Cara Cara Orange Margarita Recipe

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Take your margs to the next level with a yummy Cara Cara Orange Margarita on the rocks!

Are you familiar with Cara Cara oranges?

These flavorful oranges are the secret to why these Cara Cara Orange Margaritas so good.

It’s truly one of my favorite Cara Cara orange recipes.

Enjoy our Cara Cara Orange Margarita Recipe

 

 

This delicious orange margarita is just a bit extra!

These cocktails are beautiful, festive, and completely refreshing.

They are so tasty, they are sure to be a crowd favorite!

Serve this Cara Cara Orange Margarita recipe at tropical-themed parties and gatherings of all types and bring the flavors of Summertime to your life – every month of the year!

It’s a winter citrus, but you may find yourself stocking up when they are in season and freezing the juice so you can enjoy it year round.

What is a Cara Cara orange?

Grown in California, these delicious oranges are most plentiful from December to April but can be found throughout the year in many stores.

These oranges are a cross between two other types of navel oranges.

Round and bright orange on the outside, these lovely oranges are pinkish-red inside.

They are considered to be one of the tastiest oranges for juicing.

So no wonder they are excellent in a yummy cocktail.

What does a cara cara orange taste like anyway?

You’ll find that a Cara Cara orange’s flavor is just a bit sweeter than regular oranges, with a flavor that seems crossed with a hint of blackberry.

Simply mix the juice from one freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange with Tequila and Triple Sec.

Garnish with orange slices and maraschino cherries to serve.

And there you go! You’ve got a delicious Cara Car orange cocktail.

Are Cara Cara oranges better for you than regular oranges?

Are Cara Cara oranges good for you?

Oh yes!

Cara Cara oranges are full of vitamin A and vitamin C.

In fact, they have more of these vitamins than a regular navel orange. 

They also contain a good amount of lycopene.

So yes, they are good for you.

But are they better for you?

Well, that depends.

If you need your citrus to be less acidic, then yes.

What’s the difference between Cara Cara and Navel oranges?

They do have a bit less acid than a navel orange, so if that’s something that’s important to you, you may be happier enjoying a Cara Cara orange.

Hale Groves has done some of the footwork for us, and they have a handy comparison guide so you can further explore the question about which type of orange is better for you.

And if you settle on the Cara Cara, then this may be your new favorite orange margarita recipe!

 

 

Do I need triple sec for margaritas?

We like adding a shot of triple sec to our margaritas, especially in a citrus margarita recipe.

And in this case, it’s perfect since it’s an orange margarita and triple sec is an orange flavored liqueur.

It gives it just a bit more flavor and brightens and sweetens the drink a tad.

And some people like to add Cointreau as well.

So what’s the difference between triple sec and Cointreau?

Well, Cointreau is a type of triple sec that’s stronger and a bit more flavorful in a drink.

It also has a higher alcohol volume.

Depending on what brand of triple sec you buy, you may find the alcohol content will vary from 15% to 30%.

But Cointreau packs a punch at 40%. 

So yes, another reason people add triple sec to their margaritas is to up the alcohol content. 

We think it makes it taste better, but that’s up to you.

And as always, when increasing the alcohol content, please remember to drink responsibly.

Can I use Grand Marnier in a margarita instead of triple sec?

But some people add Grand Marnier instead of triple sec to their margaritas.

What’s that about?

Grand Marnier tastes mighty good.

And if you love a great orange liqueur, you’re likely to love Grand Marnier.

Like triple sec, it’s an orange flavored liqueur, but Grand Marnier is made with cognac.

You may be familiar with a Cadillac margarita.

That’s a margarita recipe where the bartender has made it using a top quality tequila and Grand Marnier in place of the triple sec.

So like many people consider a Cadillac to be a really nice car, a lot of people consider a margarita made with Grand Marnier to be a really nice margarita.

And in a special recipe using fresh squeezed cara cara orange juice, we really love to make it with Grand Marnier too.

We’ve made it with triple sec here as that’s the minimum required to make the recipe.

But feel free to experiment with Cointreau and Grand Marnier to decide if you like Cointreau or Grand Marnier better in a margarita.

Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Ingredients

 

• Cara Cara Oranges, 1 juiced and 1 for slicing
• Lime, juiced
• Tequila
• Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
• Simple Syrup, optional
• Margarita Salt, optional
• Orange slices, for garnish
• Maraschino cherries, for garnish

To make the drink, you will also need a cutting board, a bar knife, a citrus squeezer or press, a cocktail shaker, and of course, margarita glasses. 

You may serve the drink in an old fashioned glass, but it’s fun to use a margarita glass if you have them.

Note: If the lime you’re using is small, you may want to use the juice of the whole lime.

If your lime is large, the juice from a quarter to half the lime may be enough. 

Can I make the drink without alcohol?

You can.

BUT…. if you leave out the alcohol, you’re really left with some fresh-squeezed cara cara orange juice with a splash of lime.

If you ask me, I’m not complaining about that one bit!

The juice is absolutely delicious!

But if you want to jazz it up a bit for those who aren’t drinking, you can always add a bit of orange curacao syrup.

You can even add a splash of grenadine to give it a nice sunrise effect and a touch of pomegranate flavor.

And then garnish the drink with an orange wheel and a cherry.

It’s always fun to make it pretty.

Can I make the drink with blood oranges instead?

Sure! You absolutely can!

Now, when you make this substitution, you’ll want to keep in mind that blood oranges are not nearly as sweet as a Cara Cara orange.

The major difference between cara cara and blood oranges is their taste and appearance.

In fact, you may find the blood orange to taste a bit more like a grapefruit. 

Blood oranges have a bit of a bitter taste to them, so you’ll need to add a bit more sweetness to the drink for balance.

You may want to add a touch more simple syrup to the drink.

Or if you’re making the drink with Cointreau or Grand Marnier, you may want to use a more generous pour to suit your taste.

And of course, when you substitute blood oranges in this drink recipe, you’ll get a nice dark red color.

The blood orange is aptly named. 

It’s flesh is dark red in color, so your drink will be a lovely dark red color.

Almost berry colored.

How to make the drink

If you like to put salt on your glasses, I recommend doing that before making the drink so that the glass is ready.

To do so, run a slice of lime along the edge of the glass and dip it into salt.

If your salt isn’t in a container, just pour a little bit out on a small plate and gently roll the glass’s edge in the salt.

To get the most juice from the fruit, gently roll the oranges and the lime back and forth between the counter and the palm of your hand.

Cut one orange and lime in half.

Cut the other orange into slices.

Using a citrus press or squeezer, juice the orange.

 

 

Next, juice the lime.

Depending on how much lime juice you get, you may want to use all of it or only some of the juice.

About half an ounce should do it.

Measure the tequila and triple sec.

In your cocktail shaker, combine ice, the orange and lime juices, tequila, and triple sec.

Shake it it until the drink is well-mixed.

 

 

Pour ice into your margarita glass.

And then pour the mixture over the ice.

 

 

Add your orange slice and some cherries, and enjoy!

More delicious Margarita recipes to enjoy making:

Spicy Grapefruit and Jalapeno Margaritas

Watermelon Mint Margarita

Strawberry Basil Margarita

Chili Mango Margarita

Pomegranate Margarita

Spicy Jalapeno Margarita

Big Red Margarita

Georgia Peach Margarita

try it and share!

Please let us know how you enjoy our  Cara Cara Orange Margarita Recipe. 

If you make one of these drinks yourself, please let us know on Pinterest that you tried it and tag us with #champagneandcoconuts on your Instagram photo.

If you haven’t had a chance to make one yet, be sure to save the recipe on Pinterest so you’ll remember where you found it.

 

 

This drink recipe for Cara Cara Margaritas was originally published on July 10, 2020.

It was updated in January 2022.

 

 

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