Skinny Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita’s are makeover with homemade spicy simple syrup, fresh pureed pineapple and light lemonade!
I am thinking we all need a bit of a virtual happy hour.
With all the craziness of the holiday season in full swing, I couldn’t think of a better way to bring on some relaxation than a new spin on my favorite cocktail, a margarita!
Tequila has never let me down. Wait, I retract that comment. There has been a few times it has been a bit too tasty and I may or may not have had one too many. Luckly those nights never ended in actions I later regretted. Just an early bedtime.
Boring I know.
Would it be more convincing if I told you those nights ended with dancing stupidly at a bar? Or something else far too embarrassing too discuss?
I could. But I would be lying and that is not what our friendship is based on here! Rather, I like our friendship to be based on love, way too much chatter and tasty margaritas!
A few months ago when Mr HIT and I traveled to Chicago for a friends wedding, we had a few hours to kill and were dying for some tasty food as Chicago has some pretty amazing food. Unfortunately, we didn’t indulge in deep dish pizza but we did stumble upon a great little spot for some authentic Mexican food and tequila. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint! Three margaritas later we were feeling gooooodddd.
Mr HIT is a bit more adventurous in the cocktail realm than I am. What can I say, I just like my margaritas with some top shelf tequila, a touch of grand mariner and fresh lime juice. You can’t mess with perfection. Well they had one that caught both of our eyes. A fresh pineapple margarita with a jalapeño infused simple syrup. Sweet, spicy and potent all in the same sip. Perfection.
After falling in love, we antagonized the bartender on how to make them. Because Mr HIT immediately demanded I recreate these at home for him. Minus the $12 price tag. A task I was willing to take on. Upon arriving at home, I gathered the ingredients – a fresh pineapple, plump jalapeños and our best tequila. The drink starts out with a simple syrup. It seems daunting but really is just that, simple. Boil water and sugar together, chill then you are done! Throw some jalapeño in while it is simmering to infuse the syrup, and the drink, with a subtle spice rather than a ‘in your face’ heat. You can adjust the amount of heat for your preference by adding more or less jalapeño. While the syrup is simmering, cut up fresh jalapeno and puree. You can use pineapple juice here, but there is no comparison to bright and crisp pineapple. And to keep the calories in check, light lemonade is added.
Confession time? Crystal Light lemonade is my secret weapon for making my skinny margaritas.
A girls gotta watch her figure while sitting next to that endless chip basket!
These pineapple margaritas are simple to make and easy to drink! So today I am raising my glass for virtual CHEERS!
Tools I used to make this recipe:
Skinny Jalapeño Pineapple Margaritas are makeover with homemade spicy simple syrup, fresh pureed pineapple and light lemonade!
15 minPrep Time
5 minCook Time
20 minTotal Time
Yields 4
Save RecipeIngredients
- Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend (or 1/2 cup sugar)
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- Drink Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh pineapple or 1 cup pineapple juice
- 4 cups Crystal Light lemonade (or margarita mix)
- 6 oz white tequila (4 shots)
- 3 oz triple sec (2 shots)
- 2 fresh limes
- Salt, for rimming
- Ice
Instructions
- In a small pan, mix the water, trivia (or sugar) and jalapeño and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add mixture to a blender and puree on high until smooth. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and into a small container. Put the syrup in the fridge to chill while prepping the other ingredients.
- Rinse out the blender and add the fresh pineapple. Puree until smooth.
- In a pitcher, add the pineapple puree, lemonade, tequila, triple sec and simple syrup. Stir well.
- Use the lime wedge to rub around the rim of the 4 glasses, then dip the rim in the salt. Then fill with ice.
- Pour the margarita mixture among the 4 glasses and garnish with squeezed lime wedge.
Notes
*To make a large batch, double the ingredients.
Want some more tasty cocktails?
Skinny Sparkling Blueberry Mojito
Tipsy Caramel S’mores Milkshake
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #WITHSALTANDWIT. I’d love to see what you are cooking up in your kitchen!
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