
• Water: Water and sugar in equal parts gives this simple syrup a nice consistency.

For the Margaritas:

• Ginger: There is nothing that compares to the taste of fresh ginger, so we highly recommend buying a piece of ginger root from the grocery store and freshly mincing it for this recipe. The skin can easily be removed using a spoon and scraping the sides before finely chopping the ginger to add to the blender to further process it. One piece of ginger root will be plenty for this recipe. If you need another reason to use your ginger root, check out our Passionate Ginger Whiskey Cocktail.
• Fresh Limes: We add fresh lime juice to this recipe and we always recommend you skip any containers of juice and use the fresh stuff. We don't use any pre-packaged margarita mix in this Blueberry Ginger Mint Frozen Margarita! Also, a fresh lime wedge, or lime slice, always makes a great garnish.
• Mint: Fresh mint adds a little something special to this cocktail, and it makes a gorgeous garnish. Don't use extract.
• Orange liqueur: Orange liqueur should always be in a margarita - it is one of the ingredients that shouldn't be skipped for a good margarita in our opinion. We prefer Cointreau for this recipe, but triple sec or grand marnier are good options too.
• Tequila: And, the most important part, the tequila! We use a blanco tequila in this recipe because we want the base to stay light in color, but use your favorite tequila! No need to splurge on anything expensive, but don't grab the cheapest tequila on the shelf either. Casamigos or Herradura are good choices for margaritas.
• Ice Cubes: ​To make this a blended drink, you need ice cubes to get the perfect consistency.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Blueberries: You can use frozen berries if fresh blueberries aren't in season - just make sure you defrost the blueberries before making the simple syrup.
• Ginger Root: Fresh ginger root is great, but there is also a ginger paste that can be found in Asian supermarkets. It is a perfect substitution.
• Cointreau: Any orange-flavored liqueur, such as a quality triple sec, Grand Marnier, or many others will work in place of Cointreau.

This is a simple recipe but elevated with a few ingredients. Once the simple syrup has been made, everything simply goes into the blender and you’ve got your party started!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make these delicious blueberry margaritas.

• Blender
• Margarita glasses

Don't forget the bar tools! Find our favorite bar accessories HERE!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Simple Syrup

• Add blueberries, ½ cup of the sugar and ¼ cup of water to a saucepan over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Remove and pour through a fine sieve.
• Pour strained blueberry juice back into the saucepan with ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water (equal parts) over medium low heat for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside or place in the fridge to cool completely. Optionally, you can add a few mint leaves to the blueberries in the beginning to make a blueberry mint version of this simple syrup.

Make the Margaritas

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth consistency is achieved. Add more ice if you want a thicker consistency.
• Add ¼ cup blueberry syrup to the blender for a consistent color or add a few tablespoons in layers with the margarita base to a glass and swirl with a straw for a swirled look.
• Pour into margarita glasses and garnish with blueberries, mint and a lime wheel or wedge. Add salt or sugar to the rim of the glass before filling if desired (optional). 

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this fresh blueberry margarita recipe:

• Try making a simple syrup with a completely different fruit! Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or any number of fruits will work with the margarita base in this recipe. We love using strawberries and basil instead of mint for strawberry basil margaritas.
• Make it vodka based. Margaritas made with vodka have a cleaner flavor that will be welcomed by people who dislike tequila.

Storage

How to store frozen margaritas:

• Store the blueberry margarita mixture in a covered container in the freezer for up to a month.

Can you make frozen margaritas in advance?

• You can, but you may need to add more ice to get it back to the perfect consistency. After making the margarita, keep it in the freezer. When you remove it from the freezer, put in a blender and blend it back up! It will probably need to thaw some so take it out ahead of time. 

Troubleshooting

Too thick or too thin is usually the issue with frozen margs. We aren’t that picky about it as we love frozen and on-the-rocks margaritas.

Too thin? If your margaritas seem too thin, use more ice.

Too thick? If the margaritas are too thick, thin them out with one of the liquid ingredients, such as tequila.

What light bites to serve with Margaritas

Chips with salsa and guac come to mind right away! But any Mexican food favorite will be a hit with these drinks!

We also love serving these with Ancho Chile Corn and Poblano Crab Cakes or Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.