Easy Piña Colada Margarita (Frozen or On the Rocks!)

You can make a deliciously easy piña colada margarita at home in just five minutes! This guide includes instructions for both frozen or shaken cocktails so you can do whatever you like or even batch them for a crowd because these pineapple coconut margaritas are just perfect for parties.

And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my tequila soaked watermelon or key lime margarita, too!

What is a Piña Colada Margarita?

The best of both worlds. In this drink, we incorporate the pineapple and coconut from a classic piña colada with the tequila and mixers from a margarita. Tequila takes the place of light rum and the combination is balanced: fruity, sweet, tart, and tropical.

For a fusion option with rum, peep my piña colada mojito!

Quick and Easy - Whether you want to make this recipe over ice or blended, you will only need five minutes from start to finish. I even have tips for using everyday kitchen items if you don't have bar tools!

True Tropical Flavor - The creamy coconut and sweet pineapple you know and love from a classic piña colada is front and center here and complemented by fresh lime so everything goes down nice and smooth.

Fun - As an avid traveler and cultural hybrid myself, I love a blending flavors and ingredients to create something familiar yet exciting. These drinks are exactly that and I had so much fun developing them that I just know you will have fun making and drinking them!

We love fancy looking cocktails made at home around here, like my frozen lychee martinis, pineapple whiskey sour or pineapple mojito--and don't forget the passion fruit margaritas with tajin rims.

Pineapple or Pineapple Juice depending on whether you're making your drink on the rocks on frozen for nice golden color and natural sweetness. For the frozen version, I prefer to freeze fresh, ripe pineapple rather than using already frozen fruit from the store because it is usually sweeter and more flavorful but you can simply add more sweetener if you don't have time to do that.

Coconut Milk or cream of coconut add creamy texture and refreshing coconut flavor. I recommend using full fat coconut milk from the can instead of lite coconut milk or the kind in the carton for the best results.

Tequila and Orange Liqueur of your choosing. I used triple sec here but you can also swap in Cointreau or Grand Marnier or any other brand you prefer.

Sweetener - I add a touch of brown sugar to my piña colada margarita recipe to enhance the sweetness of the fruit but you can substitute with maple syrup or granulated sugar for similar effect. Or you can omit sweetener and add zero sugar.

Frozen or Shaken - Follow the instructions below to make a frozen margarita or shaken over ice. Either way, it will be creamy and smooth!

Garnishes - You can go all out with garnishes here, starting with the tajin and toasted coconut rim, which gives a taste of honey, spice, and crunchy coconut with every sip. But don't stop there, maraschino cherries, pineapple fronds (leaves), pineapple chunks, and lime wheels are all fair game.

Liquor - Stick to the recipe and use tequila or replace with mezcal. You could even add rum for a more fulsome fusion drink. For a non-alcoholic version, check out my piña colada mocktail or mocktail margaritas--frozen or on the rocks!

If you are into mezcal, like me, check out my hibiscus margaritas with mezcal and this super simple refreshing mezcal ranch water next!

How to Make Piña Colada Margaritas at Home

On the Rocks

Step One: Dip the rim of a rocks glass in honey then into a mixture of Mexican spice and toasted coconut.

Step Two: Add all the liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker over ice, seal, and shake until chilled.

Frozen

Step One: Dip the rim of a cocktail glass in honey then into a mixture of Mexican spice and toasted coconut.

Step Two: Add all ingredients with ice to a blender and pulse until smooth and creamy.