Refreshing, sweet, and a little tart, this Prickly Pear Margarita is perfect for warm temps! Using fresh prickly pear fruit, this cocktail is bright and juicy. The flavor is reminiscent of watermelon and pear, and the squeeze of lime adds the perfect tang. You’ll love this fun and fresh twist on a classic margarita!
Prickly Pear Margarita Recipe
I cannot get over how good this Prickly Pear Margarita is! The flavor is so unique and the color is stunning. Other recipes call for a store-bought syrup, which is totally fine in a pinch, but using the fresh fruit to make a prickly pear simple syrup was much easier than I thought it would be and adds SO much flavor!
The white tequila is bright, the Triple Sec orange flavor accents the cactus fruit without overpowering it, and the squeeze of lime brings it all together. Whether you’re making a margarita for a warm weekend drink, or sipping one by the pool, you’ll enjoy every ounce of this refreshing spring and summer cocktail!
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What Are Prickly Pears?
Prickly Pears are the fruit of the prickly pear cactus plant. This fruit grows on the paddles of the cacti! They typically grow in the arid or desert regions of North and South America, but can often be found in grocery stores.
Once peeled, the fruit is bright pink and sweet, and mild in flavor. It’s common for them to be juiced and used in southwestern and Mexican cuisine. You’re going to love the flavor!
Ingredients
Making a Prickly Pear Margarita is pretty easy, especially when you have a beautiful, impressive cocktail to enjoy! Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
Syrup
- Prickly Pears – Look for these in the tropical or exotic fruit section of the produce department in your grocery store. If you’re unable to locate them, you can simply order prickly pear syrup online!
- Water, Lemon Juice, and Sugar – The water helps the fruit break down, the lemon juice balances the sweetness, and the sugar creates the syrup!
Margarita
- Blanco Tequila – You can use reposado tequila (tequila that has been aged a little longer) or your favorite type of tequila, but I think the crisp, fresh, herbal notes of white tequila, also known as blanco or silver tequila, make it the best tequila for this margarita.
- Prickly Pear Syrup – This provides the sweetness for the margarita, and the prickly pear flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount to your taste!
- Triple Sec – A sweet, orange liqueur that compliments all of the citrusy flavors in this margarita. You can substitute with Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or even fresh orange juice if needed.
- Lime Juice – This is optional but I found a little squeeze of fresh lime juice added the perfect acidity to balance the sweetness of the cocktail.
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How to Make a Prickly Pear Margarita
Prickly Pear Margaritas require just a few minutes of prep to make the syrup and everything comes together quickly! Here’s how to make a prickly pear margarita:
Prickly Pear Syrup
- Combine the peel fruit, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan and smash the fruit.
- Cook for a few minutes until the fruit is cooked down and the juice has been released.
- Strain out the seeds and pulp, return the juice to the saucepan, and stir in the sugar until it has completely dissolved.
- Set aside to cool.
Margarita
- Prepare your glass with 4-5 ice cubes.
- Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes and shake for 20-30 seconds.
- Strain and pour the margarita into your glass, serve, and enjoy!
Margarita Glass Rim & Garnish Ideas
Rim Ideas
- Salt & Chili Powder: Mix coarse salt with a pinch of chili powder for a rim that gives this margarita a bit of heat!
- TajÃn: This popular Mexican seasoning made of chili peppers, lime, and salt is perfect for adding a zesty and slightly spicy edge.
- Orange Sugar: The flavorful sugar rim from our Blood Orange Margarita recipe works so well for this prickly pear variation!
- Hibiscus Salt: Grind dried hibiscus flowers with salt for a floral and tart rim.
- Lime Zest & Salt: Mix lime zest into your salt for a classic margarita flavor.
Garnish Ideas
- Lime Wheel/Wedge: Classic and simple, lime adds a fresh look and taste.
- Prickly Pear Slice: Use thin slices or small wedges of prickly pear as a visually striking garnish that ties in with your drink’s flavor. The color is beautiful!
- Edible Flowers: Bright edible flowers such as marigolds or pansies can add a splash of color and sophistication.
- Fresh Mint or Basil: A sprig of mint or basil not only looks great but adds a refreshing aroma.
More Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love
- Blood Orange Margarita
- Pink Gin Sour
- St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail
- Valentine’s Day Cocktail
- Cranberry Orange Ginger Beer Cocktail
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Prickly Pear Margarita
Equipment
Ingredients
Prickly Pear Syrup
- 2 medium prickly pears peeled
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
Margarita
- 2 ounces blanco tequila
- 1-2 ounces prickly pear syrup
- 1 ounce triple sec or any orange liqueur
- 1 teaspoon lime juice squeeze of lime juice
Instructions
Prickly Pear Syrup (Makes for 4 Cocktails)
- In a small sauce pan, combine the prickly pears, water, and lemon juice.
- Smash the prickly pears with a potato masher or a whisk.
- Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, boiling the smashed fruit to release all of the juices.
- Strain the cooked prickly pear fruit to remove the seeds and pulp, and then return the strained juice to the saucepan.
- Add the sugar to the juice and return to the heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove the syrup from heat and let it cool.
Margarita
- Rim a glass with a salt or sugar rim (optional) and fill with ice cubes.
- Add the margarita ingredients to a cocktail shaker with 4-5 ice cubes and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
- Strain into the prepared glass, serve, and enjoy!
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We have prickly pears growing on our cactus in the backyard. As soon as they ripen, I’ll be making this margarita recipe. I know it’ll taste amazing!
What a fun drink for an outside party. Makes you feel like you are in the tropics. This will be a hit for sure.
I’ve never met a margarita I didn’t like and this prickly pear version was no exception! I’m always looking for recipes that feature unique fruit and this was by far my favourite featuring prickly pear.
Love everything about this cocktail! Prickly pears are my favorite so this is going to be my new favorite go-to drink, thank you! It’s delicious!
This looks so cool and refreshing! Such a pretty cocktail too! I’ve never had prickly pears before so I will have to look for that at the store next time.
It’s such a sweet and refreshing way to try prickly pear. Cheers to margaritas and summer. I loved this cocktail, and it’s so colorful too.
This is such a great flavor for a margarita! 🙂 And I am loving the color. Can’t wait to make this for myself soon.
I love a good margarita and I’m always looking for new flavor combinations to try and this prickly pear was absolutely refreshing and delicious!
I love prickly pear margs! My first time trying it was on a trip to Texas. I had a hard time finding fresh prickly pears, so I used store bought syrup I ordered online. It’s a delicious margarita recipe, I will be making it all summer long.
This is such a weird coincidence because I have so many prickly pears from my summer garden and after making jam I had no idea what to do with the rest! Making a prickly pear margarita is so original! I had no trouble making the syrup and the final drink is terrific. Thank you very much for the idea!