Shake up your cocktail routine with a fresh and tart pineapple cilantro margarita! This is so simple to make at home but will make your kitchen feel like your favorite restaurant. The flavors pair beautifully together.

two pineapple cilantro margaritas on a wooden cutting board with limes and cilantro

Picture this: it’s Friday evening and you’ve had a long week. It’s warm enough to eat outside. You’re craving a fresh cocktail. Something delicious that isn’t overly sweet. Tart. Boozy, but not so much that you get hungover from just one. Maybe a little something more unique? But not too complicated of course.

I have exactly the drink for you!

This pineapple cilantro margarita is a copycat of something similar I had in St. Augustine, Florida at a bar on the beach. It was absolute bliss and I knew I had to recreate it as soon as possible at home.

Here’s my take on it (and I promise it delivers!).

Ingredients

tequila (I used Casamigos)
pineapple juice
fresh squeezed lime juice
simple syrup (or agave nectar)
cilantro leaves
fresh jalapeño slices

limes cilantro and pineapple juice on cutting board

ingredients for pineapple cilantro margaritas spread out

There’s a lot of flexibility, but I promise it’s great as is. And if you think cilantro deserves no place in a cocktail, here me out: it is very subtle, but adds the most unique flavor pairing.

two margaritas on a wooden cutting board with cilantro garnish

Do I need a cocktail shaker?

Nope! I see the value in a cocktail shaker (it’s fun and fancy 💃) but I almost always use mason jars to make drinks at home. Sometimes they double as the serving vessel, sometimes I pour it into something different. Either way, it works just fine.

What if I hate cilantro?

You can leave it out, but it is a key ingredient here so I wouldn’t recommend that. Be sure to add the jalapeños and follow the jalapeño simple syrup recommendation in the recipe card notes.

Can I batch this?

Absolutely! If you want to make this for a crowd, here’s some helpful math:

8 shots/servings = 12 ounces

16 shots/servings = 24 ounces

32 shots/servings = 48 ounces

Remember you’ll always use equal parts tequila and pineapple juice. Plan on one lime for each serving. You can estimate and taste as you go for the rest.

closeup of a margarita with a lime wedge

I’m proclaiming this my “drink of the summer” and plan to make one for pretty much everyone who comes over. Just add chips, guac and a seat on the patio.