My birthday is 2 weeks before Cinco de Mayo, yet it took me nearly 26 years to realize that throwing a combination party stocked with salsas and overflowing with margaritas would be right up my alley. Apparently, it is also right up the alley of far more friends than I ever thought would RSVP, and now the heat is on-- I've got 3 weeks to perfect the dishes that I'll be serving for the big party day. Luckily, I've got a food blog and a huge appetite for Mexican food to help me through the recipe creation process, and so far I certainly can't complain.
Should I taste-test a few more batches of these Caramelized Pineapple and Jalapeño Margaritas for the sake of being a great hostess? Well, since you twisted my arm.
The first time I had a jalapeño margarita, I absolutely fell in love with it, despite the fact that it was face-meltingly hot and I'm preeeeetty sure I shed a few unintentional tears. You know, painfully spicy.
I like a good scorching of the taste buds from time to time, I'll admit that. Hot sauce is my favorite condiment, and I would put fiery peppers in every meal if I wasn't also cooking for other people who can't handle that much heat. But even still, I prefer when the spiciness is not so overwhelming that you can't taste any other flavor in the food (or in this case, drink).
The idea of a spicy cocktail was new and exciting to me, but a good cocktail is all about balance, so I decided to make my own rendition of the jalapeño margarita with the addition of caramelized pineapple.
Buttery, sugary, vibrant pineapple.
If you think it sounds good, just wait 'til you taste it. Caramelized Pineapple and Jalapeño Margaritas are just the right amount of both sweet and spicy, making them the perfect party drink for adventurous guests.
I know this drink is going to be a hit at my Cinco de Mayo-inspired birthday celebration, which means I've got one recipe down and many more to go. Check back for more awesome Mexican recipes this month, and in the mean time, make yourself a cocktail or two.
Oh, and don't forget to take a photo and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter to show off your margarita. Garnished with a salt rim and jalapeno pepper or a few pineapple leaves, it's a pretty fun-looking cocktail, don't you think?
Print
Caramelized Pineapple and Jalapeño Margaritas
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 margaritas 1x
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 jalapeño pepper, quartered, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups large fresh pineapple chunks, from 1 medium-sized pineapple
- Juice of 5 limes
- ⅔ cup tequila
- ¾ cup triple sec
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup water. Heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and add the quartered jalapeño. Let sit for 1 hour. Strain the simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve and store the syrup in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pineapple over the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Cook the pineapple until caramelized, about 3 minutes per side, basting with the butter-sugar mixture. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Combine the caramelized pineapple, lime juice, ¼ cup of the simple syrup, tequila, triple sec, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve over ice.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
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