I have been eyeing this Mango Margaritas with a Turmeric Chili Twist for a long time, and I finally got to try it! Because what else would I make after Salmon Ceviche with Mango? A mango margarita doesn’t sound very unusual, but add some chili and you get my attention. I do love some hot and spicy everything! But the turmeric twist made me go hmmmm. I’ve never heard of adding it to a margarita or any other cocktail for that matter. So what would it be like with all that mango, lime, and chili? Let’s find out!
These Mango Margaritas spice things up a bit with a delicious turmeric simple syrup and a sprinkling of Tajin chili seasoning. They can also be frozen and taken to-go on picnics.
The Ingredients
All I had in my pantry for this recipe was sugar. I had to shop for everything else, and that meant a couple of extra trips. But my go-to store had almost everything like the limes, frozen mango, fresh oranges, and Tajin seasoning. There were a few flavors of the Tajin, and I chose the Clasico.
I looked for fresh turmeric (it’s usually with the ginger), but I couldn’t find it where I normally get my groceries. Instead, I had to make a run to Fresh Market for the turmeric root. Tip: I used about (5) 2-inch pieces of turmeric to make 1 cup once it was peeled and diced.
My usual grocery store doesn’t have a liquor store attached, so I expected to make a separate trip for that. I chose a mid-range silver tequila for $11.
Tip: It’s not on the list of ingredients, but you will need a fresh mango to make the garnish in Step 2. In a pinch, you can thaw a few chunks of frozen mango under running water.
The Process
This Mango Margaritas with a Turmeric Chili Twist is a two-parter. It includes making simple syrup flavored with turmeric and then blending the cocktail. And, of course, a rimmed glass to serve it in along with a mango garnish.
Making the Turmeric Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is easy enough to make, and I have done it many times. This one was flavored with fresh turmeric root, so there was a little extra work involved.
Turmeric is in the same family as ginger, so I tried to peel it with a spoon the same way I do with ginger. The turmeric skin seemed a little tougher, so I ended up switching to my vegetable peeler.
Once the turmeric was peeled, I diced it into small pieces and added it to a small pot with water and sugar. I let the mixture come to a boil, then I turned it down to low and let the syrup simmer for an hour. When it was done, I strained out the diced turmeric and let the very intense yellow syrup cool before bottling and refrigerating.
Tip: Fresh turmeric will stain your fingers and almost anything it touches. Gloves are a good idea while you handle it.
Making the Mango Margaritas with a Turmeric Chili Twist
I made my margaritas the next day. The recipe begins with rimming the glasses. It’s not difficult, but make sure you really wet the rims to get the Tajin seasoning to stick.
Next was the mango-Tajin garnish. I happened to have a fresh mango leftover from the ceviche recipe I mentioned above. Just core a mango, cut it into chunks, and spear them on a couple of cocktail picks. Give the spears a sprinkle of Tajin, and voila!
The actual cocktail was probably the easiest part. I got out my electric juicer and juiced 3 limes and 1 orange for the juice. Then I added all the margarita ingredients to my blender, blended thoroughly, poured the mixture into the prepared glasses, and added the garnishes. The recipe calls for an extra sprinkle of Tajin on the surface of the drinks, but I missed that part.
Timing
This recipe doesn’t list preparation, cooking, or total times, so I’m not counting time in my final rating. I did keep track while I made everything, and this is how my time was spent:
- 15 minutes to prep the turmeric simple syrup
- 1 hour to cook the syrup
- 7 minutes to make 2 mango garnishes
- 5 minutes to blend and our 2 margaritas
- 1 hour and 27 minutes total
That doesn’t include time for the syrup to cool. I left mine on the counter to cool enough to bottle and refrigerate it until I needed it (overnight in this case). I didn’t time that, but I’d say it was about 30 minutes or so while I did the dishes.
