Sriracha goes with anything, seriously. For instance, turn that classic margarita into a Rooster-rita with a little dab of the famous sauce. It adds a gentle kick and a nice splash of color.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Tart lime and orange liqueur with tequila, a little sweet garlicky chili from the Sriracha, and a salty rim. |
| Primary heat source | A teaspoon of Sriracha in the drink, plus more on the rim. Sriracha runs 1,000 to 2,500 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild. Add more Sriracha to taste. |
| How to serve it | Over ice in a margarita or rocks glass with a Sriracha and salt rim and a jalapeño wheel. |
| Best uses | Taco night, cookouts, or anywhere you would pour a margarita. |
| Customization ideas | More or less Sriracha, triple sec in place of Cointreau, a muddled jalapeño for more heat. |
| Before you start | About five minutes for one drink. Rim the glass first. |
Flavor notes
Sriracha brings more than heat. It’s made from red jalapeños with sugar and garlic, and at 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units it’s milder than a fresh jalapeño. So a teaspoon gives this margarita a gentle warmth, a little sweetness and that coral color, and the garlic adds a faint savory note that sets it apart from a margarita made with fresh peppers.
Wondering why the recipe brushes Sriracha on the glass before it goes in the salt? That puts chili and salt on your lips with every sip, so the heat hits first, and the salt plays off all that lime.
Shake it hard, too, since Sriracha is thick, and a good, vigorous shake with ice breaks it up so it blends into the drink instead of settling in a streak at the bottom.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, and none of them take long.
- Want it hotter? Add more Sriracha to taste, or muddle a jalapeño wheel in the shaker before you add the ice.
- Want it milder? Use half a teaspoon of Sriracha in the drink and leave it off the rim.
- No Cointreau? Triple sec works just as well in the same amount.
- Want it sweeter? Shake in a little agave syrup, then taste and add more if you need it.
- Making a round? Measure out the tequila, Cointreau, lime and Sriracha for everyone ahead of time, then shake each drink with ice when you pour it.
Serving ideas
Where does it fit? Anywhere you’d pour a margarita, with a little extra on the glass.
- With a spicy rim: Dab a little Sriracha on a plate, run the rim of the glass through it, then dip it in salt.
- With a jalapeño wheel: Slit a thin jalapeño slice and hook it on the rim for a garnish.
- With food: Tacos, nachos, grilled shrimp, or Thai noodles, where Sriracha already feels at home.
Storage notes
Margaritas are best shaken to order. If you’re getting ready for a party, juice the limes ahead and keep the juice covered in the fridge, and rim the glasses before your guests arrive.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spicy Paloma Cocktail: Grapefruit and tequila with a squeeze of lime, and a little heat.
- Spicy Blood Orange Margarita: Blood orange sweetness, almost berry-like, with chili heat.
- Sriracha Bloody Mary: Sriracha takes on the brunch classic, with a subtle garlic note.
A globe-spanning collection of 100 bold, fiery recipes — soups, fiery mains, curries, handhelds, snacks, sauces, even brunch — drawn from over a decade of PepperScale favorites.
Wicked Wednesday subscribers save 15% — join free.
Sriracha Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 ounce tequila
- 1/2 ounce cointreau or triple sec
- 2 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 cup ice
- 1 jalapeño pepper cut into wheels
- Salt for rim
Instructions
- Salt the rim of margarita or rocks glass by placing a small amount of Sriracha on a plate, dashing the rim of the glass with Sriracha, then dipping the rim in salt.
- Place ice in a cocktail shaker, then add in tequila, cointreau (or triple sec), lime juice, and Sriracha. Shake vigorously, then pour the margarita into the glass.
- Garnish with a jalapeño wheel and enjoy.
