Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint

Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint
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Well, I’m very excited to share these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with you today. Why? Because the frozen margarita is my guilty pleasure cocktail. I don’t particularly care for the phrase “guilty pleasure” in all honesty. I don’t feel remotely guilty for loving these grown-up slushies. But it’s true, I do feel less sophisticated when I order a frozen margarita over say, an Old Fashioned or even a traditional shaken margarita. But no perceived cocktail faux pas will keep me from ordering the drink I want. The heart wants what it wants, and today my heart wants these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas.

Limes in a bowl ready to be juiced

Growing up, slushies and freezies were hands down my favorite summer treat. Their unnatural flavors and colors were my love language. It was impossible for me to say no to the. Even today when I walk by an ice cream truck, my eyes linger over the photos of those impossibly blue frosty cups. But I learned my lesson a few years ago – the palette I had at five is not the palette I have today. I learned that the hard way when I indulged in a red freezie and it made my teeth wiggle in the most uncomfortable way. Sugary treats are still a weakness of mine but that particular treat leaned a little too hard on the sugar.

Cucumber sliced on a cutting board

It’s funny how your tastes can change but the cravings are hard to shake. I used to covet a lot of packaged foods in my youth because my mom never really bought sugary cereals and the like unless it was a special occasion, like a birthday or Christmas. And even though I know my 30-something body cannot handle the overly sweet nutritional void that is a bowl of, say, Corn Pops, I still sort of want them when I’m cruising through the grocery isles. 

Lime juice in a stainless steal pitcher ready to be poured into an ice cube tray
Pouring the lime juice into an ice cube tray

So what’s the solution? Grown-up versions of slushies, freezies, and everything else your inner five-year-old wants. So I present you with these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas, a boozy alternative to the slushies of our youth with a sensible amount of sweet and a less sensible amount of tequila. I’ve got to tell you, one of these is a pretty good consolation prize if you’ve also had to part ways with the freezie. I still haven’t figured out a workaround for the Corn Pops, though. They may have to remain a relic from my youth.

Rolling the rim of a single rocks glass in salt

So let’s talk about how these margaritas come together. Well, as with most things frozen, these drinks do require a little forethought. The whole thing starts with 2/3 of a cucumber. Give it a quick dice and pop it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze the sucker until solid. You’re going to do the same with five limes worth of juice. Just pour the lime juice into an ice cube tray and pop it in the freezer next to the cucumber. We want everything to be frozen solid. So leave the lime juice and cucumber for a good three hours.

Pouring the Cucumber Lime Frozen Margarita into a single rocks glass

Once the cucumber and the lime juice are frozen, it’s time to build the drink. You are going to need a high-power blender for this. I used my brand new Ninja and it made quick work of everything. I am not sponsored by Ninja, just a fan. But any blender with a “crushed ice” function should do the trick. Start by adding everything you froze to the blender. Then, to up the slush factor, add 6-10 ice cubes. How many ice cubes you add will depend on the size of your cubes. And also bear in mind you are adding water to the cocktail, so it pays to hold back a little. It’s all well and good to have that thick slushie texture, but no one wants a watered-down cocktail.

Garnishing the Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with a fresh sprig of mint

Now it’s time to add all the booze. I made four drinks in my blender and they were all doubles, which means I added eight shots of tequila. You don’t have to make them doubles, you could easily reduce the amount of liquor you use. In fact, you could make these virgins and leave the tequila and Cointreau out of the equation altogether. And speaking of Cointreau, you only need 3/4 of oz per drink. Cointreau is an orange liqueur and it can be overwhelming if you’re a little too liberal with it.

Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint

And finally, add your agave. Every one has to add this or their margarita will be unbearably sour. If you don’t have agave, you can use honey or make your own simple syrup. Just heat equal parts water and sugar over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. You can add some aromatics as well if you would like to add a little more dimension to your margarita. Now all that’s left is to blend and pour the finished margaritas into salt-rimmed, iced glasses. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a sprig of fresh mint and cocktail hour has arrived.

And that’s everything you need to know about these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas. A chill, refreshing slushie any adult can get behind. Give them a shot the next time a heat wave hits.

Enjoy!

Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint

Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint

These Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas feature frozen cucumber and lime juice blended with fresh mint, tequila, Cointreau, and agave syrup.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Freezing Time 3 hours
Course Drinks
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 blender
  • 1 ice cube tray
  • 1 reamer or juicer

Ingredients
  

  • cucumber diced
  • 5 limes juiced
  • kosher salt for the rim
  • 6-10 ice cubes **
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves tightly packed
  • 8 oz tequila
  • 3 oz Cointreau
  • 1 oz agave syrup ***
  • 4 mini cucumber ribbons optional
  • 4 sprigs of fresh mint optional

Instructions
 

  • Place the cucumber in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer it to the freezer. Pour the lime juice into an ice cube tray and transfer it to the freezer as well. Freeze both the cucumber and lime juice until solid. About 3 hours.
    ⅔ cucumber, 5 limes
  • When the cucumber and lime juice are nearly finished freezing, pour some salt in a sauce and a little lime juice in another. Dip four single rocks glasses first in the lime juice and then in the salt. Once the rims are evenly coated in salt, add a couple of ice cubes to each glass and set them aside. ****
    kosher salt
  • Place the frozen cucumber and lime juice in a large blender. Add the ice cubes, mint, tequila, Cointreau, and agave. Blitz until smooth.
    6-10 ice cubes **, ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, 8 oz tequila, 3 oz Cointreau, 1 oz agave syrup ***
  • Pour the mixture into a pitcher. Remove the ice cubes from the glasses and place a cucumber ribbon inside each glass. Fill the glasses with the margarita and garnish each with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
    4 mini cucumber ribbons, 4 sprigs of fresh mint

Notes

** The number of ice cubes you add will depend on the size of the ice cubes you use. If your cubes are smaller add 10, if they’re larger add 6. Remember the ice makes for a more slushie texture but it can water down the cocktail. So take a less-is-more-approach to determining how much ice to add. 
*** If you don’t have agave syrup you can use honey or simple syrup. You can easily make simple syrup on the stovetop by simmering equal parts water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. 
**** The ice cubes will chill the glasses so the margaritas don’t melt the moment they hit the glass. 
Keyword agave, Cointreau, lime, tequila

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