Off to See the Lizard (Melon Margarita)
Tequila, melon liqueur, lime and margarita mix blended into a bright green frozen margarita for Margaritaville machines.
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Lizard-green and honeydew-sweet, this is the playful cousin of the classic margarita. Melon liqueur carries most of the flavor, so it’s a great pick for guests who want something fruity.
It’s about 4¾ ounces of liquid per drink — a touch more than the manual margarita — so the batch table scales it down a little for each machine.
Off to See the Lizard recipe
Ingredients (1 drink)
- 1 oz gold tequila
- 1½ oz melon liqueur
- ¼ oz lime juice (paid link)
- 2 oz margarita mix (paid link)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Pineapple slice. Glass: Margarita glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the Shave ’n Blend™ cycle.
- Garnish with a pineapple slice.
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 | 2 oz | 2¾ oz | 1¾ oz | 2⅓ oz | 4⅔ oz |
| melon liqueur | 3 oz | 4 oz | 2¾ oz | 3½ oz | 7 oz |
| lime juice | ½ oz | ⅔ oz | ½ oz | ½ oz | 1¼ oz |
| margarita mix | 4 oz | 5½ oz | 3⅔ oz | 4⅔ oz | 9¼ 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 4.75 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
Melon liqueur is sweet, so it’s balanced by lime and the sour side of margarita mix. The pineapple garnish echoes the tropical notes.
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
- Bump the lime to ½ oz if you like it tarter.
- Fresh honeydew chunks (frozen) make it taste much more like real melon.
- Serve very cold — melon flavors fade as the drink warms.
- Use a clear margarita mix for the brightest green.
- 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 pineapple slice 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
- Non-liqueur: Use honeydew melon syrup and increase the tequila to 1½ oz. Try: Amoretti Premium Honeydew Melon Syrup (paid link)
- Cucumber-melon: Add a few slices of cucumber to the jar.
- Watermelon: Swap melon liqueur for watermelon schnapps.
Mocktail swap
Use honeydew syrup diluted with water in place of the tequila and liqueur.
Shop the ingredients
- Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice (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
What melon liqueur should I use?
Midori is the best-known; any honeydew melon liqueur works.
Is it very sweet?
Sweeter than a classic margarita. Add lime or reduce the mix to taste.
Where does the name come from?
It borrows the title of Jimmy Buffett’s 1989 album Off to See the Lizard — fitting for a lizard-green drink.
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 and balancing tips.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
