This passion fruit margarita recipe recreates the classic, but with a fun twist.
We get it; you’re craving a margarita. Because margarita! Or maybe you need a robust and satisfying drink that wakes your taste buds on National Margarita Day (February 22). It’s a strong, satisfying drink that wakes all the taste buds.
That’s why today, our test kitchen chefs decided to share this passion fruit margarita recipe. It is easy, tastes great, and you get to add your own unique touch.
If you’re in a hurry, to get to the recipe card right away. Or, read on to learn some interesting facts about this cocktail.
Is Passion Fruit Margarita Healthy?
It’s difficult to give this question a straight answer, so allow us to explain a few things.
Micronutrient-wise, this drink is abundant in vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin C and A. You can see the exact amounts of these nutrients in the nutritional facts table at the end of this article.
You’ll also see in the table that each serving of this drink yields just 124 calories; a healthy amount for a refreshing drink.
Still though, this drink isn’t considered healthy by current nutritional standards because it contains alcohol. Nonetheless, it’s still acceptable to consume alcohol in moderation, and our team has worked hard to bring you the healthiest, yet still tasty, cocktail possible.
Specifically, our margarita recipe calls for only 11g of pure alcohol. That’s the allotted healthy amount for women and / or half that for men according to USDA standards.
Plus, we also kept an eye on the amount of processed sugar we used to sweeten the drink, making sure it’s within limits. It’s safe to say this particular recipe is healthier than most others.
Benefits of Passion Fruit
Passion fruits are a great source of vitamin C. A single fruit contains 5.4 mg vitamin C, which equates to about 6% of the daily recommendation.
Six percent seems quite insignificant, but keep in mind that it’s the vitamin yield of a single fruit. Our recipe uses about 16 fruits, meaning for each serving you’ll get about 24% of the nutrient’s DV.
Passion fruits also contain small amounts of vitamin A, iron, potassium, and other nutrients. You can check out the fruit’s nutritional profile here.
If you love passion fruit, we also have this unique passion fruit mango juice recipe that’s packed with vitamins.
Calories in This Cocktail
Each serving gives 124 calories, and 77 calories are from the liqueur alone! But again, as we checked the guidelines, 124 calories are a healthy calorie amount a cocktail should have.
How to Cut and Juice Passion Fruit
If you’ve never worked with this seedy fruit before, some of you might be confused, wondering what to do. That’s okay, because we’re here to help.
As you cut the purple sphere open, you’ll see a mixture of orange flesh with seeds sticking to the inside of the fruit. We need to extract the juice from the orange flesh, so first, scoop all the innards out into a small bowl with a spoon.
Next, place a sieve over another bowl and transfer the passion fruit pulp into it. Use a spoon to press and scrape the mixture around and extract the juice.
Do this for 2-3 minutes and you’ll have a small bowl of passion juice. It might look like just a little bit, but the flavor is very concentrated.
We’re using the juice and discarding the seeds for now, but you can add some to your cocktail as decoration if you like. Or, you can leave your friends guessing what’s in the drink.
How to Make Passion Fruit Margarita
This is the short version of our passion fruit margarita recipe. For the full version plus ingredient list, refer to the recipe card down below.
Get the juices ready
Mix the ingredients in a pitcher
Salt the glass rim
Pour the cocktail and serve
To salt the rim, begin by pouring a small amount of lime juice and salt to separate dishes. Wet the glass rim by first dipping it in the lime juice dish, then into the other one.
An alternative method is to cutout a lime wedge, and run it around the glass. Then place salt onto a plate, and kind of roll the glass rim in the salt pile.
A cocktail shaker, if you’ve got one, can help you dissolve the sugar into the drink quickly. Simply add ice and ingredients to it, shake shake shake, and strain the cocktail in your salted glasses.
If you don’t have a shaker, just follow the standard instructions below.
Straining your cocktail is important because a significant portion of the ice in the shaker will already have melted. Throwing new ice in your glass will keep your drink cool for longer, and prevent it from getting too watered-down.
Another version of margarita is called “frozen margarita,” made by blending everything (including ice) instead of just mixing. Opt for this version if you want.
If you want more delicious drinks, see our collection of healthy juice recipes.More Easy Vegetarian Recipes You’ll Love:
What Can I Substitute for Passion Fruit?
Passion fruit possesses a tangy flavor just like citruses do. However, its aroma is really unique and can’t be found in other fruits.
Skipping the passion fruit and opting only for citruses will give you a more classic version of the drink, but it’s just not the same.
More Easy Beverage You’ll Love:
- Apple Cider Margarita Recipe
- Tequila and Grapefruit Juice Recipe
- Sugar-Free Apple Cider Recipe
- Apple Juice and Vodka Recipe
Passion Fruit Margarita Recipe
This passion fruit margarita recipe makes a tangy, cool cocktail. It's easy and super quick to make.
- prep TIME 5 mins
- total TIME 5 mins
- COURSE Beverages, Drinks
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 132 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 10 ozpassion fruit (yielding approx. 4.6 fl oz passion fruit juice)
- 2 tspsugar
- 1.5 cupsorange juice
- 2 fl ozGrand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- 2 fl oztequila
- 0.5 tsplime juice (to salt the glass)
- 0.3 tspsalt (to salt the glass)
- 2 cupsice
INSTRUCTIONS
Get the passion fruit juice: Slice the passion fruits in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp and place it into a bowl. Place a sieve over another bowl, and transfer the seed mixture into the sieve. Use a spoon to press the mixture, scrape it around the sieve to release the juice, for 2-3 minutes. Scrape off any juice sticking to the bottom of the sieve, then discard the seeds (and the purple skin).
Mix the ingredients: Add 2 tsp sugar and a little bit of orange juice to the passion fruit bowl, and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a large serving pitcher, and add 2 fl oz Grand Marnier, 2 fl oz tequila, and the remaining orange juice (1 1/2 cup in total). Stir again to incorporate.
Salt the glasses: Add 1/2 tsp lime juice to a flat dish, and 1/4 tsp salt to a second one. Dip your glasses in the lime juice first, then into the salt so it sticks to the rim.
Serve: Add ice to each glass and pour in tequila mixture. Serve right away.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Founder
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer