Best Keto Margarita EVER!

This keto margarita has all of the flavor of a classic margarita, but with zero added sugar!

Keto Margarita

There’s truly nothing as refreshing as an ice-cold margarita on a hot day, but if you’re cutting carbs or trying to eliminate sugar from your diet classic cocktails are often off the table. That’s why when we were hard at work developing our ultimate classic margarita recipe, we were determined to also create a sugar-free version that anyone would be able to enjoy. 

After experimenting with many varieties and finally inviting friends and family for a taste test, we landed on a keto margarita recipe that’s both delicious and easy to make!

Keto Margarita Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make a keto margarita:

• Silver Tequila
• Lime Juice
• Orange Extract
• Monk Fruit

How to Make a Keto Margarita?

Making a keto margarita is actually super simple! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Juice limes. If you don’t have store-bought lime juice, the first thing you’ll need to do is squeeze your limes!
2. Add the ingredients to a mason jar or cocktail shaker. I prefer a mason jar here so you can see the ingredients and ensure that the monk fruit is dissolved.
3. Stir. To get the monk fruit to dissolve, you’ll need to stir the cocktail for about one minute, until you can no longer see the monk fruit.
4. Serve over ice. Once the monk fruit is dissolved, simply pour the margarita over ice and serve!

How many carbs does a skinny margarita have?

The number of carbs in a skinny margarita can vary, and most still have sweetener in them! Our own skinny margarita recipe has about 18 grams of carbs per serving, whereas our keto margarita only has 2.6.

Keto (or low-sugar) Triple Sec alternatives

Triple sec is an orange liqueur that lends both sweetness and an orange flavor to margaritas. Since it is often high in sugar, we recommend leaving it out and using a bit of orange extract and sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit instead!

Is there a difference between fresh vs. bottled lime juice?

Yes! We are firmly in the freshly-squeezed lime juice camp. Why? Because it truly tastes better than the bottled stuff! Bottled lime juice has added preservatives and has much more time to oxidize than juice you’ve just squeezed from a lime a few minutes ago, which means it has less flavor. Some bottled juices can also have a distinct artificial flavor to them.

Sweetener Alternatives 

When it comes to margaritas, you have tons of options for sweeteners! The most classic options are agave and simple syrup made of sugar and water. Here’s a breakdown of alternative paleo and keto margarita sweeteners.

Paleo Margarita Sweeteners

• Agave – agave is made from the same plant as tequila, and is a perfect complement for a margarita. This sweetener has about 5 grams of carbs per teaspoon.
• Honey – honey also tastes great in margaritas, but is a bit hard to stir. Honey has about 6 grams of carbs per teaspoon.
• Pure Maple Syrup – for a slightly different flavor, maple syrup also makes a great margarita addition, and it stirs in easily. It has about 4 grams of carbs per teaspoon.

Keto Margarita Sweeteners

• Monk Fruit – monk fruit was the winning keto sweetener amongst our testers. We used Lakanto, which is actually a blend of both monk fruit and erythritol. It added a nice, neutral sweetness to our margaritas with no aftertaste. Monk fruit is calorie-free, and erythritol is a sugar alcohol, so this blend contains no carbs. We found that it does tend to settle at the bottom of the drink, so make sure you really stir it up, or you can opt for a powdered or liquid version instead.
• Liquid Stevia – we also tested liquid stevia in these margaritas, but our tasters preferred the monk fruit because of stevia’s aftertaste. If that’s something you’re ok with though, stevia is a great option! It is carb and calorie-free, and mixes easily into drinks.
• Erythritol – erythritol is another commonly used option for keto margaritas, and since it worked well in the monk fruit blend, we think this may be a good option, too! Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, so it tastes similar to sugar but isn’t absorbed in the gut – meaning it has zero carbs. For best results, we’d recommend trying a powdered version.

How to enjoy your margarita – frozen vs. on the rocks?

It’s really up to you, but we chose to make this margarita on the rocks! We find it’s a lot easier than whipping out your blender, because all you have to do is add the ingredients to a jar and stir or shake! 

Make-ahead Tips – How to Make Sugar Free Margarita Mix 

Since lime juice tends to lose a bit of flavor over time, we’d recommend making these no more than 1-2 days in advance. You can just make the margaritas as instructed, then store in an airtight container. When it’s time to serve, just give the margarita mix a really good shake before pouring it!

Favorite dishes to enjoy with a Keto Margarita 

If you’re looking for some Mexican-inspired dishes to serve with your margaritas, here are a few of our favorites! Simply serve the tacos in lettuce wraps instead of corn tortillas to keep them keto-friendly.

• Slow Cooker Barbacoa
• Shrimp Fajita Sheet Pan Dinner
• Beef Taco Salad
• Instant Pot Carnitas
• Fish Ceviche Verde
• Carne Asada Tacos
• Blackened Fish Tacos
• Mexican Coleslaw with Creamy Avocado Dressing

How many net carbs are in a margarita?

Most margaritas range somewhere from 15-30 grams of net carbs each. This keto margarita only has 2.6 though!

What is the difference between a keto margarita and a skinny margarita?

While both keto and skinny margaritas have less sugar than a classic margarita, most skinny margaritas still contain a sweetener like agave, and also often have orange juice in them. A keto margarita doesn’t contain orange juice because of the added carbs, and uses a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia to sweeten it. 

Can you have lime juice on keto?

Yes, lime juice is keto-friendly! 2 tablespoons of lime juice has about 2.5 grams of carbs.