Celebrating the weekend? Going all out on taco night? Cheers-ing to Tuesday? Whatever the occasion (or non-occasion) this Strawberry Basil Margarita is a delicious, low-effort option, especially since it can be made as a cocktail or mocktail.

It’s got a salted honey rim and a decorative basil leaf on top, which make it look and taste SO fancy, despite being actually incredibly easy to make. The whole recipe calls for a total of seven ingredients, and that’s including the tequila, and salt and honey for the rim. (The recipe makes one drink, so if you’re enjoying with a friend, make sure to double it!)

strawberry basil margarita

The base is frozen strawberries, which besides meaning you can make this drink year-round, the frozen fruit also gives the cocktail/mocktail an even stronger flavor than if you’d make it with fresh.

The secret is microwaving and muddling the strawberries to create a puree that has an incredibly concentrated fruit flavor. Then add the basil for the most delicious, farm-fresh taste, and muddle some more. (Got extra basil left over? Try this fresh salad.)

No cocktail-making tools required

Besides calling for minimal ingredients and being packed with fruity flavor, one of the best parts about this Strawberry Basil Margarita is you don’t need a cocktail shaker or any other fancy tools to make it. My “muddler” is a citrus juicer and you can even just use a wooden spoon! ⁣

strawberry basil margarita

Garnish with flavor

After salting the rim and pouring your drink, the final touch is a decorative basil leaf on top. It not only makes it look gorgeous, but because smell is such a huge part of taste, having that basil right under your nose when you sip massively ups the flavor! ⁣

Watch it being made!

Enjoy, and tag me if you make it on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!

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strawberry basil margarita

Strawberry Basil Margarita with Salted Honey Rim


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  • Author: Liz Moody
  • Yield: Makes 1 cocktail 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries⁣
  • Juice of 1 lime⁣
  • 2 tablespoons honey, plus more for rim ⁣
  • 3/4 cup packed basil leaves, plus more for garnish ⁣
  • 1 shot tequila of choice (feel free to omit for a mocktail!)⁣
  • Lime seltzer, to top⁣
  • Fine grain sea salt, for the rim (I used Redmond Real Salt, which is faintly sweet and adds a nice pink color)

Instructions

  1. Microwave the frozen strawberries in 30 second intervals, smashing with a muddler or wooden spoon between, until it’s a fruit puree (about 2-3 minutes total).
  2. Add basil and honey and muddle/smash aggressively to get out all of the basil flavor. Stir in lime juice. Strain into a liquid measuring cup. ⁣
  3. Drizzle a bit of honey on a plate and spread with the back of a spoon until it’s slightly wider than your glass. Do the same with the salt on a separate plate.
  4. Dip the edge of your glass in the honey, then the salt, to get a nice rim. Add ice, tequila (if using), then the strained strawberry mixture. Top with lime seltzer and stir, then add a basil leaf on top. Enjoy!