Strawberry habanero margaritas are a combination of juicy sweet and spicy heat. Naturally sweetened with fresh fruit, these are the margaritas to celebrate summer!
recipe originally published June 4, 2012
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Why you'll love this recipe
Everyone loves a margarita, and these strawberry habanero margaritas bring a spicy sweet option when you want something a little different. This recipe also makes a delicious strawberry margarita, without any spicy peppers at all.
If you actively seek out spicy flavors like my husband does, add as many habaneros as you can handle! If you like just a bit of warm spicy flavor, start small. Continue reading for tips on safe handling of peppers, and how to reduce the heat for a less spicy margarita.
Prepping spicy hot peppers
Prepping habaneros and any hot pepper should be done with care. Trust me, I know this from experience. Honestly, more than one experience.
My first tip is to wear restaurant quality food prep gloves. We have these in our home kitchen, and they come in handy more than you might think.
Also, most of the heat from peppers comes from the seeds and membranes. If you want just a bit of spicy flavor in your strawberry margarita, start with one habanero pepper, and remove the seeds and membranes.
If habanero sounds to spicy, start with a jalapeño margarita.
How to make a skinny margarita
A skinny margarita uses fresh fruit juice in place of the traditional margarita ingredients of sugary liquors. This strawberry habanero margarita uses only fresh fruit and coconut water, so it qualifies as skinny in my kitchen.
To further decrease the calories in this margarita, use club soda in place of part or all of the coconut water. There are no calories or sugar in basic club soda, so this bubbly beverage is an easy way to cut calories in your cocktails.
Foods to serve with margaritas
I love an icy cold margarita with some chips and dip, like this chorizo queso. If you love spicy, this mango habanero guacamole is a perfect pairing for habanero margaritas.
For those warm summer dinners on the patio, Tex Mex cucumber boats are the ideal light and fresh dinner. Cheesy Hatch chile enchiladas and taco stuffed baked potatoes are perfect pairings for margaritas any time of year.
Did you make this habanero margarita?
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Strawberry Habanero Margaritas
A combination of juicy sweet and spicy heat, these margaritas are naturally sweetened with fresh fruit.
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cleaned
- 2 fresh habanero peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 2 fresh limes
- 8 ounces coconut water
- 3 ounces tequila
Instructions
- Add strawberries and habanero to a blender jar, reserving 2 strawberries for garnish.
- Purée strawberries and peppers until smooth.
- Add coconut water and tequila, pulse until combined.
- Pour into two glasses with one ice cube each.
- Garnish with a whole strawberry.
Notes
Prepping spicy hot peppers
Prepping habaneros and any hot pepper should be done with care.
Wear restaurant quality food prep gloves. We have these in our home kitchen, and they come in handy more than you might think.
Also, most of the heat from peppers comes from the seeds and membranes. If you want just a bit of spicy flavor in your strawberry margarita, start with one habanero pepper, and remove the seeds and membranes.
If habanero sounds to spicy, start with a jalapeño margarita.
How to make a skinny margarita
A skinny margarita uses fresh fruit juice in place of the traditional margarita ingredients of sugary liquors. This strawberry habanero margarita uses only fresh fruit and coconut water, so it qualifies as skinny in my kitchen.
To further decrease the calories in this margarita, use club soda in place of part or all of the coconut water. There are no calories or sugar in basic club soda, so this bubbly beverage is an easy way to cut calories in your cocktails.
Foods to serve with margaritas
I love an icy cold margarita with some chips and dip, like this chorizo queso. If you love spicy, this mango habanero guacamole is a perfect pairing for habanero margaritas.
For those warm summer dinners on the patio, Tex Mex cucumber boats are the ideal light and fresh dinner. Cheesy Hatch chile enchiladas and taco stuffed baked potatoes are perfect pairings for margaritas any time of year.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1 margaritaAmount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 135mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 8gSugar: 14gProtein: 4g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
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Nichole says
Spicy and sweet - this is a fantastic plus up to a classic margarita!
spabettie says
yep - our new summer drink! 😀
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
you know just how to tempt my tastebuds in the morning! hahaa those look delicious and that color is stunning! thanks for sharing!
spabettie says
you could make a tequila-less one for breakfast... 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? These look AWESOME!
spabettie says
indeed it is!
jobo says
Gasp NOT like strawberries?! Glad that changed 😉 and minus the habernero, since I'm a spice wuss, this looks ridiculous. MUST TRY (again...)!
spabettie says
I am glad too - I'm now making up for all that I missed out on. and honestly, the habanero is sorta subtle - you don't really taste it until the end... like an after - heat. 🙂
Allie says
Yeaaah, I've had some bad spicy fingers + face experiences too. Dangerous stuff! Had a raspberry margarita this weekend and it was uh-maze-ing. Could have used some hot pepper, though!
spabettie says
oh, Allie it was crazy. somehow it got all around my eye, I couldn't open my eye and the skin around was burning. for several minutes I was honestly wondering WHAT I should do... was I going to have to go to urgent care? would I cause permanent damage? I was in pain! then it happened again the next day. seriously, I cannot be left alone. 😉
I thought about using raspberries in these, I had them too. maybe next time!
Allie says
I hear smart people use rubber kitchen gloves while chopping up spicy foods. Seems like a good/logical choice. If only I'd remember to do that some time ;D
spabettie says
haa haaa.... yeah, no. I thought I was smart... and honestly, there are very few things I can do with gloves on! like, skiing. that's about it! 😉
Jess says
Oh man, I have been dying to find a good fresh-ingredient-style margarita recipe. This one is PERFECT!! I can't wait to try it (and I'll make the hubs chop the habernero, thankyouverymuch LOL)
spabettie says
yes, have him chop... but seriously, tell him to SCRUB like he's going into surgery. then scrub again. pour lemon juice on hands after that. scrub all knives and surfaces. it's a crazy horrible pain otherwise. but then you get a margarita after... 😉
lindsay says
we had one of those too! pies, grilled cheese, mac n' cheese, chicken fried steak. Yea, heart attacks on a platter, but a good platter. haha. I love strawberries and spice, so yes, pour me a glass.
spabettie says
oh, Linds, I wish you were here to enjoy these with! XXO
katie says
Strawberries are the BEST!!!!!!!!!
I want a margarita at 9 am over here 😉 Its 5 o clock somewhere! Ha!
Happy Monday!
Thinking of your dad today! <3
spabettie says
ha - you could make one without tequila... ? or just wait a couple hours 😉
and thank you. really. your support and the fact that you remember today is a big day, all means so much. I love you!
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
what??? Not liking strawberries??? That's just crazy talk 😉
spabettie says
okay, missy. I won't bring up not liking chocolate. OOPS, just did. 😉
Heather @ Better With Veggies says
You always know what to make to draw me in -- habanero, strawberry, and tequila?! Fantastic Combo. I would add to your warnings not to try to take a bite of the pepper "because it looks so good" - that's is a stupid mistake (especially if using dehydrated peppers). 😉
spabettie says
haa, oooh NO. you didn't! I cannot even imagine that pain. in your mouth, all down your throat, in your stomach? geez.
once I sat and de-seeded a whole bag of dehydrated chile arbol (we brought back from Mexico... those were HOT) and the next day my hands hurt SO bad! like, achey inside pain as well as the burning skin pain. weird. I must like to learn the hard way, right? 😉