The Single Ingredient That Makes Frozen Margaritas So Much Easier

If you like frozen cocktails, it's hard to beat a frozen margarita. They're refreshing, zippy, and perfect for sipping on your patio, by the beach, or anytime you want a boozy way to cool down. While ordering a round or two of frozen margs at your favorite bar or restaurant is great, sometimes it's fun to make your own. Whipping up a batch can be daunting, but fortunately, it doesn't have to be. That's because there's a single ingredient that can make frozen margaritas so much easier — frozen limeade concentrate.

Although there are margaritas of all kinds out there, a classic frozen margarita is made from tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and a sweetener like agave or simple syrup. Limeade concentrate acts as both the citrus and the sweetener in a margarita, which will save you lots of time and effort. You don't have to worry about juicing limes or making simple syrup, and you can keep the concentrate in your freezer for whenever the frozen margarita need arises. Just add your juice concentrate, tequila, triple sec, and ice to a blender, and you'll have a delicious frozen margarita in a hurry.

Even when you're using an easy hack like this one, you should brush up on a few expert tips for blending frozen cocktails before you get started. If you want everything to blend smoothly, cut the block of limeade concentrate in half before adding the contents to your blender. You can also cut it into smaller pieces, depending on your blender's strength. If you don't have one of these tools, a food processor will also get the job done just fine. You don't want to have big chunks of ice or frozen concentrate in your margarita, so be patient and keep blending until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.

You don't even have to break out your measuring cups or cocktail jiggers for this simple drink hack — you can use the can that the lime concentrate comes in to nail the ratio. Use a full can of concentrate, a full can of tequila, and half a can of triple sec to make a batch. (Of course, you can always adjust the ratios based on how strong and sweet you want your margaritas to be.)

This hack isn't just limited to standard frozen margs. In fact, you can use frozen juice concentrate in a plethora of frozen margarita varieties. If a recipe calls for sour mix (a combination of sugar and lemon and/or lime juice), you can simply use frozen concentrate in its place. If you're looking for a margarita with a fruity twist, try using limeade concentrate in a honey mango margarita. If you want a frozen drink that brings the heat, use it in your favorite spicy margarita recipe. With this hack, prickly pear frozen margaritas, frozen strawberry margaritas, and frozen pineapple margaritas can all be made easier, too.

Although you might associate margaritas with lime juice, you can use lemonade concentrate in place of sour mix, as well. The flavor will be slightly different, but it will still be absolutely delicious, and all the best elements of a frozen margarita will still shine through.