Frozen Blue Margarita
A frozen blue margarita made with tequila, blue curaçao and lime — a bright party drink sized for Margaritaville machines.
Jump to recipe ↓Blue curaçao is an orange liqueur with blue coloring — so a blue margarita is simply a classic margarita in party colors.
Lime juice turns it slightly teal; that’s normal.
Blue Margarita recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 4½ oz blanco tequila
- 2 oz blue curaçao liqueur
- 3 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 oz simple syrup (paid link)
- 1½ oz water
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Salt rim, lime wheel. Glass: Margarita glass.
Instructions
- Rim glasses with salt or sugar.
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the cycle.
- Garnish with lime.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blanco tequila | 3⅓ oz | 4½ oz | 3 oz | 3¾ oz | 7⅔ oz |
| blue curaçao liqueur | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| fresh lime juice | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| simple syrup | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| water | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- This batch uses about 13 fl oz of liquid for 3 drinks. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Curaçao replaces triple sec; the ratio stays classic.
About frozen margaritas
A frozen margarita lives or dies on the balance of spirit, sour and sweet. Keep tequila to roughly a third of the liquid; much more and the shaved ice won’t set. Citrus should be fresh or a good bottled juice, and the sweet element — mix, syrup, agave or liqueur — needs to be slightly more generous than in a shaken margarita because cold dulls sweetness.
Tips for the best texture
- Bottled lime keeps color brighter than fresh.
- Great for themed parties.
- Pair with a red strawberry margarita for patriotic layers.
- Sugar rims look striking.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with salt rim, lime wheel and serve in a margarita glass. Serve margaritas in chilled glasses with the rim prepared before you blend — salt for classic and citrus styles, sugar or tajín for fruit and spicy ones. For parties, pre-mix the liquid ingredients in a pitcher (everything except carbonated mixers) and keep it in the fridge; each batch then takes a ten-second pour and one button press. Set out lime wedges so guests can adjust tartness themselves.
Variations
- Blue coconut: Add 1.5 oz cream of coconut.
- Patriotic: Layer with a strawberry margarita.
- Blue pineapple: Use pineapple juice for the water.
Mocktail swap
Use non-alcoholic blue curaçao syrup plus limeade instead of tequila.
Shop the ingredients
- Monin Pure Cane Syrup (simple syrup), 750 ml (paid link)
- Libbey Cancun Margarita Set — 6 margarita glasses + 89 oz pitcher (paid link)
- Stirrings Margarita Drink Rimmer (salt & sugar), 3.5 oz tins (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Does curaçao taste different from triple sec?
Both are orange liqueurs; the flavor is similar.
Why is mine green?
Yellowish lime juice mixes with blue.
Non-alcoholic version?
Use blue curaçao syrup.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
