Let’s be honest: avoiding alcohol altogether is a great way to save money, especially if you’re going out to bars and restaurants a lot. While cocktails are delicious, they’re not a necessity and definitely fall under the “treat yourself” category. However, if you’re looking for a unique adult beverage at home that won’t break the bank, give my refreshing Avocado Margarita a try! Avocado in a cocktail might sound weird, but don’t knock it ’til you try it! It was the signature drink at my former restaurant, too, and it’s perfect for Cinco De Mayo, summer cookouts, or your next taco Tuesday!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
Easy Recipe for Avocado Margaritas
Get ready to experience a flavor explosion like no other; this avocado margarita cocktail is seriously creamy, tangy, and subtly sweet. I like to use airplane bottles instead of buying a whole bottle of alcohol—it’s a great way to save money if you don’t imbibe often. Depending on the liquor store, you can usually find some pretty good quality tequila in small quantities. This margarita is full of flavor thanks to the citrus zest, ripe avocado, and fresh cilantro, so buying a cheaper tequila won’t be as noticeable, flavor-wise. Or, you can leave the tequila out altogether and still enjoy a super satisfying mocktail version!
Avocado Margarita Recipe
This creamy Avocado Margarita is made with ripe avocado, fresh citrus, and a splash of tequila for a unique twist on the classic cocktail.
Prevent your screen from going dark
- ½ avocado ($0.50)
- 1 large navel orange (1/3 cup orange juice + 2 tsp orange zest, divided) ($0.77)
- 1-2 limes (3 Tbsp lime juice + 2 tsp lime zest) ($0.50)
- 2 airplane bottles of Blanco tequila* ($1.98)
- 2 Tbsp agave syrup** ($0.28)
- 2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro + extra for garnish ($0.03)
- 2 cups ice ($0.00)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.01)
-
Pit and remove flesh from 1 ripe avocado, dividing it into quarter segments to freeze. Freeze until solid.
-
Zest the orange and lime.
-
Once zested, juice both the orange and the lime. If your orange and lime aren’t juicy enough, you may need to pick up an extra of each, just to be safe. You need at least 1/3 cup orange juice and 3 Tbsp lime juice.
-
Add avocado, airplane bottles of tequila, orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest, lime juice, agave syrup (or honey), a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, and ice to a blender and blend until very smooth.
-
Combine remaining 1 tsp orange zest, lime zest and salt.
-
Rim 2 rocks glasses by twirling the top of the glass in any leftover remnants of citrus juice. (If you don’t have any juice left, brushing the rim of the glasses with a little bit of agave syrup or honey with your finger will help the salt and zest stick!)
-
Then, twirl the glass rims in the salt and zest mixture.
-
Fill each glass with avocado margarita. Garnish with a little extra fresh cilantro and a slice of lime if you have extra on hand.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
**Honey will also work in the same amount.
This recipe works best in a fixed-blade blender. I used a blender with removable blades at the studio, and while it worked, I had to scrape down the sides of the blender often so the blades would catch the mixture.
Serving: 1margaritaCalories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSodium: 1181mgFiber: 4g
Read our full
nutrition disclaimer here.
how to make an Avocado Margarita step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Freeze the avocado: Remove the flesh from ½ an avocado and divide it into quarter segments. Place the avocado quarters into a zip-top bag and freeze until solid. It can take around 1.5-2 hours for the avocado to freeze fully.
I actually had a whole avocado today and decided to freeze it all (I used ½ for making this recipe and saved the rest in the freezer). Freezing keeps the avocado nice and green, and I can use the other half for another batch of these margs or an avocado smoothie in the future!
Zest the citrus: Carefully zest 1 large navel orange and 1-2 limes. I usually get about 1 Tbsp of zest from a large navel orange and 2 tsp of zest from a large lime. You need 2 tsp of orange zest and 2 tsp lime zest total for this recipe (avoid zesting the white pith underneath the peel as this is bitter…it’s just the colorful peel we want!)
Juice the citrus: Once zested, juice your orange and lime(s). You need 1/3 cup of orange juice and 3 Tbsp of lime juice. I like to have a spare orange and lime on hand just in case my citruses aren’t juicy enough.
Blend: Add ½ a frozen avocado, 2 airplane bottles of tequila, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 2 Tbsp agave syrup or honey, a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, and 2 cups ice to your blender.
Blend until the mixture is smooth and has no large lumps of avocado or ice.
Make the rim: Mix together the remaining 1 tsp orange zest, 2 tsp lime zest, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl.
Now, press 2 rocks glasses into any leftover citrus juice. If you don’t have any juice left, use your finger to brush the rims with a little agave or honey.
Twirl the glass rims into the zest and salt mix. The juice/agave on the rim will help it stick and make a delicious zesty-salty garnish!
Serve: Pour your homemade avocado margaritas into each glass. I had some leftover cilantro and lime slices, so I used them to garnish my glasses. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
- During my recipe testing, I found 1 large orange typically yields around 1 Tbsp zest and 1 large lime yields about 2 tsp zest. Zest carefully! You just want the fragrant, colorful part of the lime and orange peel, not the white pith underneath, which can be overly bitter.
- Room-temperature citruses release their juices much easier than cold ones! Let your orange and limes sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before juicing. You can also microwave them for about 20 seconds to warm them up if they’re cold from the fridge.
- This avocado margarita recipe can be made without tequila; just substitute the tequila for additional orange juice. If you’re one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you could use mint instead.
- Be sure to wash your orange, limes, and cilantro before using them, especially since you’ll be zesting and blending.
- And most importantly, make sure your avocado is ripe! A ripe avocado should give slightly when you gently press the skin.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy avocado margarita is made to pair with a fun, flavor-packed spread! I love starting things off with my air fryer tortilla chips—they’re super crispy and perfect for scooping up my hearty black bean dip, which is creamy and protein-packed. If you’re feeling cheesy, our queso fundido is melty, bubbly, and totally irresistible when paired with the homemade tortilla chips. For something more filling, I think you’ll love our budget-friendly ground beef fajitas, which are loaded with peppers and onions, or our saucy chicken enchiladas.
