This Hibiscus Margarita is sweet, tart and the perfect fun and tasty twist on a classic margarita. The rich color and flowery flavor make it a fun party drink – perfect for at home happy hours, Cinco de Mayo, or summer hosting.
On top of being a fun and unique flavor, I put my own spin on this hibiscus margarita cocktail to make it as easy and convenient to make at home. No triple sec or fancy liquors, no bar tools, an easy homemade simple syrup, and home brewed tea.
My husband and I love this margarita during our Friday night Happy Hours. While it’s great year-round, the refreshing flavor is especially fitting for late spring and summertime.
For some more fun and fruity drinks, try out my Frozen Strawberry Margarita without Triple Sec, Watermelon Cucumber Mojitos, and Sweet Bourbon Peach Smash.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Refreshing flavor. The tartness of the flower, the sweetness of the orange juice, and the bitterness of the fresh lime juice make for a delicious margarita!
- Full of health benefits. While the tequila may not be what the doctor ordered, the tea and orange juice are both full of Vitamin C and other antioxidants.
- No extra tools needed. You can make this fun margarita cocktail with just the ingredients and a glass! No cocktail shaker is required.
Ingredient Notes
- Hibiscus Tea – I usually use loose leaf tea because it is more affordable (and pretty!), but feel free to use hibiscus tea bags. They work equally as well and are often easier to find in stores. Note: You will need to brew the tea before adding it to your margarita. It needs to be cooled (unless you enjoy warm margaritas), so be sure to make it ahead of time.
- Orange Juice – For best results, you will want this to be freshly squeezed. Feel free to use the orange peels for garnish!
- Simple Syrup – This adds the perfect amount of sugar. You can buy it at local grocery stores or make homemade syrup with just 2 ingredients!
- Tequila – I recommend Silver tequila. The clear color allows the hibiscus tea to turn these into pink drinks!
- Lime Juice – This should also be squeezed fresh from a lime. Pre-bottled lime juice is watered down and not nearly as delicious.
- Morton Kosher Salt – This is optional for people that love their margaritas on the rocks with salt.
How to make a Hibiscus Margarita
Margarita Instructions
- Prep the glass. Salt the rim of your glass and fill it with crushed ice cubes.
- Mix ingredients. Combine tequila with the remaining ingredients and give it a good stir. If you are using a shaker, combine everything into it with some ice. Shake it and then pour the margarita over the prepared glasses.
Loose Leaf Hibiscus Tea Brewing Instructions (enough for 2 cocktails)
- Add flowers. Put 2 teaspoons of dried hibiscus flowers into a Pyrex or French Press.
- Add water. Add 8 oz of hot water to the dried flowers and let it steep for five minutes.
- Strain mixture. Strain the hibiscus pieces out and put the tea into a mason jar or another airtight container and put it in the refrigerator until it’s cold.
Simple Syrup Instructions (enough for 8 cocktails)
- Combine ingredients. Add ¾ cup of cane sugar to 5 oz of warm water.
- Mix together. Whisk them together well and put them to the side until the sugar dissolves. Store in the fridge until cold.
Variations
- Garnish. To take this margarita to the next level, garnish your cocktail glass with a lime wedge, orange wheels, or a whole flower.
- Feed a crowd. If you want to make these margaritas for a crowd rather than a single serving, mix everything in a large pitcher and serve up this twist on a classic cocktail to your friends.
- Different salts. Instead of kosher salt, you could use pink salt or hibiscus salt. You can even make your own hibiscus salt by mixing dried hibiscus and sugar in a food processor and adding salt.
Storage Instructions
Homemade simple syrup will last for about a month in the fridge stored in an airtight container. The tea will keep in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Once mixed, this hibiscus margarita recipe shouldn’t be kept in the fridge longer than about three days. Make sure to store it without ice to avoid diluting the flavor.
Recipe FAQs
What does a hibiscus margarita taste like?
Hibiscus tea has a tart, cranberry-like flavor to it. Mixed with the orange, lime, and tequila, you get a sweet, salty, tart twist on traditional margaritas.
Can you use orange juice instead of triple sec for margaritas?
Most definitely! When doing this, make sure to use juice from a fresh orange rather than pre-prepared orange juice. This is a great way to get the same flavor without the extra alcohol. Give it a try in my Frozen Strawberry Margarita without Triple Sec.
What’s in a hibiscus margarita?
A hibiscus margarita has loose-leaf hibiscus tea, orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup, tequila, and salt for the rim of a margarita glass.
Tips for Success
- Finding a French Press. If you don’t yet have a French Press, this article names The Best French Press.
- Get the temperature right. Make sure to chill the tea and simple syrup before mixing them into the margarita.
- Timing. Because you’ll need to chill the tea and simple syrup, you’ll need to make them at least a few hours early. They do store well overnight, so you could make them the night before.
More Quick and Easy Homemade Cocktails
Hibiscus Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces hibiscus tea - instructions for brewing below
- 2 ounces orange juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 ounce simple syrup - instructions for making below
- 2 ounces Silver tequila
- 1 lime - juiced
- Morton kosher salt - optional for rim
Instructions
Margarita Instructions
- Salt the rim of your glass and fill it with crushed ice.
- Pour all ingredients into glass and stir. Or, if using a shaker, add ingredients to your shaker with ice and shake to combine. Pour into your glass over ice and stir.
- Enjoy!
Loose Leaf Hibiscus Tea Brewing Instructions
- Add 2 teaspoons of dried hibiscus flowers to a Pyrex or a French Press.
- Add 8 ounces of hot water and allow tea to steep 5 minutes.
- Strain tea into a mason jar or other container with a lid and refrigerate until cold. You will need to prepare this in advance of making your margaritas or the tea will be too warm.
- This makes enough tea for about 2 margaritas – change measurements accordingly
Simply Syrup Instructions
- Add ¾ cup cane sugar to 5 ounces of warm water. Whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes or until sugar has fully dissolved.
- Creates roughly 8 ounces of simple syrup (enough for 8 cocktails)
- Stores well in the fridge for several days.
Recipe Notes
- WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
- I use a bodum French press to make loose leaf tea. I also use it for coffee. I highly recommend!
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Photography by: Stacey Gaar
Hi Nicolette,
The cocktail looks so bright and colorful and yummy, it immediately called my name. I remembered having dried hibiscus flowers in my cupboards that I rarely use for tea, so what better way to use them up than turning them into a yummy cocktail! I must admit that I had to twist some of the other ingredients a bit, switching simple syrup for grenadine syrup and tequila for grappa, yet the cocktail turned out amazing (currently sipping happily on it :). Thanks for the great recipe, and happy May to you too.
Btw, I included ‘home-cooked roots’ in my list of 100+ vegan blogs everyone needs to know:
https://plantydelights.com/vegan-food-blogs/
Cheers from Germany,
Ramona
I am so happy to hear that, Ramona! I love when I get to use up a product I forgot about and turn it into something great 🙂 Enjoy your margarita!