Key West Frozen Margarita
A tropical green margarita with melon liqueur, piña colada mix, lime and orange — sized for Margaritaville frozen concoction makers.
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This one tastes like a vacation: honeydew-melon liqueur, coconut-pineapple colada mix and lime, with tequila holding it together. It’s sweeter and creamier than a classic margarita, which makes it a good "first frozen drink" for guests who don’t usually like tequila.
The original recipe called for 1½ cups of ice in the jar — you don’t need that with a frozen concoction maker, because the reservoir and shaver handle the ice. Just add the liquids.
Key West Margarita recipe
Ingredients (3 drinks)
- 2½ oz gold tequila
- 2 oz melon liqueur (e.g. Midori)
- 3 oz piña colada mix
- 1½ oz lime juice (paid link)
- 1½ oz orange juice
- 3 dashes grenadine (paid link)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lime wedge and a cherry. Glass: Hurricane or margarita glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add everything except the grenadine to the jar.
- Run the Shave ’n Blend™ cycle and pour.
- Drizzle the grenadine down the inside of each glass for a sunset streak.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gold tequila | 2⅓ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2⅔ oz | 5¼ oz |
| melon liqueur (e.g. Midori) | 1¾ oz | 2½ oz | 1⅔ oz | 2 oz | 4¼ oz |
| piña colada mix | 2¾ oz | 3¾ oz | 2½ oz | 3¼ oz | 6¼ oz |
| lime juice | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 1¼ oz | 1½ oz | 3¼ oz |
| orange juice | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 1¼ oz | 1½ oz | 3¼ oz |
| grenadine | 3 dashes | 3½ dashes | 2½ dashes | 3 dashes | 6½ dashes |
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 10.5 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
The colada mix adds body (coconut fat) so the drink stays creamy as it melts, while lime and orange keep the melon liqueur from tasting like candy.
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
- Shake the colada mix bottle hard — coconut separates.
- Add grenadine after pouring; blended in, it turns the drink a muddy brown.
- If you want it greener and less sweet, use a little more lime and less colada mix.
- Melon liqueur is around 20% ABV, so this batch is lighter than it tastes — but still pace yourself.
- 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 wedge and a cherry and serve in a hurricane 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
- Melon-free: Use honeydew melon syrup (non-alcoholic) and add ½ oz extra tequila. Try: Amoretti Premium Honeydew Melon Syrup (paid link)
- Frozen fruit: Add ½ cup frozen honeydew or cantaloupe chunks for real fruit flavor.
- Coconut rum: Replace half the tequila with coconut rum.
Mocktail swap
Swap tequila and melon liqueur for 4½ oz of honeydew syrup diluted 1:2 with water (or melon soda), keep the colada mix and juices.
Shop the ingredients
- Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice (paid link)
- Rose's Grenadine Syrup (paid link)
- Libbey Cancun Margarita Set — 6 margarita glasses + 89 oz pitcher (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
Do I need to add ice to the jar?
No. In a Margaritaville machine the ice goes only in the reservoir; the manuals say never to put anything but ice there, and nothing but liquids/fruit in the jar.
Can I use a non-alcoholic piña colada mix?
Yes — most bottled colada mixes are non-alcoholic. Shake well.
Why is my drink brown?
Grenadine blended into a green drink makes brown. Float it on top instead.
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
Removed the unnecessary jar ice, clarified grenadine technique, added batch sizes.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
