Frozen Blood Orange Margarita
A ruby-red frozen blood orange margarita with blanco tequila, orange liqueur, fresh blood orange juice and lime — a winter and holiday margarita sized for Margaritaville machines.
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Blood oranges hit grocery stores right when summer limes get pricey, roughly December through March. Their juice is deep crimson with a raspberry-like edge, so this margarita looks dressed up for the holidays with no food coloring at all.
It keeps the classic frame — tequila, orange liqueur, lime — and swaps the usual orange juice for blood orange, which makes it a natural New Year’s Eve or winter brunch batch.
Blood Orange Margarita recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 4 oz blanco tequila
- 1½ oz orange liqueur (triple sec)
- 4 oz fresh blood orange juice (about 3 blood oranges)
- 2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1½ oz simple syrup (paid link)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Salt-sugar rim, blood orange wheel, rosemary sprig (optional). Glass: Margarita glass.
Instructions
- Rim margarita glasses with a lime wedge and dip in coarse salt mixed with a little sugar.
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Squeeze the blood oranges and strain out the seeds and pulp.
- Add tequila, orange liqueur, blood orange juice, lime juice and simple syrup to the jar.
- Run the cycle, then pour and garnish with a blood orange wheel.
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 | 3 oz | 4 oz | 2⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz | 6¾ oz |
| orange liqueur (triple sec) | 1 oz | 1½ oz | 1 oz | 1¼ oz | 2½ oz |
| fresh blood orange juice (about 3 blood oranges) | 3 oz | 4 oz | 2⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz | 6¾ oz |
| fresh lime juice | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz |
| simple syrup | 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
Blood orange juice is less acidic than lime, so it carries the bulk of the volume while 2 oz of lime keeps the drink tart. Orange liqueur doubles down on the citrus, and the total is 13 oz of liquid — the three-drink volume printed for the Bahamas and Fiji.
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 blood orange juice works when fresh fruit is scarce; taste it first, since some brands are sweetened, and trim the simple syrup to match.
- Colors vary fruit to fruit. The darkest-skinned blood oranges usually give the reddest juice.
- A sprig of rosemary on the rim makes it look like a Christmas drink in two seconds.
- Salt and sugar together on the rim balance the slight bitterness of blood orange.
- 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-sugar rim, blood orange wheel, rosemary sprig (optional) 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
- Smoky: Use 1 oz mezcal in place of 1 oz of the tequila.
- Sparkling: Top each glass with a splash of cold prosecco for New Year’s Eve.
- Cara Cara: Use Cara Cara orange juice for a pink, sweeter version.
Mocktail swap
Skip the tequila and orange liqueur; use 5 oz blood orange juice, 2 oz lime juice, 1.5 oz simple syrup and 4.5 oz cold sparkling water poured in last.
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.
Shopping for a frozen-drink fan? See our Margaritaville machine gift guide.
Making this for a holiday party, or giving a machine as a gift? Our Margaritaville Machine Gift Guide 2026 covers every model plus mixers, rim salt and glassware.
Frequently asked questions
When are blood oranges in season?
In most U.S. stores, roughly December through March, peaking in January and February.
Can I use regular orange juice?
Yes. The drink will be golden instead of red and a little sweeter, so cut the simple syrup to 1 oz.
Which tequila is best?
Blanco keeps the citrus bright. Reposado adds a softer vanilla note that also works in winter.
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.
