grilled pineapple + jalapeño margaritas

juicy grilled pineapple and spicy jalapeño are blended together for the ultimate sweet + heat margarita! grilled pineapple and jalapeño margaritas are so refreshing and a little spicy, this is the perfect margarita for summer! 

It’s HOT outside.  The two days of spring we had this year were relatively enjoyable, but now we’ve already moved on to summer.  But do you know what that means?  Margaritas.  LOTS and LOTS of margaritas.  To kick off the hot weather / summer season, I would love to acquaint you with one of my favorites :  grilled pineapple and jalapeño margaritas.

*ahhhh* <– (That’s just the margarita gods singing blissfully into the beaming rays of summer sunshine.)  So, this margarita is full of the usual suspects:  good tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice.  However, this margarita is special.  It also has agave, grilled pineapple, and grilled jalapeño.  *ahhhh* <– (They’re really into it.)

If you’re looking to snack while you imbibe, I highly recommend sharing some of my favorite guacamole recipe from Mark.  It has tomato, garlic, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lots of salt and pepper, and it literally makes me drool just thinking about it.  If you’re wanting more of a dinner option, I’d throw a pork loin in the crockpot and make either carnitas tacos or carnitas sliders.  They go really well with my creamy black beans, too! 

I used a grill pan over medium-high heat to grill my pineapple, as our grill is currently awaiting replacement parts.  It works JUST fine, and you can grill the jalapeños as you grill the pineapple to save a little time.  Just let the grilled pineapple and jalapeño chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes after you take them off the heat.

The sweet, tropical flavor of the pineapple combined with a little charring from the grill makes these margaritas taste absolutely divine.  The added slight char from the jalapeños helps as well, and the sweetness from the agave creates a smooth balance of flavor.

Use fresh lime juice for optimum results, as fresh is always best!  Plus, if you’re going to make the effort to grill pineapples and jalapeños, you’ve owe it to yourself to make this drink a complete flavor package.

This recipe makes two grilled pineapple and jalapeño margaritas.  One for you, and one for your future life partner.  Because they will ask you to marry them after they finish their margarita.

Be careful, by the way.  These guys will sneak up on you, because they each contain two ounces of tequila AND a half an ounce of orange liqueur.  I promise they won’t taste “strong”, because the fresh fruit will mask any strong alcohol notes.  They will make you feel like you’re a freaking queen / king, though.  But that’s just because you are.

Cheers to your summer, and cheers to margaritas.  What would we ever do without them?

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grilled pineapple + jalapeño margaritas

Author Sara

Course Drinks

Servings 2 margaritas

Sweet, spicy, and absolutely perfect for summer!  These grilled pineapple and jalapeño margaritas are packed with fresh fruit and citrus, then combined with the usual margarita suspects for a delicious twist on a favorite classic cocktail.

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Ingredients

 

for the margaritas :

• ▢ 4 ounces grilled pineapple / jalapeno mix
• ▢ 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1 ounce orange liqueur
• ▢ 4 ounces good tequila resposado preferred
• ▢ 1 ounce agave syrup

for the rim :

• ▢ 1 Tbsp sugar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp flaked sea salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cayenne
• ▢ 1/4 tsp chili powder

Instructions

• Cut one fresh pineapple into 1/2" thick rings.  Cut one small jalapeño in half, lengthwise.  Deseed the jalapeno.
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place four pineapple rings onto the grill pan, and both halves of jalapeño, cut side down.  Grill for roughly five minutes per side, until charred grill marks are fully developed.
• Chill the pineapple rings and jalapeño for at least thirty minutes.  Once chilled, cut the rings into chunks.  Cut the jalapeño halves into smaller pieces.
• Set aside two pineapple chunks for rimming the glasses + garnish.  Place all jalapeño pieces and all other grilled pineapple chunks into a blender.  Add the agave syrup, and blend on high until completely smooth.  (At least one minute).  Strain the pineapple jalapeño mix through a fine mesh sieve. Set it aside for now.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the pineapple jalapeño mix, fresh lime, orange liqueur, and tequila.  Firmly cap the shaker, and shake vigorously for about ten seconds.  You want the ice cubes to break into much smaller pieces, so shake it like you mean it. 🙂
• Let's make the rim!  Combine all spices onto a small plate.  Use a fork to fully blend the spices together.  Use one of the pineapple chunks you set aside to rim each glass, then dip each glass into the spice mix to fully coat the rims.
• Divide the contents of the shaker between two old fashioned glasses (or glassware of your choice.)
• Garnish with very thinly sliced fresh jalapeño (optional), and a chunk of grilled pineapple on the side of the glass.  Cheers!

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