You know it’s the weekend when you come home with a bag of oranges that you kind of fall in love with…then turn them into a margarita. I found these Cara Cara Navel oranges yesterday while shopping. Being perpetually hungry, I cut one up as soon as I got home. The pinkish hue inside is really beautiful and their flavor is much less tart than most oranges and very sweet. They make a great snack…and a pretty darn good margarita.
The mellow flavor of the Cara Cara leaves you with a less “pucker” of a margarita. If the tartness of a margarita is something you love, you could use one of the more tart oranges, like tangelos, tangerines, or mandarines or simply add a bit more lime. However you enjoy your margarita, I know you’ll love this basic recipe. And if you’re a bit whackadoo, like me, you may end up having the words Cara-Cara-Margarita stuck in your head all day! You’re welcome.
Cara Cara Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- zest of one Cara Cara orange
- zest of one lime
- some extra lime wedges
- 2 ounces 1/4 cup Cara Cara orange juice, approximately the juice of one orange
- .5 ounce 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1.5 ounces tequila
- .5 ounce triple sec
- crushed ice
Instructions
- To create an orange-lime salted rim, combine the kosher salt with the zest of the orange on a flat dish. Work the orange zest into the salt using your fingers a bit. The salt will become orange. Sprinkle the lime zest in and set aside.
- Rub the lime wedge around the rim of a serving glass. Dip the glass into the salt mixture, twirling it around a bit to cover the rim.
- In a shaker, combine the orange and lime juices with the tequila and triple sec and just a bit of crushed ice. Give it a good shake and pour into serving glasses over additional crushed ice.
What a beautiful post and so timely for me too. Just picked up a bag of beautiful Cara Caras and must admit that they’re one of favs now also. Luv that orange-lime salted rim…pinning and must make!
Thanks so much, Cristina. I hope you love them!
Cara Caras are one of my favorites and a margarita sounds like the perfect way to use them!
Thanks so much, Sylvie!
Beautiful! Citrus season is the best part of winter :) Love these margaritas!
Thanks so much, Sofia! As I sit here, looking out onto a snowy yard, I have to agree…citrus is definitely the best part of winter! ;)
Drinking a key lime margarita right now. Love your cara cara salt. !!
Oooh…I adore key limes, Letty! Sounds wonderful! Thanks so much! Cheers!