A frozen margarita from a machine is a slushie. This granita is a frozen margarita you eat with a fork, scraped into icy crystals that melt on your tongue. Two cups of strawberries, four ounces of tequila, one ounce of Cointreau, four tablespoons of fresh lime juice, and half a cup of water, blended smooth, poured into a shallow dish, and scraped with a fork every thirty minutes as it freezes.
Because of the alcohol, the granita never freezes into a solid block. It stays scrapeable. The lime and strawberry do what they always do in a margarita. But the texture, scraped and crystalline, is a different experience entirely from pouring a blender drink into a cup. This is the one I make every summer without fail.
Tips for Making Strawberry Margarita Granita
Use a shallow dish
A 9×13 baking dish or similar. The thinner the layer of liquid, the faster and more evenly it freezes. A deep bowl takes twice as long and freezes unevenly.
Metal dishes conduct cold better than glass or ceramic. If you have a metal baking pan, use it.
Scrape every thirty minutes
Set a timer. Every thirty minutes, drag a fork through the freezing mixture. The edges freeze first. Scrape them toward the centre.
After three to four rounds of scraping, the granita should be a pile of loose, icy crystals. Stop when it looks like shaved ice, not a solid block.
Strawberry Margarita Granita
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Complete with tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau, this margarita granita is a perfect summer drink in dessert form.
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries (hulled)
- 4 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 4 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and place in the freezer.
- Every 30 minutes to an hour, scrape the mixture with a fork to create a granita texture.
- Continue scraping and freezing until the granita is frozen to your liking.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
Frequently Asked Questions
How strong is this?
Four ounces of tequila and one ounce of Cointreau split across four to six servings. Moderately strong. The freezing dulls the alcohol flavour, so it tastes milder than a liquid margarita with the same amount.
Can I make this without alcohol?
Yes. Replace the tequila with water and the Cointreau with a tablespoon of orange juice. The granita will freeze harder without alcohol, so scrape it more frequently.
How long does it take to freeze?
Two to three hours of scraping every thirty minutes. It is not hands-off, but each scraping takes about thirty seconds.
