Mason Jar Margaritas
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Mason jar margaritas — also known as jargaritas — make it easy to have margaritas any time! They can serve a crowd and are perfect to prep ahead for parties, too.
Aside from Topo Chico, margaritas are the official drink of Austin.
No sultry weekend can pass by without a clamor for the ice-cold beverage, sipped on a sunny patio.
In fact, we turn to margaritas any time of year, from Christmas to (Texas) Independence Day.
Years ago, I attended a blogger event called Big Summer Potluck.
The first night had us mingling and munching on Tex-Mex snacks, and every so often someone would wander by with a pink-filled mason jar.
I tracked them down to a big cooler filled with jars, and had (perhaps more than) my share of Chambord margaritas.
It’s a brilliant idea, and when planning my husband’s birthday party that year I knew I had to make a big batch myself.
These margaritas were a huge hit at that first party and every other time we’ve made them.
Really, what’s not to love about a no-fuss frozen margarita?
mason jar margarita ingredients
I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep a huge liquor cabinet at home. Even though the original recipe used Chambord and triple sec, I wasn’t too keen on having leftovers of both laying around the house.
Instead, I tweaked the recipe to use Paula’s Texas Orange.
Paula’s products are made right here in Austin and are wonderful additions to cocktails, and are a natural fit for margaritas.
My version of jargaritas uses just 4 ingredients, plus water:
- Frozen limeade concentrate
- Lime juice
- Tequila
- Paula’s Texas Orange
Don’t have any fresh limes in the house? Don’t worry, you can skip the lime juice if needed.
Can’t find Paula’s Texas Orange? Go ahead and swap it for Cointreau.
making margaritas for a crowd
Mason jar margaritas are truly great for parties or just keeping on hand when you need a margarita at the end of a long day.
All you need to do is mix everything together, pour it into jars, and freeze.
The alcohol content ensures the margaritas stay slushy, so they’re ready to go right out of the freezer. Just pop a straw in, and the party can start.
For parties, I like to fill a big cooler with ice and nestle the lidded jars right in so the adults can grab, unlid, and enjoy as they like!
Just be sure to keep tabs on who is drinking them, because they can go down rather smooth, especially if you’re gobbling up chips and roasted garlic guacamole at the same time!
This recipe makes about a dozen jargaritas. If you have any of the mixture leftover, just pour it into a glass and enjoy right away as your own bartending tip.
I like to use the reusable, plastic lids for these mason jar margaritas. If you can’t find those, the regular lids are fine.
You can reuse the lids for another batch of margaritas, but not for regular canning, so keep them separate from your other jar lids.
mason jar margarita flavor variations
The company that makes Paula’s Texas Orange also makes a grapefruit flavor. You could use that in place of the orange for a twist on the classic margarita.
If you really love grapefruit, try also swapping one of the cans of limeade for a can of frozen grapefruit juice concentrate for grapefruit margaritas.
Craving strawberry margaritas? Try replacing one can of limeade for strawberry puree.
do I have to use frozen lime concentrate?
I love using the frozen limeade concentrate because it is so quick and easy.
But you can make your own lime concentrate if you prefer:
- Mix 1 cup of fresh squeezed lime with 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.
- Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Let cool completely before mixing with margarita ingredients.
Whether you use the frozen concentrate or make the homemade version, your friends will love these mason jar margaritas and you’ll love how easy they were to make!
Mason Jar Margaritas
Ingredients
- 64 ounces water
- 24 ounces frozen limeade, (2 cans)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, optional
- 24 ounces tequila
- 24 ounces Paula’s Texas Orange, or Cointreau
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a large pot.
- Ladle into 8-ounce mason jars, coming to just below band area.
- Place lids and screw on rings, or screw on reusable lids.
- For ease of transport and storage, put jars back into the original box flat, or onto a large tray.
- Store in freezer for at least 4 hours, until ready to serve.
- Serve margaritas with straws. Margaritas will melt around the outside edges first, but using a straw to break up the mixture will speed the process.
Hi,
these mason margaritas look perfect for the coming weekend; after labor day…can you tell me what would be an equivalent to Paula’s Texas Orange…(thx to under the highchair a Montreal neighbor and good luck to all on your new quest to blog w/o borders…)
Hi Natalie! The closest equivalent would be Cointreau (I edited the post to reflect that). The original recipe used half triple sec and half Chambord.
I’m about to Stumble this so I can find it again. 🙂 I love the idea of freezing the drinks in the mason jars. Ready-to-go margaritas, in cute drink jars? Genius!
Sorry. You lost me with the two cans of frozen limeade. Try 1 part tequila, one part triple sec, and one part fresh lime juice with ice cubes in a salt-rimmed glass. If you can’t get fresh lime juice, don’t even consider a substitute. You’re better off drinking Dos Equis.
@Sally, I added a note at the bottom for making your own limeade concentrate. Thanks for your note on traditional margaritas. If that’s what I was going for, I wouldn’t have posted this. Cheers!
I am as big a margarita snob as the next Austin girl, but don’t knock this frozen limeade version until you’ve tried it. Or until your sister-in-law has made them for summer outings for six or seven or fourteen years. Because, and this comes from a woman who has four different kinds of tequila in her bar, Paula’s in her freezer, and three sizes of margarita glasses, this recipe absolutely has a place in the margarita universe.
We used to do essentially the same thing using rum. They were supposed to be daiquiris. I thought they were great until someone made me the real thing. I’ve never looked back.
The recipe I gave above is the one I got off the Tequila Sauza bottle when I was a graduate student in Mexico City in the 1960’s.
The rest of you are free to enjoy your beverage made with frozen limeade, but I will stick to the real McCoy or Dos Equis. 8)
What a great post- thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try these, limeade all ;). I appreciate all the details you provided as well.
Thank you for posting this Megan. I am an Austinite that has been living in Albuquerque, NM for the past 21 years. I proposed to my wife in the photo booth at Chuy’s 21 years ago, just after I popped in the quarters. We still have the pix! Yes, we were drinking frozen margaritas then too.
We make another Austin recipe that is very similar to yours. The frozen limeade is great in this frozen drink and on the rocks. Your idea of pre-freezing them in mason jars is brilliant! Cheers!
I absolutely need to make these. Love the idea of putting them back in the case! Brilliant.
Love this idea Megan. I might be a bit of a margarita snob even if ‘just’ hailing from Colorado. Good tequila, orange liqueur and not triple sec and yes, fresh squeezed lime juice for simple syrup (and lemon; I do a blend).
But the truth is…that margarita takes time; I also like to let the juices and liquor meld for several hours so when in a pinch and company is coming over…I’ve done the frozen juices and no one has EVER complained. For me, the good tequila and good orange liqueur is just as important, maybe more so.
Ok, trying this receipe tonight. Any suggestions for this version of strawberry margaritas?
Hey Shannon! For strawberry, I would try replacing half the lime for pureed strawberry. Good luck!
Do you know how long these would keep? Kinda liking the idea of making a batch to store in the freezer and bring out when we have guests (or a Tuesday…).
I’m not sure how long you can store them, but I don’t think there would be any harm in storing them for up to 6 months. The only thing that might happen is the flavor would degrade a bit.
I was wondering the same thing as far as storing them for a later use and the ability to give them as gifts. More or less a way to keep a shelf life like canning these.
What size can of limeade?
It’s a standard 12-ounce size.
I made these for a party we had this weekend and they were a huge hit! I’ll be keeping them in the freezer at all times. FYI…this recipe makes about 12 pint jars a little more than 3/4 full.
I seriously can’t wait to try these. LOVE the idea.
PS: featured you on http://masonjarcraftsblog.com. 🙂
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Will the jars crack in freezer?
Hi Gerby! I’ve made these many times and have never had a jar crack. Leave a little room at the top and then close the jar just so it’s sealed, not very tight as for canning.
Hope that helps!
Love these margaritas! They were so easy to make and were perfect to serve our crowd of friends. They go down easy…not that I minded! 😉
Love these margaritas! They were so easy to make and were perfect to serve our crowd of friends. They go down easy…not that I minded! 😉
These margaritas are incredible. I’m making them again this weekend.
Thanks for sharing this Mason Jar Margritas recipe, love this one