I’m not much of a drinker, but this Keto Margarita recipe almost changed that.
Keto Margarita Recipe
My Keto Margarita recipe is made with three low-carb ingredients:
Low-Carb Margarita Mix
This is one incredibly tasty cocktail. Electrolytes are the perfect low-carb margarita mix because they taste amazing and prevent you from getting dehydrated.
Keto Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 ounce tequila
- 8 ounces sparkling water
- ½ teaspoon LMNT citrus salt
- 1 cup ice
- 1 slice lime
Instructions
- Gently mix tequila, sparkling water, and LMNT in a shaker
- Pour into glass of ice
- Add slice of lime
- Drink up
Equipment
Low-Carb Margarita Recipe
It’s good to have a great low-carb margarita recipe in your life, whether for Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Christmas, birthday celebrations, or everyday use.
Skinny Margarita Recipe
Have you heard of a skinny margarita? It’s a low-carb margarita recipe that replaces high-carb liqueurs like Cointreau or Grand Marnier with fresh-squeezed orange juice.
How to Make Keto Margarita Recipe
My Keto Margarita recipe is even easier than a Skinny Margarita, and lower in carbs too!
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All you need to do to make my quick and easy margarita recipe is mix the tequila, soda water, and citrus salt electrolytes in a shaker and you’re off to the races.
Healthy Virgin Margarita Mocktail
Because I don’t drink much, if ever, I’ve also created a virgin margarita, or margarita mocktail, for myself, and those of you who don’t drink.
As you read on I’ll share more with you about why I gave up alcohol twenty years ago, and how I realized this was something I needed to do for my health and well-being.
Can You Drink Alcohol On Keto?
But first, I’m often asked, can you drink alcohol on Keto?
I’m not one to give advice about these things, yet I love providing you with information that helps you make the best choice for yourself.
The short answer is yes because certain alcohols don’t have any carbohydrates.
What Is The Lowest Carb Alcohol?
I’m also asked, what is the lowest carb alcohol? That’s an easy answer.
The best low-carb alcohols are tequila, vodka, gin, whiskey, brandy, and other pure alcohols that have zero carbs so are fine if you’re focused on counting carbs.
Carbs In Alcohol
Cocktails with Low-Carb Alcohol?
As I mentioned above, drinking alcohol doesn’t agree with me. Additionally, I like to stick with nutrient-dense food and beverages, so any type of alcohol regardless of carbs is not really my thing.
But if you’re going to imbibe, and want to stick to a Low-Carb Diet, watch out for cocktails.
The problem with cocktails is not the alcohol, it’s typically the mixers that are filled with sugar and carbs which are not keto-friendly.
The Best Keto Margarita
The electrolyte powder I use in this Keto Margarita recipe is incredibly low-carb, packed with flavor. and on top of all that will keep you hydrated while you imbibe. Win-win!
Healthy Detox Retox Margarita
Healthy drinking? What are you talking about, Elana? Well, there’s a fun trend called detox-retox drinking. Have you heard of it? Yes, it’s a thing.
This is when you drink something healthy along with your alcohol. In this case, with my healthy Keto Margarita recipe, you’re getting electrolytes while you drink.
Detox While You Retox
With my Keto Margarita recipe, you’re hydrating while you’re dehydrating and detoxing while you’re retoxing. Yes, life is all about balance 😜 my friends.
Dehydration Symptoms
We all know dehydration symptoms are nothing to mess around with The symptoms of dehydration include:
- Headache
- Muscle Cramps
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Thirst
Robb Wolf’s NorCal Margarita
My recipe for this Keto Margarita is based on Robb Wolf’s NorCal Margarita. He created his healthy, low-carb margarita made of tequila, water (or soda water), and lime juice, a while back.
The NorCal Margarita is perfect with good tequila and fresh lime juice.
LMNT Margarita Mix
If you want something just as amazing as Robb Wolf’s NorCal Margarita that requires less effort, make my Keto Margarita using LMNT electrolytes as your healthy margarita mix.
You’ll whip it up in less than a minute since you don’t have to squeeze limes for fresh juice. I’ve given you the perfect keto margarita mix and tequila margarita recipe.
LMNT Citrus Salt Electrolytes
LMNT Electrolytes
I’m in love with all of LMNT’s electrolytes, not just the citrus salt which tastes like lime and makes the perfect margarita mix. LMNT has a bunch of other tasty flavors which I list below.
Electrolytes and Sodium Deficiency
I drink LMNT every day because I’m slightly sodium deficient, and I make tons of amazing mocktails with it.
Electrolytes and Keto Flu
By the way, have you heard of the Keto Flu? LMNT is fantastic if you’re in the process of trying to Kick the Keto Flu.
Electrolyte Drinks
You can mix your LMNT with water, milk, or alcohol. It’s that versatile.
Here are some of our favorite flavors:
- Citrus Salt
- Orange Salt
- Raspberry Salt
- Watermelon Salt
- Chocolate Salt
So, if you like a good homemade margarita you can use LMNT’s citrus salt to make one that’s low-carb and almost healthy. I have to confess though, my favorite way to use LMNT is to make chocolate milk.
LMNT Electrolytes Chocolate Milk
I pour ten to twelve ounces of almond milk in a mason jar, add a packet of chocolate LMNT, shake it and drink. Totally refreshing and it tastes indulgent.
LMNT Electrolytes Hangover Cure
Baby Pantry loves Raspberry Salt. He’s of legal drinking age now –I know, can you believe it?! He uses it as a mixer and also said it’s great for hangovers, not that he’s ever had one of course.
LMNT Electrolytes Sports Drink
My husband is a huge fan of Watermelon Salt. I love using it to make Gummy Bears. Big Bro Pantry is partial to Orange Salt.
How to Salt the Rim of Your Margarita Glass
I think this Keto Margarita is perfect just the way it is since LMNT electrolytes contain just enough salt for me, but if you want to take it one step further, you can salt the rim.
It’s super easy, pour a pack of LMNT citrus salt electrolytes onto a small plate, moisten the rim of your glass with a slice of lime, then dip the moistened rim into the electrolytes for more salty goodness.
Margarita for One
This homemade margarita is for a single serving, but it multiplies perfectly turning your margarita for one into Margaritaville.
Margarita Machine
I love that this margarita recipe doesn’t require a margarita machine, but if you happen to have one I imagine this margarita mix would taste incredible frozen!
Low-Carb Snacks For Keto Margarita
Now that you have my sugar-free homemade margarita, you’re going to need some low-carb snacks to go along with it. I’ve got you covered with my Keto Tortilla Chips with Salsa or Guacamole.
They’re perfect with this homemade margarita recipe, and great Cinco de Mayo food, but so good we eat it all year round!
Behind the Scene Photo Shoot
The great thing about using electrolytes in your margarita is obviously the rehydrating factor, but it’s the flavor and taste that’s out of this world.
Homemade Margarita
I had a little problem when I was shooting this homemade Keto Margarita. It was so good I couldn’t stop sipping on it, as you can see in the video below.
Virgin Keto Margarita Mocktail
This Keto Margarita works just as well without tequila which is how I’ll be taking mine.
I can’t process 🍸 alcohol since I have that dang MTHFR genetic mutation.
The MTHFR Genetic Mutation
I am heterozygous for the MTHFR genetic mutation which means I have two different alleles of this particular gene.
That’s bad because one of those alleles, or strands, is a mutation that makes me detox around 70% as effectively as the general population.
My doctors have told me this is likely the reason I have Celiac Disease, Hashimoto’s, and Multiple Sclerosis. It’s good because I’m not homozygous for the mutation which would mean even more detoxification issues.
MTHFR and Alcohol
I wasn’t ever very good at processing alcohol. In college, I was a total lightweight. I remember once my friend Mary took me back to my dorm room cause I was sick after drinking three beers over a few hours.
As I aged, my ability to metabolize alcohol became even more compromised.
By the time I’d had my first child at age 30, I would become hungover, halfway into a glass of wine, and feel absolutely awful. So I gave up alcohol around the time I went grain-free, back in 2001.
Best Keto Margarita Recipe! Questions?
Let me know if you have questions about this homemade margarita recipe, the MTHFR mutation, my favorite ways to enjoy LMNT electrolytes or anything else!
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first shared the Best Keto Margarita Recipe in May 2020.
Catherine Sills says
Have you tried margaritas with LMNT new Mango Chili? Delicious!
Elana says
Yes, amazing!
Kate says
Your carb count per 100g for wines is incorrect…..its 3.6g per 100g/ml for beer, 2.6 for Wine red or white, not 1g
Correct as of November 2020
Elana says
Kate, thank you. As the table states, these numbers are for 1 fl ounce, not 100g :-)
Nick says
Wow, this looks awesome, will try this recipe soon! Quite a few margarita recipes also use orange liquor as well, have you experimented at all with adding some of the orange electrolyte powder from LMNT?
Elana says
Nick, that is a fantastic idea!
erin witt says
Thank you so much! I ordered the electrolytes after reading this and we just made our first batch of margaritas. They are excellent! Thank you so much for everything you do!
Elana says
Erin, I think it’s one of the best margaritas ever, so glad you tried it and are enjoying too!
Brandi says
How did you find out you had the MTHFR gene mutation? In have ulcerative colitis and am trying everything I can right now to get to the root of my inflammation with a functional medicine approach. I have read a little about this but am curious as to whether or not there are symptoms of this mutation to be on the lookout for and what may prompt a test for this? Also, have you ever tried low dose LDN? If so, what is your take on it?
Thanks for sharing!
Elana says
Brandi, thanks for your great question. I had a blood test as I suspected I had the MTHFR genetic mutation. It can lead to systemic inflammation due to impaired detoxification. There are many things I do to ameliorate it but it is a constant thing to try to stay ahead of it, especially given the number of pollutants that are unavoidable in our environment today. I started taking LDN in 2006 and wrote about it here:
https://elanaspantry.com/low-dose-naltrexone/
Take care,
Elana
Celeste Sorrentino says
Thank you for the recipe. Do you supplement with anything due to your MTHFER Gene mutation?
Elana says
Celeste, here’s a link to a photo of my supplement regimen:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4V5eYlBlcR/
It includes a B complex, NAC, glutathione, and curcumin.
LMK if you have any other questions,
Elana
MamaCass says
I’ve gotten mixed reviews on DIM as it lowers histamine AND estrogen. Functional medicine dr said DIM, female hormone dr said sulfuraphane for women around menopause. Love the supplement picture! Food and then supplements saved my life.
Elana says
MamaCass, I take both as they do slightly different things, as you point out above :-)
Laura Smith says
I am so going to try this virgin. I am doing chemo for breast cancer and drinking is no no, so yay for a virgin margarita With the new warm weather and upcoming change of the season it will be so refreshing! Thank you so much.
Elana says
Laura, so sorry to hear about the cancer and cheers to you for moving through it with an incredible attitude. I can see it from the words in your comment. Please keep me posted on how you do :-)
Edna Ross says
I did not see the recipe for the VIRGIN KETO MARGARITA MOCKTAIL. I cannot drink any alcohol and would love to try this mocktail.
Elana says
Edna, same recipe, but no tequila :-)
Laura says
You go girl!!!! Bahahahaha………….Good for you!
Elana says
Laura, I hope you like this drink as much as we do :-)
Alexandria Cannito says
I love margaritas and am always looking for ways to make healthy cocktails. Thank you for sharing this! I will definitely will be making my own mix instead of buying one from the store next time. Also, thank you for sharing about the MTHFR genetic mutation. That was very insightful into how people process, or don’t process, alcohol. Your posts are always fun and knowledgeable. Thank you!
Elana says
Alexandria, thanks for you comment and for being on this healing path with me!