We made it to Friday, so I think we deserve a fresh, delicious, beautiful cocktail to close out the week. Don’t you think? I’ve had so much fun testing out new cocktail recipes over the past couple of years, and my favorites, by far, are margaritas.
This easy grapefruit margarita recipe is made with just 5 simple ingredients. We’re skipping the grapefruit juice concentrate and using freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (so good this time of year), then we’re topping our glasses with a tajín rim and dried grapefruit slices because you know we’re fancy like that.
In case you missed it, we share an easy tutorial for making dried citrus here.
I hope you LOVE this wonderful grapefruit margarita. Call up your friends and have a lovely weekend!
Everything you’ll need to make the best grapefruit margarita
You’ll often find ingredients like orange liqueur, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier in a classic margarita recipe to give it a boozy, citrus flavor, but this beautiful grapefruit margarita is made with just 5 simple ingredients for a fun, refreshing cocktail everyone will love! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Tequila: I prefer to use silver tequila, or tequila blanco, in my margarita recipes.
- Simple syrup: we’re sweetening this margarita with a little simple syrup, but agave nectar should also work. See below to learn how to make it yourself!
- Triple Sec: you can either add Triple Sec or a little more simple syrup for sweetness.
- Fresh juices: we’re squeezing in fresh lime juice and, of course, fresh grapefruit juice for a delicious, fruity taste. No pink grapefruit juice concentrate necessary.
- To serve: these are optional, but I love adding tajín to the rime and garnishing each glass with dehydrated grapefruit slices or a fresh grapefruit wedge!
How to make homemade simple syrup
A quick shortcut for simple syrup: shake equal parts granulated sugar and water (2 tablespoons each would be enough for 2 grapefruit margaritas) in a small jar for 1-2 minutes until the sugar dissolves. If you’re swapping the Triple Sec for more simple syrup, double the granulated sugar and water.
Jazz up your grapefruit margarita
If you love bubbly drinks, this easy grapefruit margarita is also delicious with a little club soda poured in!
Our favorite ways to garnish
You can use sea salt, but I really love adding tajín to the rim of the glasses when I make margaritas. Tajín is a Mexican spice blend that typically consists of dried, ground chilies, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice. It’s tangy, a little spicy, and the flavor is SO delicious paired with this fresh grapefruit margarita.
To rim your glass you’ll cut a wedge from a lime and rub the cut side of the lime along the rim of the glass. Pour tajín (or sea salt) onto a small plate and dip the wet glass rim into the tajín to coat it. Then make your cocktail and pour it right in! Don’t forget to top your drink with a dried grapefruit slice. Learn exactly how to make dried citrus here!
Delicious grapefruit margaritas in 3 steps
- Salt the rim. Before making the cocktail, add salt or tajín to the rim using the instructions above.
- Shake it up. Add all of the ingredients (besides garnishes) to a cocktail shaker or mason jar with 1/2 cup ice cubes. Shake it all up.
- Serve & enjoy! Add some ice to your glasses, then pour the margarita mixture, top with dried grapefruit rounds, and enjoy!
Can I make a bigger batch?
Absolutely! This recipe makes 2 margaritas as-is, so feel free to triple or quadruple this recipe to serve more guests.
Our favorite cocktail-making tools
- Shake it up with a cocktail shaker
- A simple strainer in case your shaker doesn’t have one
- I love using this hand juicer for all things juicing
- Cute margarita glasses like these or these
- A pitcher for serving a party
Get all of our go-to kitchen essentials here!
More amazing cocktail recipes
- Spicy Blood Orange Margarita
- Rebecca’s Mulled Wine
- Monique’s Naughty & Nice Holiday Punch
- Rebecca’s Pomegranate Margarita
- Palm Springs Cocktail
Get all of our cocktail recipes here!
I hope you love this grapefruit margarita recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
5-Ingredient Grapefruit Margarita
Ingredients
- For the margarita:
- 4 ounces silver tequila
- 1 ounce simple syrup* (2 tablespoons)
- 1 ounce Triple Sec (or replace with more simple syrup)
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (1/4 cup fresh lime juice)
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 1 cup ice
- For serving:
- Tajín (or sea salt) and a lime wedge for rimming the glass, if desired
- Fresh or dehydrated grapefruit slices
Instructions
- If you’d like to rim your glass, do this first. Cut a wedge from a lime and rub the cut side of the lime along the rim of your favorite glass. Pour tajín (or sea salt) onto a plate and dip the wet glass rim into the tajín to coat it.
- Add tequila, simple syrup, Triple Sec, fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice and ice to a cocktail shaker. Cover tightly, and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Pour the margarita into your rimmed glasses and garnish with fresh or dehydrated grapefruit slices. Cheers!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 20th, 2023, and republished on March 6th, 2025.
6 comments
Good cocktail recipes are hard to find and this is really great! I used jalapeño tequila for an extra kick. Thanks so much for sharing
Perfect! So glad you are loving this recipe, LOVE a good kick!
Love the idea of a jalapeno tequila!
I’m really interested in your recipe, I got it right the first time.
We were pleasantly surprised to find out we had almost everything on hand (thank you for the addition of how to make a super easy simple syrup!) I am not generally a fan of flavored margaritas, I like the traditional lime, but the combination of lime and grapefruit was a hit for both my husband and me!
Amazing! Glad you both enjoyed!