License to Chill (Blue Margarita)
A frozen blue margarita with tequila, lime, blue curaçao and margarita mix — sized for Margaritaville machines.
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A pool-blue margarita that’s easy to make and impossible to ignore in photos. A small amount of blue curaçao turns a standard frozen margarita ocean-colored and adds a hint of orange.
It’s a light pour — 1 ounce of tequila per drink — and close in volume to the manual’s single-drink margarita, so it works perfectly on Key West and Fiji 1/2/3-drink settings.
License to Chill recipe
Ingredients (1 drink)
- 1 oz gold tequila
- ½ oz lime juice (paid link)
- ¼ oz blue curaçao (liqueur or syrup) (paid link)
- 2 oz margarita mix (paid link)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Lime wedge. Glass: Margarita glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the Shave ’n Blend™ cycle.
- Serve with a lime wedge and a sugar or salt rim.
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 | 2⅔ oz | 3½ oz | 2⅓ oz | 3 oz | 5¾ oz |
| lime juice | 1⅓ oz | 1¾ oz | 1¼ oz | 1½ oz | 3 oz |
| blue curaçao (liqueur or syrup) | ⅔ oz | ¾ oz | ½ oz | ¾ oz | 1½ oz |
| margarita mix | 5¼ oz | 7 oz | 4⅔ oz | 5¾ oz | 11¾ 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
- The ingredient list is written for a single 12 oz drink, which matches the 1-drink setting on Key West and Fiji dials. Multiply by 2 or 3 and set the Number of Drinks dial to match.
- This batch uses about 3.75 fl oz of liquid for 1 drink. 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
Blue curaçao is an orange liqueur dyed blue, so it does the job of triple sec while coloring the drink. Margarita mix provides sweet-sour balance.
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
- A little curaçao goes a long way — more makes it teal, not bluer.
- Sugar rims look great with blue drinks.
- Add the curaçao last if you want a two-tone pour in clear glasses.
- Non-alcoholic curaçao syrup works identically for color.
- 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 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 oz cream of coconut per drink. Try: Coco Real Cream of Coconut (paid link)
- Fresh: Use the Classic Margarita base and add the curaçao.
- Party pitcher: Make the Bali full-chamber batch and let guests self-serve.
Mocktail swap
Use blue curaçao syrup, limeade in place of tequila, and keep the mix.
Shop the ingredients
- Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice (paid link)
- 1883 Maison Routin Blue Curaçao Syrup (non-alcoholic) (paid link)
- Margaritaville Margarita Mix (1 L) (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
Does blue curaçao taste like blueberry?
No — it tastes like orange. The blue is coloring.
Liqueur or syrup?
Either. Liqueur adds a little alcohol; syrup is non-alcoholic and slightly sweeter.
Why did my drink turn green?
Yellow-tinted mixes plus blue make green. A clear mix or fresh lime keeps it blue.
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
Added batch sizes, color tips and a mocktail.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
