If you're in the mood to bring a slice of Chili's happy hour to your own kitchen, you've come to the right place!
On a recent trip to Chili's I really enjoyed their margarita of the month: Patron Especial.
My friend and I both enjoyed this margarita so much that I decided I had to make a copycat. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This margarita is light and smooth, with a fresh burst of lemon and lime thanks to the homemade sweet and sour mix. It's not especially strong, but you can always adjust to your personal preference. 😁
Ingredients Needed
How to Make this Copycat Chili's Patron Especial Margarita
Chili's makes their margaritas a little differently than most places. The usual ingredients are tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup.
At Chili's, instead of lime juice and simple syrup they use their own sweet and sour mix. So I recommend you do the same to re-create the Patron Especial Margarita taste!
I detailed in another post how to make homemade sweet and sour mix, but basically you dissolve sugar in water and add fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice. The light and fresh taste is so wonderful in a margarita!
You also need to prepare your glass. You can just rim it with salt, but Chili's uses a little spice, probably Tajin. You can use that or, as I did, a combination of salt and chili-lime seasoning.
Just wet the rim of the glass (and a little on the side if desired) and then dip it in the salt mixture to lightly coat.
Now all you have to do is mix it up! Measure the tequila, orange liqueur, and sweet and sour mix into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!
Shake it up, and pour over ice in the prepared glass
Garnish with lime to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This margarita is ready to serve as-is, and to keep the happy hour vibe going be sure to serve with some chips. A little pico de gallo with avocado and some queso dip will provide the perfect balance.
And if you want to keep the Chili's theme going, try a Grilled Caribbean Chicken Salad for a delicious main course!
Frequently Asked Questions
Well of course you can, but you might not be able to call it a Patron Margarita. LOL. Just be sure to use a good quality silver tequila.
This Chili's copycat cocktail recipe is perfect for one, but easily multiplied for a party!
I am working on a sugar free version of the sweet and sour mix, stay tuned for that! In the meantime, you can use a sugar free lemon-lime soda or sparkling water to substitute.
More Margarita Recipes to Love 💕
I truly love margaritas! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Prickly Pear Margarita - bright magenta colored and sweetened with prickly pear syrup, this is the ultimate pink drink!
- Coconut Pineapple Margarita - this is what would happen if a Pina Colada and Margarita hooked up to make a baby!
- Margarita Slush - make this ahead for your next summer party. You freeze a container of the mixture overnight, then the day of the party you just scoop and serve, just like a grown up slushee!
- Firecracker Margarita - it's the perfect way to toast the red, white, and blue!
- Poison Apple Margarita - because you need margaritas on Halloween too!
📖 Recipe
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!
Patron Especial Margarita (Chili's Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Patron silver tequila
- 1 ounce orange liqueur Patron or Cointreau
- 3 ounces sweet and sour mix
Instructions
- Prepare your glass by decorating the rim with salt and/or spice, and fill with ice.
- Add all ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake well to mix.2 ounces Patron silver tequila, 1 ounce orange liqueur, 3 ounces sweet and sour mix
- Pour the cocktail into the prepared glass. Garnish with lime and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Kimbarly
I recently tried this recipe and loved how it perfectly captures Chili's Patron Margarita taste! Cheers!
Sula
Cheers!