Back in my city girl days, my girlfriends and I would often do happy hour at this fun spot called Zócalo on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. They serve a skinny spicy margarita that is the perfect way to wind down and cool off after a long day at the office. Now, I live 40 minutes from a restaurant that serves a skinny spicy marg, if I want one, I’m going to have to make it myself! And, that’s this take on a skinny spicy marg came to be!
The HIH skinny spicy margarita comes in about 200 calories less than a traditional 8 oz. margarita, and almost 1/2 the added sugar. The skinny spicy mix infuses store bought Simply brand limeade with jalapeno or serrano peppers and a splash of Simply brand light orange juice. It’s delightfully tart, sweet-ish, and spicy all at the same time.
By infusing the spicy peppers into the mix, the decision on whether you’d like to have a cocktail or a mocktail can be made at anytime. Many spicy marg recipes infuse the peppers in the tequila. This recipe gives you the flexibility to do both from the same batch, that’s a win in my book!
Whether I’m going with a margarita or mock-a-rita, I like to top my drink with a splash of lime sparkling water. Lemon lime soda would work as well if you prefer something sweeter. The touch of effervescence from the carbonation takes to the peak of refreshment. Serve your cocktail along side the HIH Sweet Corn + Shrimp Salad or HIH Birria Tacos and you’re set!
Rim the Glass
If you prefer your margaritas without a salt rim, you could skip this part, BUT, below I’ll add some salt rim alternatives to take your at home cocktail or mocktail game over the top! Often times when we’re watching calories, we’re also watching sodium. Two of the three options here will have a lower sodium content than a straight salt rim. Here are my top 3 margarita rims.
- Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning. I’m two hours from a Trader Joe’s, BUT, I can get it shipped to me with my Walmart Plus membership! It’s a great seasoning for fajitas as well.
- Tajin. Tajin is the original chili lime seasoning blend that inspired the Trader Joe’s blend. It’s a bit saltier than the Trader Joe’s blend, which is why it ranks second for me. You can find this on most grocery store shelves in the ethnic food aisle.
- Course Himalayan Pink Salt. If you’re a margarita purist when it comes to what rims your glass, give this pink salt a try. Pink salt has more minerals than your typical white table salt. Plus, it gives a nice aesthetic boost as a complimentary color to green.
While we’re on the topic of glasses, for me, a margarita is best enjoyed outside on a shaded patio or by a pool or beach. That said, something shatterproof is necessary. These shatterproof NuGlass tumblers from Walmart are AMAZING, perfect for enjoying a beverage outdoors without the worry of shattered glass. This recipe also happens to fill the set of 6 perfectly!
Skinny Spicy Margarita OR Mock-a-rita
Equipment
- 1 gallon pitcher with lid
- 1 cocktail shaker
- 1 chef's knife
Ingredients
Skinny Spicy Mix
- 32 oz Simply Limeade
- 4 oz Simply Light Orange Juice
- 2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, sliced thin
For Margarita
- 12 oz blanco tequila
- tajin or salt for rim
- splash sparkling lime flavored water, or lemon lime soda (zero or low calorie)
For Mock-a-rita
- tajin or salt for rim
- splash sparkling lime flavored water, or lemon lime soda (zero or low calorie)
Instructions
Skinny Spicy Mix
- In a 1 gallon pitcher or container, combine all skinny spicy mix ingredients, stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Give the mix an occasional stir or shake during this time.
For Margarita (8 oz)
- Wet the rim of a 14 oz tumbler with water or lime wedge, dip the wet rim into your salt or tajin and fill with ice.
- In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 2 oz tequila and 6 oz of the skinny spicy mix. Seal the shaker and shake to combine. Strain into the rimmed glass filled with ice. Carefully top off the remainder of the glass with the sparkling water and give a gentle stir with a stir stick or straw.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and sliced pepper.
For Mock-a-rita
- Wet the rim of a 14 oz tumbler with water or lime wedge, dip the wet rim into your salt or tajin and fill with ice.
- Pour 7-8 oz of the skinny spicy mix into the the rimmed glass filled with ice. Carefully top off the remainder of the glass with the sparkling water and give a gentle stir with a stir stick or straw.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and sliced pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Extra Skinny
The store bought limeade from Simply is super convenient, but stills contain a fair amount of sugar. If you’re really looking to cut out sugar try this:
- 3/4 cup lime juice (5 ish limes)
- 1 tablespoon liquid stevia or monk fruit
- 3 cups water
Add a fresh squeezed orange and the peppers and you’ll have a cocktail that comes in at under 150 calories with 0 grams of added sugar!
Affilliate disclosure: Honey, I’m Hungry is a member of SkimLinks, an affiliate advertising program which allows me to link to a number of reputable websites as a mean of earning advertising fees. Affiliate links will begin like this: https://go.skimresources.com…..
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