Are you looking for a delicious, festive cocktail to celebrate the holiday season? Look no further than my Blood Orange Pomegranate Margarita!

This simple blend of citrus and pomegranate will fill your home with an unmistakably special aroma while creating the perfect balance between sweet and tart.

Side view of two glasses of blood orange pomegranate margaritas.

This is your go-to holiday drink with just a few ingredients, minutes to prepare, and beautiful vibrancy from the fresh juices.

So gather your high-quality and fresh ingredients - blood orange juice, pomegranate juice, tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup.

I found a bag of local Arizona store-bought blood oranges for two dollars, certified organic! I love blood oranges for their beautiful color and different flavors among the many varieties. The flavor has a hint of raspberry and they are deliciously sweet.

It's the perfect time of year for a refreshing drink with a gorgeous color, and this Blood Orange Margarita Recipe is just that. It's easy to make using available ingredients, so whip one up anytime you want to celebrate during orange season, whether it's at brunch, happy hour, cocktail hour, or Cinco de Mayo!

For more cocktail recipes, check out my tamarind margarita recipe, red wine spritzer, and this lavender elderflower gin sour!

Types of blood oranges

My favorite oranges are beautiful blood oranges, and my favorite type of blood orange is Sanguinelli, native to Spain. The outside of this gorgeous orange has red streaks, hinting at the rosiness within. The inside of the oranges is a beautiful rose color, almost magenta, that is lovely in drinks after being juiced.

Other varieties of blood orange are the Moro blood orange, which is native to Sicily, and the Tarocco, which is native to Italy. The Moro is not as sweet as the Sanguinelli, and the Tarocco is a bit sweeter than the Moro variety.

Ingredients

It's easy to make this variation of a traditional margarita for the tequila lover with fresh and simple ingredients.

Tequila Blanco (or silver) is my favorite for this margarita, 100% blue agave (agave azul). You can use tequila reposado as well.
Fresh blood oranges - use fresh-squeezed blood orange juice or fresh orange juice. Blood oranges are usually in season from December through April.
Triple sec - use a quality triple sec that you like. I like to use Cointreau.
Pomegranate juice - I used POM juice made from 100% fresh pomegranates. You can find it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Kosher salt for the salt rim of the glass.
Fresh lime juice - this is essential in a margarita. Fresh is best! Reserve half a lime for the edge of the glass before salting.
Simple syrup - it is easy to make your own. Check out this recipe.

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this blood orange margarita recipe:

cocktail glasses or margarita glasses
cocktail shaker
cutting board
chef's knife
citrus squeezer

Feel free to serve these blood orange pomegranate margaritas any way you like, such as on ice in an old-fashioned glass or lowball glass, typically a short glass used to serve whisky or cocktails containing whisky. Not all margaritas need to be served in a margarita glass - I tend to reserve frozen margaritas for a margarita glass.

How to Make a Blood Orange Pomegranate Margarita

It's easy to make this festive cocktail! Here are the steps:

Overhead view of two glasses with salt rims on half of glasses.

Cut a lime in half, and rub the edge of each glass with lime before gently rolling the wet glass rim in kosher salt.
Place the salt in a thin layer on a flat plate and lightly press your glass down at an angle into the salt.

Side view of glass cocktail shaker filled with ice and ingredients to make a blood orange pomegranate margarita.

Chill the glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Place 2 cups of ice in a cocktail shaker.
Add the tequila, blood orange juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, triple sec, and simple syrup.

Side view of two glasses of blood orange pomegranate margarita.

Shake the mixture for 20 seconds and pour it into the prepared glasses filled with ice cubes.

Two glasses of blood orange pomegranate margaritas garnished with slices of blood orange.

Garnish the rim of your margarita glass with an orange slice, a lime slice, or an orange wedge.

HINT: Use the freshest ingredients you can find for great margaritas.

What is the best tequila for margaritas?

I made this delicious margarita recipe using tequila Blanco (also called silver tequila), which is not typically aged and has a clean, agave-forward flavor. You can also use reposado tequila, aged in oak barrels from two months up to nearly a year, for a smoother tequila.

I don't recommend using gold tequila (unaged tequila mixed with additives such as caramel) or añejo tequila aged in sealed oak or Holm barrels for twelve to thirty-six months. The flavor tends to be more complex, and this tequila is best enjoyed independently.

Side view of Blood Orange Pomegrnate Margarita.

Substitutions

Blood oranges - you can use a standard orange such as Cara Cara orange, Navel orange, or Valencia orange.
Simple Syrup - it's easy to make your own; however, this recipe is delicious with agave nectar instead. Feel free to omit it if your oranges are very sweet.
Pomegranate juice - use pomegranate molasses instead. Or use more fresh blood orange juice and make a blood orange margarita!
Triple sec - try orange liqueur or Grand Marnier.

Adjust the amounts to your taste.

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes, so I don't miss it.