This non-alcoholic margarita is AMAZING! Made with jalapeño cilantro simple syrup, lime juice, tonic water, and zero alcohol.
In This Post: Everything You Need For a Non-Alcoholic Margarita
Lindsay’s Notes
This is my favorite non-alcoholic margarita!
There are 101 reasons why someone might not want to consume alcohol – right now, personally, we are in a season of less alcohol consumption for a number of reasons: physical health, mental health, young kids at home, etc. And in this season of less drinking, I’ve realized that having a fun, nuanced, actually good margarita in your back pocket that is more than just juice in a glass and doesn’t rely on alcohol is a really great life upgrade.
So basically, I make this all the time now. Multiple times a week. I keep my lime juice stocked, my simple syrup stocked, and it’s ready for me whenever.
How this started: we were having friends over for the Super Bowl and we wanted a non-alcoholic margarita option for several of the friends in attendance. And I started googling.
A lot of the non-alcoholic margarita recipes I found online relied really heavily on just juices and sparkling water, and while I’m sure those taste great, they don’t have that signature bitterness OR anything really interesting happening with the flavor to make your mouth just light up with excitement and make up for the lack of alcohol. I really wanted something more fun and special than just lime juice and orange juice with sparkling water.
So where we ended up is right here:
- lime juice
- jalapeño cilantro simple syrup – for heat, and also for a fresh herbaceous flavor
- tonic water – for a bit of bitterness and depth
- a Tajin rim – for texture, saltiness, and a fast punch of heat
Three ingredients, no alcohol, one really really happy mama over here.
I love this drink so much – now officially declaring this my Drink of Summer 2023.
For another knockout NA summer drink, this cucumber lime agua fresca has been made in our house at least 78 times. I love it so much.
Non-Alcoholic Margarita Video
Description
This non-alcoholic margarita is AMAZING! Made with jalapeño cilantro simple syrup, lime juice, tonic water, and zero alcohol.
A Single Non-Alcoholic Margarita:
For the Jalapeño Cilantro Simple Syrup:
For the Tajin Rim:
- To make the simple syrup: Bring the sugar, water, cilantro, and jalapeño to a low simmer in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes. You want the sugar to dissolve and some of the flavor of the cilantro and jalapeño to steep into the liquid. Strain out the cilantro and jalapeño, and reserve the syrup in a jar or small pitcher in the fridge for several weeks. I love having this on hand to throw fast, fun, easy drinks together!
- For the Tajin rim: Mix the sugar, salt, and Tajin on a small plate. Brush a bit of lime juice or simple syrup on the side or rim of the glass and immediately dip it into the Tajin mixture so it sticks to the side or rim of the glass. Beautiful!
- To make the NA margaritas: Throw a few ice cubes in the glass. For each marg, I typically use 1.5 ounces lime juice, 2 ounces simple syrup, and tonic water to taste. You can also use a shaker here to mix, or just pour it all into the glass and give it a gentle swish to stir. ENJOY YOUR MOMENT.
Notes
Tonic Water: Tonic water doesn’t have alcohol, but it contains small amounts of quinine which gives it that deliciously bitter flavor that mimics alcohol. Some people can be sensitive to quinine, and it is recommended to avoid it during pregnancy. If you are quinine-averse for any reason, don’t worry, you have other options. If the bitterness is important to you, I would sub a sparkly water with some kind of bitter element to it, like grapefruit. You can also add a dash of your favorite bitters, which technically are alcoholic but they are used in such small amounts that many people use them in mocktails. If you don’t mind a drink that’s on the sweeter side, this is also delicious with any of the sparkling juices at Trader Joe’s (I *love* their sparkling watermelon juice in this) or any other retailers that sell fun varieties of sparkling drinks. A plain sparkling water like Topo Chico would also be great.
Limes: I buy a huge bag of limes for this and then just juice all of them at once so I have a bunch of lime juice in the fridge. I use this little juicer for juicing!
Pitchers: I use these adorable little glass milk pitchers (affiliate link) every summer for storing my simple syrups, agua frescas, iced coffee, lots of different things. For these margs, I juice a bunch of limes ahead and then keep one pitcher of lime juice and one of the simple syrup in the fridge for super fast margs anytime the craving strikes! Ultimate life hack.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shake
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Keywords: zero proof cocktail, non-alcoholic margarita, mocktail recipe
Recipe Card powered byCan I Drink This Margarita If I’m Pregnant?
Yes, but you should use something else in place of the tonic water.
As written, this margarita uses tonic water which contains quinine. It’s what gives it a bitter flavor and prevents it from being overly sweet. Since quinine is not recommended for consumption during pregnancy, I would probably recommend making this with some kind of alternative.
Alternatives to tonic water:
- A sparkling water like Topo Chico
- Quinine-free tonic water
- A bitter-forward sparkling water like grapefruit Spindrift or something similar
- Sparkling juice, like watermelon juice from Trader Joe’s
I promise it’ll still be delicious – I make it with tonic water subs all the time!
And congratulations! ❤️
Can I Use Non-Alcoholic Tequila For This Margarita?
You could! I would just replace the tonic water with your tequila.
Personally, I don’t buy or drink non-alcoholic spirits just because they are expensive and we don’t use them often enough and historically I haven’t always liked the taste of them. So personally, I don’t use any NA subs.
I find that this combination of some “regular” ingredients will make an amazing stand-in for a margarita if you want to skip the alcohol, which is why I love this recipe! No special products required.
How Spicy Is This Margarita?
Not spicy at all. There’s heat, and you can definitely taste the jalapeño in the syrup, but it’s not hot in your mouth spicy. If you WANTED it to be spicier, I would use a higher ratio of Tajin to salt / sugar on the rim, and I would also add another jalapeño or two to the simple syrup!
More Non-Alcoholic Drinks We Love
Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame
I love summer salads like this Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame that has an amazing cumin-lime vinaigrette! And did you know that edamame is low in net carbs and high in protein!
PIN Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame to try it later!
This tasty Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame is something I’d love to make over and over in the summer when fresh tomatoes are so good. And both edamame and avocado are healthy foods that always feel like a treat!
I first made this recipe years ago when frozen edamame was only available in the shell, at least at the stores where I shopped. But now I can get shelled edamame at Kroger near me, and they make it much easier to get this on the table. And recently I came across this recipe back in the archives and got inspired to make it again, and I think the new photos really show off the deliciousness of this combination!
If you’ve enjoyed edamame as an appetizer in a sushi restaurant, I bet you’ll enjoy them in this salad. And if you’re lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes, that will only make the salad better!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
What is Edamame?
Edamame is the name for immature soybeans that are shelled out of the pod and then eaten, and they’re a favorite appetizer with Asian food. You can probably find shelled edamame, which I do highly recommend, and they are often sold frozen, near the frozen vegetables.
Is Edamame high in carbs?
Edamame does have some carbs, but it’s also very high in fiber. One cup of shelled edamame has about 13.8 carbs, but 8 grams of fiber, and edamame is also high in protein. Check out the nutritional information for edamame and you might be surprised.
How to store avocado so it stays good longer:
I used to look longingly at those big bags of avocados at Costco but never buy them because I couldn’t use that many avocados before they went bad. Then I learned that once avocados are ripe, if you keep them in the fridge they last for days and days without getting any softer. I wish I remembered who told me about this, because that bit of avocado storage information has changed my life.
How to Make Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Dice the avocados, put in a bowl, then add fresh lime juice and stir until avocado pieces are all coated with lime.
- Drain thawed edamame into a colander placed in the sink. Pat dry with paper towels if needed.
- I took a photo of the edamame in a measuring cup to show you that a 12 oz. bag of frozen shelled edamame made almost exactly two cups of shelled edamame.
- Cut tomatoes in half so you have 2 cups of tomatoes.
- Slice green onions, more or less to taste.
- For an easy dressing I whisked together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal (links are affiliate links).
- I love this dressing with lots of lime, but taste after you mix the dressing and see if you want to add a bit more olive oil.
- Mix together tomato and edamame and toss with the dressing. (You might not need all the dressing.)
- Then mix in avocado.
- Serve salad right away.
- This was surprisingly good when it had been in the fridge overnight, although I don’t think it would last more than one day.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I would definitely eat this Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame as just a whole-meal salad for a light lunch, but it would make a geat side dish for something like Grilled Fish with Lemon and Capers, Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Vegetables, or Marinated Grilled Flank Steak.
More Salads with Avocados
If you’re an avocado fan like I am, check out 26 Amazing Salads with Avocado.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 small avocados
- 1 T fresh lime juice
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz. frozen shelled edamame (see notes)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
- 4 T fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or salt)
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Dice the avocados into a bowl, then add fresh lime juice and stir until avocado pieces are all coated with lime. (This keeps the avocado from turning brown
- Thaw frozen edamame overnight in the fridge, then drain into a colander placed in the sink. I would pat them dry with paper towels after they dry,
- Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half until you have enough to make 2 cups of tomatoes. (Or use diced fresh garden tomatoes if you have some!
- Slice about 1/2 cup of green onion, more or less to taste
- Whisked together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal (or a slightly smaller amount of salt) to make the dressing.\
- I loved this dressing with lots of lime, but taste after you mix the dressing and see if you want to add a bit more olive oil
- Mix together tomato and edamame and toss with the desired amount of dressing
- Then gently mix in the chopped pieces of avocado
- Serve salad right away, although this was surprisingly still quite good when it had been in the fridge overnight.
Notes
Twelve ounces of frozen shelled edamame is about 2 cups.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 198Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame is a great option for low-carb or Keto diets with only 5 net carbs per serving! All the ingredients here do have some carbs, but they’re also loaded with nutritional benefits, and edamame has lots of fiber so it’s low in net carbs. This is also good or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, although it might be a bit of a splurge on fat for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This favorite salad with tomato, avocado, and edamame was first posted in 2009, probably with a photo that would make me shudder now. The recipe was last updated in 2023, with greatly improved photos and more information.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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