Frozen Limeade Margarita
The easy frozen-limeade-concentrate margarita, re-balanced so it fits a 36 oz Margaritaville jar and freezes smooth.
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The limeade margarita is the backyard classic: one can of frozen concentrate, tequila, done. The trouble is that the famous "one can limeade, one can tequila" blender version is about 24 ounces of liquid — far too much for a frozen concoction maker, where the shaver expects roughly 10–13 ounces for three drinks. Pour that much in and you get an overflowing, slushy mess.
So we rebuilt it: half a can of concentrate, 4 ounces of tequila, an ounce of triple sec and a splash of water. Same flavor, correct volume. This was the most popular recipe on the old site, and this version is the one we’d actually make.
Frozen Limeade Margarita recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 6 oz frozen limeade concentrate (half a 12 oz can), slightly thawed
- 4 oz tequila
- 1 oz triple sec
- 2 oz cold water
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lime slices, kosher salt rim. Glass: Rocks or margarita glass.
Instructions
- Let the limeade can sit out 10 minutes so it pours.
- Add limeade, tequila, triple sec and water to the jar.
- Run the Shave ’n Blend™ cycle.
- Serve in salt-rimmed glasses with lime slices.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| frozen limeade concentrate (half a 12 oz can), slightly thawed | 4½ oz | 6 oz | 4 oz | 5 oz | 10¼ oz |
| tequila | 3 oz | 4 oz | 2⅔ oz | 3⅓ oz | 6¾ oz |
| triple sec | ¾ oz | 1 oz | ⅔ oz | ¾ oz | 1⅔ oz |
| cold water | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 1⅓ oz | 1⅔ oz | 3⅓ 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
Limeade concentrate is already sweet and sour, so it replaces both the lime juice and the mix. The extra water keeps the concentrate from making the drink syrupy and brings the total to the 13 ounces the Bahamas and Fiji manuals use for three drinks.
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
- Save the other half of the can in a zip-top bag in the freezer for the next batch.
- If you use the whole can, run two batches — don’t try to fit it all in one jar.
- Pink lemonade concentrate works the same way for a pink margarita.
- Add a splash of beer (in place of the water) for a "beer-rita" twist.
- 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 lime slices, kosher salt rim and serve in a rocks or 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
- Beer-rita: Replace the 2 oz water with 2 oz light Mexican lager, added last so it doesn’t foam over.
- Raspberry: Add ½ cup frozen raspberries and use the Daiquiris program if your machine has one.
- Coconut-lime: Swap the water for 2 oz cream of coconut.
Mocktail swap
Replace the tequila and triple sec with 5 oz lemon-lime soda (added last) or water. Kids love it with a sugared rim.
Shop the ingredients
- 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
Why not use the whole can?
A full 12 oz can plus 12 oz tequila is about 24 oz of liquid — roughly double what the Bahamas or Key West manuals specify for three 12 oz drinks. The machine can’t shave enough ice for that and the jar can overflow.
Do I need to thaw the limeade?
Just enough to pour. Very cold concentrate is fine — it actually helps the texture.
Which tequila?
An inexpensive 100% agave blanco is perfect; the limeade dominates the flavor.
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.
What we changed
The original recipe called for 12 oz limeade + 12 oz tequila + ¼ oz triple sec (about 24 oz of liquid). We cut it to 13 oz so it fits the machine’s batch size.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
