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A close-up side shot of a lilikoi margarita in a tajin-rimmed glass garnished with a lime wedge. The glass sits on a light pink surface with a pitcher of margaritas and a bottle of tequila in the background. A dish of tajin and a lime wedge, a small pitcher of passion fruit puree, and half a passion fruit sit alongside the margarita.

Lilikoi Margaritas

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x

Description

Refreshingly bright, tart, and tropical, this Lilikoi Margarita is the ultimate twist on a classic!

Made with real passion fruit purée, fresh lime, tequila, and a touch of agave, it’s a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Shake up a single drink or mix a whole pitcher – either way, this cocktail will transport you straight to Hawaii with every sip.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ ounces lilikoi/passion fruit purée
  • 1 ½ ounces Reposado tequila (can sub silver tequila)
  • 1 ounce Grand Marnier (or preferred orange liqueur)
  • ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (~½ juicy lime)
  • ¼-½ ounce agave nectar
  • lime wedges and coarse salt for rimming the glass

Instructions

  1. Optional: For a salted margarita, rim the glass(es). Fill a shallow bowl or plate with coarse salt – you can’t go wrong with Black Hawaiian Salt or Red Alaea Salt! Run a lime wedge around the rim of your serving glass, then dip the rim into the salt to coat. Set aside.A side shot of a woman's hand rimming a glass with tajin seasoning. A white dish of tajin sits on a pink surface, and bottles of agave, tequila and Grand Marnier sit in the background.
  2. Mix the margarita. For a single serving, add lilikoi purée (1 ½ oz), tequila (1 ½ oz), Grand Marnier (1 oz), lime juice (½ oz), and agave nectar (¼-½ oz) to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cover and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. For a pitcher, add all listed ingredients to a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness with more agave nectar if needed.A side shot of a scoop dropping ice into a glass cocktail shaker with a silver rim. The shaker sits on a pink surface, with glasses of passion fruit puree and lime juice alongside it, and bottles of tequila and Grand Marnier in the background.
  3. Serve. Fill the prepared glass(es) with ice. Strain the margarita mixture over top. If desired, garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately. Cheers!An angled side shot of a lilikoi margarita being poured from a cocktail shaker into a glass rimmed with tajin. The glass sits on a pink surface with bottles of tequila and Grand Marnier in the background.

Notes

For a Pitcher of Lilikoi Margaritas (serves 8): 

  • Want to mix up a batch for a party? Simply swap out ounces in the recipe for cups (i.e. 1 ½ cups tequila, etc.).

Lilikoi puree:

  • Lilikoi is the variety of passion fruit grown in Hawaii. Like other varieties, lilikoi is a tropical fruit with intensely tart-sweet flavor.
  • This recipe uses unsweetened passion fruit puree (not to be mistaken with fruit juice or syrup). If you have access to good-quality fresh passion fruit, it is pretty easy to make homemade passion fruit puree – check out this simple 10-minute DIY tutorial for more guidance. Here in Minnesota, I typically purchase frozen passion fruit puree online (my personal favorite is Perfect Purée, but this is another good option), but you can also typically find it stocked in the freezer aisle at a nice Mexican or Latino market.
  • Best substitutes: If you cannot find unsweetened passion fruit puree, the next best options for this recipe are lightly sweetened puree or passion fruit juice concentrate.

Easy Variations: 

  • A note on sweetness: As written, this recipe makes a light and tart passion fruit margarita – just how I like it! If you prefer a smoother, sweeter margarita, simply add more agave nectar to taste. If using sweetened passion fruit purée or juice concentrate, start with less agave nectar and adjust as needed to avoid over-sweetening.
  • Make it your own! For a smoky-sweet twist, swap tequila for mezcal for a bold, smoky kick. If you like a spicy margarita, muddle fresh jalapeño in the cocktail shaker before adding the other ingredients for a delicious kick of heat.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/lilikoi-margaritas/