This sweet and sour Tamarind Margarita is tasty and easy to make with step-by-step instructions on making this cocktail with tamarind paste, tequila, triple sec, maple syrup, and a Tajin Seasoning and sea salt rim. You can now create and enjoy this refreshing tamarind margarita recipe at home!
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This recipe for Tamarind Margaritas is easy to make and fun! The unique ingredients will have your tastebuds dancing in delight. Accent these cocktails with a Tajin Seasoning and sea salt rim to give it an interesting twist.
A few years ago, we visited Costa Rica and enjoyed Tamarind Margaritas or Margaritas de Tamarindo at a fantastic hotel we were staying at with an ocean view. We watched the bartender make this cocktail with fresh tamarind juice and a plain salt rim.
When I thought about recreating this recipe, I didn't have tamarind pods or a wet tamarind pulp block on hand. However, I had tamarind paste in the fridge since I made a vegan pad thai recipe recently. So I created tamarind "juice" by mixing the tamarind paste with water.
I'm not claiming that this recipe is the authentic way to make tamarind juice or Tamarind Margaritas, but my husband and I really enjoyed this sweet and sour margarita, and I know you will too. In fact, my husband said, "This is your best margarita yet." And he doesn't say that lightly!
What is tamarind?
Tamarind is a fruit that comes from the tamarind tree and can be used in soups, chutneys, juices, or carbonated drinks to create flavorful dishes such as pad thai.
The texture of this date-like fruit ranges depending on whether it's crushed for paste or diluted concentrate. The fruit is contained within seed pods, and can be extracted from the pods or purchased in chunks. Tamarind is a staple in India, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Thailand.
Ingredient notes
- Tamarind paste - this has a consistency similar to blackstrap molasses
- Tequila - I used Blanco tequila
- Triple sec - I used Cointreau
- Agave syrup - You can use maple syrup instead, or simple syrup. Organic sugar cane syrup would be a great choice (especially when in Costa Rica), although I haven't tried it. Let me know if you do!
- You'll need half a lime to rim the glasses, followed by a mix of chili lime seasoning and Himalayan sea salt.
🍸 Step-by-Step Instructions
It's easy to put this cocktail together once you have the tamarind juice made.
Make the Tamarind Juice
- Mix the tamarind paste and water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Immediately turn off the heat, take it off the heat, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Stir the mixture and strain into a bowl, discarding any solids. Let cool to room temperature.
Make the Tamarind Margarita
- Mix the chili lime seasoning (I used Tajin Clasico Seasoning) with the Himalayan Sea Salt and place on a small flat plate.
- Prepare two coupe glasses by running the edge of half a lime against the edges. Gently press the edges of the glasses into the salt mixture, and refrigerate the glasses while you mix the drinks.
- Combine the tamarind juice, Blanco tequila, triple sec, agave syrup, and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and pour into the glasses with salted rims. Serve.
Top tips to make this Tamarind Margarita
- Make the tamarind juice far enough ahead of time so that it has time to cool before you need it.
- You can use sea salt to rim the cocktail glass, but I highly recommend using a blend of chili lime seasoning and sea salt. It really takes it to the next level!
- Try an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier insead of triple sec.
If you're looking to beat the summer heat, give this refreshing and hydrating Watermelon Water a try.
🍹 Related recipes
For another recipe with Tajin Seasoning, try my Southwest Quinoa Bowl.
For another margarita recipe, try my Blood Orange Margarita recipe!
I hope you give these Tamarindo Margaritas a try. They're perfect for Cinco de Mayo or anytime, really!
If you make this Tamarind Margarita recipe, please take a moment to ★ star rate it and leave a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
📖 Recipe
Tamarind Margarita
Equipment
- coupe glasses
Ingredients
For the Tamarind Juice
- 2 oz organic tamarind paste
- 1 ¾ cup water
For the Tamarind Margarita
- 1 teaspoon Tajin Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- Lime halved
- 4 oz tamarind juice
- 4 oz blanco tequila
- 2 oz triple sec
- 2 teaspoons agave syrup or maple syrup, simple syrup, or sugar cane syrup
- 4 large ice cubes
Instructions
To make the Tamarind Juice
- Combine the tamarind paste and water in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Immediately turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes on the counter.
- Stir and strain the mixture into a bowl, discarding any solids. Let cool to room temperature.
To make the Tamarind Margarita
- Mix Tajin Seasoning with the Himalayan sea salt and place on a small flat plate. Prepare two coupe glasses by running the edge of half a lime against the edges. Gently press the edges of the glasses into the salt mixture, and refrigerate the glasses.
- Combine the tamarind juice, blanco tequila, triple sec, maple syrup, and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and pour into the glasses with salted rims. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Marinela says
These tamarind margaritas are so enjoyable! The most perfect homemade drink with a delicately sweet and sour flavor. It's super refreshing and tastes like summer! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Emily!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Marinela! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tamarind margaritas. This recipe is one of my favorites; it's a great drink on a hot day and perfect for summer!
Kayla DiMaggio says
This tamarind margarita was so delicious! I just bought some tamarind to make pad thai so I gave this a try too! So good!
Emily says
Thanks for your review of my tamarind margarita, Kayla. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! This is one of my favorite drinks too and I'm happy to hear that you're interested in cooking with tamarind as well!
Lucy says
I've never tried making my own margaritas before but I will be regularly now. Your recipe is so flavoursome and your instructions are so clear and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing.
Emily says
Thank you for the five star rating, Lucy! I'm so happy to hear that you were able to make a delicious margarita with my recipe and instructions. Cheers!
Anaiah says
Wow! I never tried tamarind this way before. In my culture, we use tamarind to give a nice tart flavor in our soups and that's the only way I've had it. This was new to me and so great to try!
Emily says
Thank you, Anaiah, for your review of my tamarind margarita. I'm glad to hear that it was a new experience and you enjoyed the flavor!
Daniela Weiner says
I was intrigued by the Tamarind but oh my, this might be my new favorite margarita flavor! So good!
Emily says
Thanks for the review, Daniela! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed my Tamarind Margarita. It's one of my favorite margaritas!
Joshua says
Tamarind margaritas?? Count me in! This was a great recipe and a creative way to use tamarind.
Emily says
Thank you for your review Joshua! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and found it creative. We love to share new recipes with our readers so we're happy that this one worked out well.
Julia says
This was a welcome drink at the end of a hot summer's day. It looked so elegant too. I've only ever used tamarind in curries before so this was quite different. Thank you.
Emily says
Hi Julia, Thank you for your review and feedback. We're glad to hear that the drink was a welcome refreshment on this hot summer day! The tamarind is one of my favorite flavors for a margarita - I'm so glad you enjoyed this creative cocktail!
Choclette says
Oh my! It's been far too long since I had a cocktail. So excited by your use of tamarind in this one. I've only ever used it in curries.
Emily says
Thank you so much for your review, Choclette! It's been a while since I've had this cocktail; tamarind is such an interesting ingredient to use. I hope you give it a try and let me know how it turns out!