Ever wondered what you can make with all that extra watermelon juice? Well, you’re in luck. The answer is skinny watermelon margaritas! They’re one of the most refreshing summer cocktails I’ve ever tasted, and you only need three ingredients to make a batch. They’re perfect for all kinds of summer gatherings, too (especially the 4th of July), since they can be made ahead and served in batches. I put together a fun patriotic bar cart complete with a DIY watermelon keg to help serve mine, and the whole drink station was a big hit. I had a hard time keeping Nala and Nellie away from the watermelon stars, though. Long story short, we discovered that dogs are veryyy into watermelon. Anyway, keep reading for my easy watermelon margarita recipe. I’m also sharing tips on creating watermelon star garnishes down below, as well!

Skinny Watermelon Margaritas

Ingredients

If you’re thinking about serving a batch of skinny watermelon margaritas at your next summer gathering, here’s everything you’ll need–

• 5 cups seedless watermelon– I make my own watermelon juice using seedless watermelon, a blender, and a fine mesh strainer. I always have quite a bit left over, so I like to freeze the extra in ice cube trays for frozen skinny watermelon margaritas down the line!
• 8oz tequila blanco– I use el Jimador, but any silver tequila will do!
• 4oz fresh lime juice (from roughly 4 medium-sized limes)– If you don’t have fresh limes on hand, ReaLime 100% Lime Juice is an awesome alternative. We always keep a few extra bottles in our pantry in case our limes turn. 
• Splash of simple syrup (optional)– Kyle and I prefer ours without it, but if you need a little extra sweetness, a splash of simple syrup goes a long way. 
• Ice
• Watermelon stars (for garnish)

Substitutions and Additions

If you want to mix up this skinny watermelon margaritas recipe a bit, here are some substitutions to try out–

• Store-bought watermelon juice– Using store-bought watermelon juice will save you quite a bit of time and energy! If you can’t find any pure watermelon juice, Simply Watermelon is a great alternative. It’s flavored with cherry juice, though, so it might make your skinny watermelon margaritas extra sweet.
• Jalapenos– Juicy watermelon with spicy jalapeno peppers is one of my favorite flavor combinations. If you’d like to give your skinny watermelon margaritas a little kick, muddle 2-4 jalapeno slices in the bottom of the pitcher (or the cocktail shaker if you’re making them individually) before adding in the other ingredients. Another option is to infuse the simple syrup with jalapenos instead and make a really delicious jalapeno-flavored simple syrup!
• Fresh mint– Some muddled sprigs of fresh mint will go a long way in this cocktail! Similarly to jalapenos (mentioned above), you can either muddle a handful of fresh mint sprigs in the bottom of the pitcher or use them to prepare your own mint-infused simple syrup. Mint leaves make great garnishes, too!
• Sea salt or chili powder– If you’d like to nix the watermelon stars for something saltier, use a lime slice to wet the rims of the glasses and dip them in either sea salt, chili powder, or a combination of both. 

Skinny Watermelon Margaritas Recipe

To make a batch of skinny watermelon margaritas (multiply by three or four if you want to fill a DIY watermelon keg), you need quite a bit of fresh watermelon juice. Either of the following methods works great for “juicing” a fresh watermelon–

1. Working in batches, fill a blender about 3/4-way full with seedless watermelon and blend until smooth. Note: I’m hesitant to give an exact measurement, since blenders come in loads of different sizes. Still, mine is an average 56oz blender, so I use roughly 5 cups of seedless watermelon. Using a fine-mesh strainer to strain out the pulp and any seeds that may’ve snuck in, pour the pureed watermelon into an airtight carafe and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. You should have quite a bit left over, so freeze all the extra juice in ice cube trays. 
2. If you want to actually eat your watermelon, cut it up into bite-sized pieces and put them in a colander positioned over a large bowl. The fresh juice will slowly drip down into the bowl. Once you have enough, pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer to strain out the pulp and any seeds. Store the juice in an airtight carafe in the fridge. Oh, and then chow down on all those yummy watermelon pieces!

Once you have 8 ounces of watermelon juice, mix it with 8 ounces of silver tequila and 4 ounces of fresh lime juice in a large pitcher. Then, add in a good amount of ice and stir thoroughly. Give your batch of skinny watermelon margaritas a quick taste. If it needs a little extra sweetness, add in splash (roughly 1/2 ounce) of simple syrup and stir again.

Finally, garnish four margarita glasses (or, in my case, mason jars) with watermelon stars and pour in the skinny watermelon margaritas. Serve chilled, adding ice to the cocktail glasses as necessary, and enjoy responsibly!

How to Make Watermelon Stars

Watermelon stars are the perfect summer cocktail garnish, especially for patriotic holidays like the 4th of July. They’re super easy to make, too, and kids absolutely love them. I served them on skewers a few years back, and they were gone in about 5 minutes!

To make a batch of watermelon stars, cut a watermelon into thin round slices. They should be about an inch thick. Then, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut as many stars out of each watermelon slice as you can. Gently pop the stars up and out of the melon with your fingers and store them in an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy!

Continue to Content

Skinny Watermelon Margaritas

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Made with only three ingredients (fresh watermelon juice, fresh lime juice, and silver tequila), these skinny watermelon margaritas are ultra refreshing and perfect for summer parties. Serve them in a pitcher (or watermelon keg!) and garnish your glasses with festive watermelon stars!

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Ingredients

Fresh Watermelon Juice

• 5 cups seedless watermelon

Skinny Watermelon Margaritas

• 8 ounces (1 cup) fresh watermelon juice
• 8 ounces (1 cup) silver tequila
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) fresh lime juice
• Splash of simple syrup (optional)
• Ice
• Watermelon stars (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Fill a blender about 3/4-way full with seedless watermelon, working in batches, and blend until smooth. Pour the pureed watermelon through a fine-mesh strainer (to weed out the pulp and any seeds that may’ve snuck in), funnel into a large jar or carafe, and refrigerate.
2. Combine 8 ounces of silver tequila, 8 ounces of prepared watermelon juice, and 4 ounces of fresh lime juice in a pitcher. Add in a good amount of ice and stir thoroughly. Give your batch of skinny watermelon margaritas a quick taste, and if it needs a little extra sweetness, add in splash (roughly 1/2 ounce) of simple syrup and stir again.
3. Pour margaritas into four cocktail glasses garnished with watermelon stars or another garnish of choice. Serve chilled (adding ice to the cocktail glasses as necessary) and enjoy responsibly!

Notes

Recipe Tips

• If you're serving cocktails individually (as opposed to in a pitcher or watermelon keg), combine 1/4th of all ingredients in a cocktail shaker along with a good amount of ice. Shake thoroughly until chilled and strain into a prepared cocktail glass. 
• Freeze any extra watermelon juice you have in ice cube trays! You can use them in the future to make refreshing frozen skinny watermelon margaritas.

Substitutions and Additions

• Store-bought watermelon juice– Using store-bought watermelon juice will save you quite a bit of time and energy! If you can’t find any pure watermelon juice, Simply Watermelon is a great alternative. It’s made with cherry juice, too, though, so it’ll sweeten up the flavor quite a bit. 
• Jalapenos– Sweet watermelon with spicy jalapeno peppers is one of my favorite flavor combinations. If you’d like to give your skinny watermelon margaritas a little kick, muddle 2-4 jalapeno slices in the bottom of the pitcher (or the cocktail shaker if you're making them individually) before adding in the other ingredients. Another option is to infuse the simple syrup with jalapenos instead and make a really delicious jalapeno-flavored simple syrup!
• Fresh mint- Some muddled sprigs of fresh mint will go a long way in this cocktail! Similarly to jalapenos (above), you can either muddle a handful of fresh mint sprigs in the bottom of the pitcher or use them to prepare your own mint-infused simple syrup. Mint leaves make great garnishes, too!
• Sea salt or chili powder– If you’d like to nix the watermelon stars for something saltier, use a lime slice to wet the rims of the glasses and dip them in either sea salt, chili powder, or a combination of the two.

*This recipe was modified on June 28, 2022 to reflect updated preparation times and improve overall efficiency.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size 5oz
Amount Per ServingCalories 153Total Fat .1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1mgCarbohydrates 2.9gFiber .2gSugar 2.3gProtein .2g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.

More Refreshing Summer Cocktails Worth Trying

If you’re looking for more refreshing summer cocktails to try, here are four of my personal favorites–

• Spicy Mango Jalapeno Margaritas– First up, this spicy mango jalapeno margarita is amazing! It’s the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. You can easily turn up the heat with Tajin seasoning and a few extra slices of jalapeno, too.
• Strawberry Frose– Second, strawberry frose is literally a game-changing frozen batch cocktail for summer parties. Just make sure you budget enough time for the wine to freeze, though. The rest of the recipe takes less than 15 minutes!
• Boozy Bellini Popsicles– Third, these boozy bellini popsicles are a must-try! They’re made with real peaches and extra dry Champagne. I don’t know how to describe them other the perfect hybrid between fruity cocktails and refreshing ice pops!
• Boozy Coconut Lime Popsicles– Last, but not least, I developed this recipe years ago and still make a batch every summer. These boozy coconut lime popsicles are better than any creamy coconut cocktail I’ve ever had. And (bonus!) they’re paleo-friendly, too! 

 
Well, that’s all I’ve got for y’all today! If you tried this skinny watermelon margaritas recipe at home, please let me know if you had any trouble. I love hearing from you guys, and I’m happy to help!

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*This recipe was modified on June 28, 2022 to reflect updated preparation times and improve overall efficiency.

Photography by Catherine Rhodes