Inspired by the classic bloody mary cocktail but with a few twists, this the perfect boozy brunch beverage. This spicy tomato margarita is made of a savory roasted cherry tomato juice shaken with lime juice, hot sauce, and tequila.
A savory and spicy cocktail recipe perfect for using up your late summer tomato harvest!
About this recipe:
Part margarita, part bloody mary, this is one of those fusion recipes that is greater than the sum of its parts. Impress your friends with this savory margarita at a fancy brunch or make yourself a glass as a summer afternoon treat while making dinner.
This cocktail recipe is meant to be savory with a natural sweetness from in-season cherry tomatoes. It’s also quite spicy thanks to the red pepper flakes and generous “dash” of hot sauce I added to each serving, but you can definitely control the heat when you make it. A good amount of lime juice brightens and elevates the flavors, adding that classic margarita tartness.
You can easily increase the yield of this recipe by roasting more tomatoes. As written, the recipe makes four small margaritas or two large servings.
What you’ll need to make these spicy tomato margaritas:
This easy but elevated cocktail recipe requires 10 simple ingredients:
- seasonal sweet cherry tomatoes
- whole garlic cloves
- fresh thyme leaves
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes
- fresh lime juice
- your favorite hot sauce (I’m partial to Cholula)
- tequila blanco / silver tequila
This tomato margarita requires a little (mostly hands-off) extra time, but it is so worth it! You’ll be roasting the cherry tomatoes along with garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper before blending them smooth along with smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. I prefer to strain out the solids, resulting in a smooth and flavorful roasted cherry tomato juice.
To make an individual serving, you’ll combine a few ounces of the roasted cherry tomato juice with lime juice, hot sauce, and tequila. Give it a little shake with ice before straining over fresh ice in a salt-and-pepper rimmed glass, then garnish with lime wedges and a few thyme leaves.
I love this cocktail recipe because it’s:
- Low in sugar but high in flavor!
- Slightly elevated but not too fussy
- Seasonal
- Easy to multiply for larger groups
If you like this recipe, you might like some of my other vegan cocktails! I’d recommend my Burnt Blood Orange Gin Smash or my Vegan Vanilla Vodka Fizz.
Thank you for stopping by and please be sure to share and review this recipe if you like it! To connect on Instagram, follow me @plantandsoulkitchen and tag me in your remakes- I love seeing your creations! xo Jillian
Spicy Roasted Tomato Margaritas
Inspired by the classic bloody mary cocktail but with a few twists, this the perfect boozy brunch beverage. This spicy tomato margarita is made of a savory roasted cherry tomato juice shaken with lime juice, hot sauce, and tequila.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings 1x
Ingredients
for the roasted tomato juice:
- 2 pints of cherry tomatoes or other small, sweet tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- several sprigs of fresh thyme
- a drizzle of olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- several cracks of black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
for one spicy roasted tomato margarita (multiply as desired):
- 3 oz roasted tomato juice
- 3/4 oz lime juice
- 2–3 dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 1/2 oz tequila blanco
- salt and pepper rim*
- lime wedges to garnish
- thyme leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F. In a baking sheet or oven safe skillet, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until the tomatoes are deflated and blistered.
- After the tomatoes have cooled for at least 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a blender, leaving behind any tough thyme stems and excess oil in the pan. Add 1/2 cup of water (or more if necessary to get your blender going) plus the smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and blend until smooth. Use a fine sieve or clean tea towel to strain out the solids. You should end up with around 12-14 ounces of roasted tomato juice or more if you used more water to blend.
- To make a single margarita, run a lime wedge over the rim of your glass and dip it into a dish of salt and pepper (optional). Fill a shaker with ice and add 3 oz of the roasted tomato juice, 3/4 oz lime juice, 2-3 dashes of your favorite hot sauce, and 1 1/2 oz tequila. Shake briefly and strain over fresh ice in the salt and pepper rimmed glass a glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few fresh thyme leaves along with a little extra pepper or hot sauce if you like. Enjoy responsibly!
Notes
- To prepare a salt-and-pepper rim for your margarita glasses, simply add a few teaspoons of sea salt or kosher salt to a small plate, then use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of your glass and carefully dip the rim into the dish of salt and pepper. Eliminate the pepper if desired.
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