Laura The Gastronaut > Recipes > Alcoholic Shots >
Margarita Jello ShotsMargarita Tequila Jello Shots
May 4, 2022 | Laura
*This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see full disclosure policy for details.
Margarita Jello Shots made with tequila taste just like a real margarita! These shots are so fun and are the perfect balance between sweet, tart, and tequila-y. Margarita Jello shots are great for any party, a pool party, a weekend spent outside, or Cinco de Mayo!
All of the deliciousness of a margarita in Jello shot form.
I've never been known to turn down a margarita. I don't care what form it presents itself- flavored, on the rocks, frozen. They are all good, and these Jello shots are no exception. They have all the classic margarita flavor- tart from the limes, a tad bit sweet, a splash of orange from the triple sec, and, of course, tequila.
This is such an easy recipe, and the shots are tasty and so cute. Especially with a salted rim and garnished with a small lime wedge.
Margarita Jello shots are perfect for any time and are the best Jello shots to have on Cinco de Mayo! Let's get to making them!
Margarita Jello Shot Recipe: Ingredients
*Some of these links may be affiliate links. As a part of Amazon Associates, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
✽ Unflavored Gelatin Powder: In order to be in control of all the flavors and ensure these shots taste like the real deal, I went with using unflavored gelatin.
✽ Water: Half of the water is used for blooming the unflavored gelatin. The rest of it is mixed in with the lime juice to tone down the tartness of the limes a bit.
✽ Sugar: I normally don't add sugar to my margaritas, but these shots were a bit too tart without it. A 1/4 cup of sugar helps balance out the flavors and adds just a small amount of sweetness. The sugar is dissolved in hot water and lime juice for a lime simple syrup.
✽ Fresh Lime Juice: Gotta have limes for margaritas! I opted for using lime juice instead of margarita mix or box of lime Jello for a more natural flavor. These shots will taste the best if you use freshly squeezed lime juice.
✽ Silver Tequila: The majority of the flavor in these Jello shots comes from the tequila. Use your favorite tequila to make them. The better the tequila, the better the shots. Though, these shots will taste good with either cheap or expensive tequila.
✽ Triple Sec: A classic margarita recipe also contains triple sec (orange liqueur). It adds a bit of fruity flavor to the shots as well as some sweet and bitter notes.
✽ Garnishes: Margarita Jello shots taste best when the rim of each shot glass is dipped in some coarse salt (or margarita salt) and a small lime wedge is placed on the rim.
How to Make Tequila Margarita Jello Shots
➊ In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, sprinkle 1 envelope (about 1 Tablespoon) of unflavored gelatin powder over 1/4 cup of room temperature water. Let sit 5 minutes.
➋ In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup lime juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Place over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat just as soon as the mixture begins to boil.
➌ Slowly pour the hot water + lime juice + sugar mixture into the gelatin while whisking. Continue whisking until the gelatin has completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
➍ Stir in 3/4 cup silver tequila and 1/3 cup triple sec.
➎ Pour the margarita Jello mixture evenly into 10 2-ounce plastic shot glasses. I like to put all the Jello shots onto a small baking sheet so they are easier to transport. Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or until the shots are firm and set.
➏ Prior to serving, dip the rim of the shot glasses into a little bit of lime juice (or run a lime wedge along the rim of the shot glass) and then dip the rim into a pile of course sea salt.
➐ Cut a lime into 8 small wedges, and garnish each shot with a lime wedge. Cheers!
Margarita Jello Shots Recipe: Questions
✽ Why do you have to let the unflavored gelatin and water sit for 5 minutes?
Sprinkling unflavored gelatin powder over a small amount of water is called blooming the gelatin. It's a very important step when you are cooking with unflavored gelatin.
Blooming gelatin ensures that the final product will have a smooth texture and there will be no clumps present. When the hot liquid is poured on top of the bloomed gelatin, it will dissolve evenly.
Skipping this step will probably mean that your final Jello shots after they set will still have gelatin granules present and lumps throughout.
✽ How did you choose the proportions for the ingredients for this recipe?
When making shots that mimic an actual classic cocktail, I try to closely follow the recipe for the cocktail listed on International Bartenders Association. For a margarita, you want the majority of the flavor to come from the tequila followed by triple sec then lime juice.
However, it can get a little tricky when making Jello shots with unflavored gelatin because you can't add too much liquid or your shots won't set. If you add too much gelatin, you get a weird consistency.
I decided to still make the majority of the liquid in these margarita Jello shots come from tequila. I found that a cup of tequila was a bit too much tequila for these shosts, so I went with 3/4 cup.
Then I did a 1:1 ratio of lime juice to triple sec for simplicity's sake. I also added some water to bloom the gelatin and to decrease the tartness of the lime juice.
Although I typically do not add sugar to my margaritas at home, I knew immediately after trying the first batch of these shots that they needed some sweetness to counterbalance the tartness of the limes. So I decided to add a bit of sugar into them as well.
Looking for more delicious alcoholic shot recipes?
→ Check out all of my favorite shot recipes!
Margarita Tequila Jell-O Shots
By Laura | Laura The Gastronaut
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 10 shots
__________________________________
Margarita Jello Shots made with tequila taste just like a real margarita! These shots are so much fun and are the perfect balance between sweet, tart, and tequila-y. Margarita Jello shots are great for any party, a pool party, a weekend spent outside, or Cinco de Mayo!
*Some of these ingredient links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.*
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 1 envelope (~1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin powder
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup silver tequila
• 1/3 cup triple sec
• Course sea salt, for rim
• 10 small lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
➊ In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup of water. Let sit 5 minutes.
➋ Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup water, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Once the mixture begins to boil, remove from heat.
➌ Slowly pour hot lime juice + sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture while whisking. Continue whisking until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 2 minutes.
➍ Stir in tequila and triple sec.
➎ Pour margarita shot mixture evenly into 10 2-ounce plastic Jello shot cups. Place in fridge for 3-4 hours or until the shots are firm and set.
➏ Prior to serving, dip the rim of the shot glasses into a bit of lime juice or run a lime wedge along the rim of the shot glasses. Dip the rims into a pile of coarse sea salt. Garnish each shot with a small lime wedge. Cheers!
__________________________________
✽ Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment below and sharing on Instagram. Tag @laurathegastronaut and hashtag it #laurathegastronaut.
Category: Alcoholic Shots Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Keywords: tequila jello shots, margarita shots, delicious lime margarita jello shots, cinco de mayo shots
More Margarita Recipes:
✽ Avocado Margarita (a super creamy and delicious margarita recipe)
✽ Orange Juice Margarita (a fun margarita recipe made with orange juice and blue curacao)
✽ Margarita with Red Wine Floater (perfect recipe for those who love red wine and margaritas)
→ Or check out all of my alcoholic shot recipes!
Bon appétit!
May 4, 2022 by Laura Ehlers
*This Margarita Tequila Jello Shots blog post and recipe may contain some Amazon affiliate links. These link to products that I personally use and recommend. If you purchase anything using my links, it will not cost you anything. It will though give laurathegastronaut.com some financial support which helps me keep this blog running. Thank you for reading my blogs and your continued support.