While fall is finally under way, I’m still clinging on to the last of my summer produce. This Spicy Honeydew Basil Margarita came about because I had some honeydew in my fridge that was needing to be put to good use. It was past its peak time and starting to get a bit sad, but it was still super sweet and I hated to just throw it out.
With my sad honeydew staring me in the face, I decided to get to work. I blended up the honeydew and strained out the pulp. I then added some lime juice to brighten the flavor and some basil leaves from my kitchen to add freshness. As I tasted it, the flavors still needed some more umph! So I threw in a pinch of cayenne pepper…perfect! Now all you need to do is add tequila (blanco is the best!) and you’ve got yourself a refreshingly spicy margarita.
I prefer my margaritas over ice, but you can certainly blend with ice instead. This is a great pitcher cocktail too, if you need something for a group. You can make the base ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Then, when it’s time to serve, all you need to do is mix in the tequila and pour over ice. If you are serving them blended, wait to blend them until you are ready to serve so they don’t get diluted.
A word now on the garnish for these bad boys. A while back, while living in Illinois, our awesome friends Juanita & Joel introduced us to Tajin. Now if you haven’t had this before, go out and get it now! This stuff is life changing. You can put it on fruit, nachos, cocktails…you see where I’m going with this? You can take a wedge of lime and run it around the edge of the glass and then dip the edge of the glass into some of the Tajin sprinkled on a plate. The Tajin is smoky, salty and little bit sour, which compliments this fresh cocktail perfectly! I didn’t quite figure out this combo till a little bit later so I don’t have it pictured, but trust me, it’s a winner!
If you make this recipe, make sure you share a photo with me, I’d love to see all of your creations! #SaporitoKitchen
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Spicy Honeydew Basil Margarita
Ingredients
- 1/2 whole ripe honeydew melon, rind and seeds removed
- 6-8 large fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 6 Tablespoons fresh lime juice, approximately 3 limes
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 1/2 oz tequila, preferably blanco
Garnish
- lime wedges
- Tajin Classico
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Cut honeydew melon into 1" cubes and place into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour honeydew puree through a strainer to remove large pieces of pulp. At this point you should have about 2 1/2 cups of honeydew puree/juice, depending on the size of your honeydew
- Pour honeydew puree back into the blender and add in basil leaves, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Pulse 5-7 times in the blender, until basil leaves are well incorporated. Pour mixture into a serving pitcher and stir in the tequila.
- Test the drink for flavor and adjust for your preference. If your honeydew is not super sweet, you can add some agave syrup to sweeten it or if you like it a bit spicier, you can add more cayenne. Add more tequila too if you like!
- To serve individual drinks, take lime wedges and run around the outside of each glass. Pour some Tajin onto a small plate and dip the edges of each glass into the Tajin mixture to rim the glass. Pour margarita mixture into individual glasses filled with ice and garnish with fresh basil.
