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Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

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These winter citrus margaritas are made with a mixture of juice from blood oranges, tangelos, and grapefruit! The citrus flavor pairs perfectly with the salty vanilla bean sugar rim, and these can be made pitcher-style for a crowd too!Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar
Would it be too bold of a statement to say that these are the best margaritas I’ve EVER had? Because it’s true. There’s no other way to say it. And I’ve had a lot of margaritas. OMG you guys. These are AMAZING.

Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

I’m obsessing over all winter citrus lately. Blood oranges are so gorgeous and versatile! I love using their juice in salad dressing, segmented and tossed in salads, in yogurt bowls, smoothies, you name it.

The cara cara oranges are amazing too. They’re slightly pink and so so pretty. I used grapefruit in these as well!

And last but certainly not least, tangelos. They’re like a more potent orange crossed with a tangerine and a grapefruit. So fragrant and beautiful. I made a salad with them a couple years ago and it’s still one of my faves. Sometimes they’re labeled as minneolas if you’re having trouble finding them.

Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

I’m not a big drinker, but I do love my Spanish reds, a good IPA, and margaritas. If I’m going to drink at all, you can bet it’ll be one of those three. I kind of just want these for the rest of my life though.

Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

And the vanilla bean SALTY SUGAR. Oh my goodness. Vanilla bean and citrus together is such an amazing combination. The sugar mixed with the salt cuts the citrus and adds an amazing flavor dimension to these cocktails.

Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

These would be amazing to make pitcher-style for a party! With tacos of course. And guac. For the Super Bowl this weekend!

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Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

These winter citrus margaritas are made with a mixture of juice from blood oranges, tangelos, and grapefruit! The citrus flavor pairs perfectly with the salty vanilla bean sugar rim, and these can be made pitcher-style for a crowd too!

Course Cocktails, Drinks
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 1 cocktail, is easily multiplied
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the simple syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

For the citrus juice

  • juice of 1 blood orange
  • juice of 1 tangelo/minneola (if you can't find these, regular oranges, tangerines, or cara cara oranges work!)
  • juice of ½ a grapefruit

For the vanilla bean salty sugar

  • 2 tablespoons coarse margarita salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • seeds from 1 vanilla bean

For the margarita

  • 1 ounce citrus juice
  • 1 ounce lime juice
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 ounce gold tequila
  • 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
  • blood orange slices for garnish
  • tangelo slices for garnish
  • cara cara orange slices for garnish
  • lime slices for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the simple syrup. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar and stir to combine until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely. I like to make it the night before and let chill in the fridge overnight.

  2. Make the vanilla bean salty sugar. Add salt and sugar to a plate and add vanilla bean seeds. Massage with your fingers and incorporate the seeds into the salt and sugar until combined. Set aside.

  3. Make the citrus juice. Combine juice of one blood orange, juice of one tangelo, and half a grapefruit in a bowl. Stir to combine.

  4. Moisten the edge of your glass with a lime wedge. Rim in the salty sugar. Fill the glass with ice. To make the cocktail, add ice to a cocktail shaker. To the shaker, add an ounce of the citrus juice, an ounce of lime juice, an ounce of the simple syrup, the gold tequila, and grand marnier. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into your glass. Garnish with all the citrus slices!

Winter Citrus Margaritas with Vanilla Bean Salty Sugar

A serious glass of sunshine in this winter weather!

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  2. […] These may just be the BEST tacos I’ve ever made. And I’ve made a TON of tacos. I’m so happy with how these coconut shrimp turned out too. They’re incredibly crispy, flavorful, and healthy! They’re lightly pan fried in coconut oil, and take minutes to make! The sweet chili mango slaw is sooo delicious and pairs perfectly with the shrimp. Oh, and avocado mash to top it all off. You know I can’t make many things without adding avocado. These healthy coconut shrimp aren’t deep fried, and are still SUPER crispy and delicious. They’re dipped in a little tapioca flour (you could also use cornstarch), then dipped in an egg and egg white mixture, then finely shredded coconut! And a little panko for extra crispiness. That’s it. Then you lightly fry them for a minute or two per side. These are going to be a regular thing in this household. I can’t get over how good they are!! The sweet chili mango slaw is just six ingredients and SO simple to put together. Red cabbage, mango, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, rice wine vinegar for a little tang, and cilantro are a match made in heaven. The sweet and spicy combo here is killlller. If you can find it, I’d recommend using the super finely shredded coconut instead of regular shredded coconut. Both will work though. I just found that the super finely shredded coated the shrimp more perfectly. Or, you could pulse regular shredded coconut a few times in the food processor to make tinier shreds. The avocado mash adds that creamy coolness to balance out the sweet and spicy flavors. Plus, avocado makes everything better. It’s true. The only thing missing is a huge margarita. […]

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