This Grilled Pineapple Margarita is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy & smoky. Caramelized pineapple, spicy jalapeno & a splash of vanilla make it delicious.
Can I just say I am so excited to share this recipe with you? Like, SO excited! As you’ve seen here, and here, and here… I’m a big fan of a tasty handcrafted cocktail. And, I’m always game for a good margarita – like this Grapefruit Habanero Margarita or this Hibiscus Margarita.
But, this Grilled Pineapple Margarita may be my new favorite!
I first encountered this spicy pineapple margarita at a yummy little Mexican joint near our house in Portland – Chez José. They’ve got such innovative dishes. Think butternut squash enchiladas, chipotle honey camarones, artichoke heart tamales – and amazing cocktails!
But now that we’ve moved across town, we don’t get to stop in too often, and I’ve been finding myself needing my pineapple jalapeno margarita fix.
So, I set out at recreating the recipe at home…
Ingredients Needed
- Silver Tequila – Or, use your favorite. You can even use mezcal for a smokier cocktail.
- Fresh Pineapple
- Jalapenos
- Lime Juice
- Agave Syrup – Or, simple syrup, maple syrup or honey.
- Vanilla Extract – This is optional, but I love the extra hint of sweetness it gives the drink.
- Citrus Salts – Or kosher salt. For rimming your glasses.
Jalapeno Infused Tequila (or Not)
This cocktail starts with jalapeno infused tequila – which is definitely not as difficult to make as it may seem. Just slice up a jalapeno, throw it into a jar with the tequila and let it steep for 12-24 hours.
The longer it steeps the spicier it will become, so I’d recommend tasting after the 12 hour mark. Once it’s reached your desired heat level, strain out the peppers and store the jalapeno infused tequila in your freezer. It will keep indefinitely in there.
Of course, if you’re not into heat, or if you’re short on time, you can always skip this step.
If you still want a spicy margarita, but don’t have the time to infuse the tequila, just add a few slices of jalapeno to your cocktail glass and muddle them before adding the ice and your pineapple margarita mixture.
On to the grilled pineapple…
Why Grilled Pineapple?
Grilling the pineapple caramelizes the sugars in the pineapple and adds a yummy, smoky flavor to your spicy pineapple margarita. It is so good. But, of course, just like with infusing the jalapeno tequila, you can skip this step too. Your cocktail just won’t have the smoky flavor, but it will still be delicious.
It’s a good idea to grill your pineapple at the same time you’re preparing your tequila, as you’ll want to grill it and then let it chill out in the fridge. I actually cheated and used my stovetop grill pan because even though I was ready for a taste of the tropics, it was pouring outside!
How to Make The Cocktail
- Cut pineapple into 1 inch thick rings, discarding the rind.
- Grill the pineapple slices on a hot grill or grill pan for 4-5 minutes per side, until you get nice grill marks and it begins to soften slightly.
- Place the grilled pieces in a bowl and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Add jalapeno infused tequila, cointreau, 2 slices of the grilled and chilled pineapple (and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl), lime juice, agave, vanilla extract and water to a blender.
- Process until smooth. If desired, strain to remove the pulp from the pineapple.
- Add crushed ice to a salt rimmed glass, pour in your margarita mixture, and garnish with extra grilled pineapple, jalapeno slices or lime wedges.
When you’re ready to assemble the charred pineapple margaritas, just pop everything into your blender – infused tequila, pineapple, lime juice, agave and, the key ingredient, a splash of vanilla extract. The vanilla really compliments the warm flavors of the grilled pineapple and gives a great roundness to this cocktail. Strain this mixture (if desired) and serve with a salted rim over crushed ice.
Tip: I like to use my easy homemade citrus salts for the rimming, they add great color and flavor.
One taste and you’ll be hooked.
What to Serve with Them
More Margarita Recipes
- Grapefruit Habanero Margarita
- Hibiscus Margarita
- Italian Margarita with Amaretto
- Elderflower Margaritas
- More → 30+ Flavored Margaritas
More Cocktail Recipes
Did you try this grilled pineapple cocktail?
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Grilled Pineapple Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
Grilled Pineapple
- 1 pineapple (cut into 1-inch thick slices )
Jalapeno Infused Tequila
- 1 cup silver tequila
- 1 jalapeno (sliced into rings)
Cocktail Recipe
- 3 ounces jalapeno infused tequila
- 1 ounce cointreau (or triple sec or Gran Marnier)
- 2 1-inch thick slices of grilled pineapple (chilled)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice ((juice of 1 lime))
- 2 Tablespoons agave syrup (to taste)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Crushed ice
- Grilled pineapple and lime wedges for garnish
- Citrus salt or kosher salt (for rimming your glass)
Instructions
Jalapeno Infused Tequila
- Add tequila and jalapeno to a clean, lidded container. Shake to combine and allow the flavors to meld for 12-24 hours, depending on how spicy you’d like it. Once the flavor has developed, strain the jalapenos and discard.
- The tequila will keep for up to 1 year. I like to store mine in the freezer.
Cocktail (Serves 2)
- Cut pineapple into 1 inch thick rings, discarding the rind.
- Preheat grill to medium-high and oil it lightly. Grill pineapple for 4-5 minutes on each side, until you get nice grill marks and it begins to soften slightly.
- Place the grilled pieces in a bowl and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Add jalapeno infused tequila, cointreau, 2 slices of the grilled and chilled pineapple (and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl), lime juice, agave, vanilla extract and water to a blender. Process until smooth. If desired, strain to remove the pulp from the pineapple.
- To salt the rim, run a lime slice or pineapple wedge around the lip of your glass and dip into salt to cover.
- Add crushed ice to your glass, pour in your margarita mixture, and garnish with extra grilled pineapple, jalapeno slices or lime wedges.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2019 to add new photographs and again in 2023 to update the content. The original grilled pineapple margarita recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Aaakk……looks yummi, MUST TRY 🙂
Thank you!
Hello! What a wonderful recipe! I was reading through your instructions and found you may have repeated some of the steps…the grilling seems to be in there twice. Just wanted to let you know if it was an error. If not, could you kindly clarify? Thank you so very much!
Thanks for catching that Allison – You get a gold star! The pineapple is only grilled once. I’ve updated the recipe to show that. Enjoy!
Wow, this cocktail sounds and looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did 🙂
I am so very excited about this!! I’ve got almost all the ingredients for this and now REALLY want to have it this week! 😀 I see this in my near future (Specifically this Friday!) Love the idea of Jalapeno infused Tequila 🙂
Thank you Dini – That Pancake Ice Cream of yours looks AMAZING!
we love jalapeno margaritas! the grilled pineapple is a great addition – I will have to remember that this summer…
This sounds completely amazing, can’t wait to try it!
You can go ahead and assume this is all I will be drinking this summer – divine!!
I think I have some infused tequila just waiting for this!! I would love it if you would link up to Tipsy Tuesday at Grey is the New Black!
Yum!! LOVE sweet and spicy drinks – can’t wait to try this in the summer!
Allison – It’s definitely got a great combination of sweet and spicy – Enjoy!
Okay, I’ve recently become obsessed with margaritas, and I am totally excited about this one. My fiance LOVES anything spicy, so I’m going to try this and hopefully knock his socks off!!
This one is sweet and spicy and SO good – Perfect for summer. Enjoy!
This looks and sounds so damn delicious! Those colors made me fall in love. Pinned of course 😉
Thanks Ciao! It’s a good one!!! My favorite margarita of all time!!!
I love the whole infused liquor thing. Gotta get on that train. And this cocktail is beyond beyond. Also loving the sound of those artichoke tamales. LMK if you post a copycat!
Great idea – I should definitely try to develop a recipe for those tamales! Thanks Christine!
This looks ridiculously good and I can’t wait to try it. One question, though: why the water? Will it be too thick without it?
Hi Katie – Exactly! The water helps to thin things out a bit. You can cut back on the water if you’d like, but because it’s served on ice, it’s nice to have a thinner consistency. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I made them and they were fantastic! I put them on my blog (with credit to you of course): http://www.garnishblog.com/2015/09/grilled-pineapple-margarita.html. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Your version looks great Katie! I LOVE these margaritas SO much!!! Cheers 🙂
This honestly looks like the cocktail of my dreams. I love adding jalapeno or a little spice to drinks, and the grilling of the pineapple just would add so much yum. I’m trying to convince my husband to make this for us tomorrow. I know it’s holiday season, but we’re in Houston, so it’s totally grilling weather all year long. Love your blog!!!
You’re so lucky that you can grill year round in Houston Alyssa! I hope you were able to convince your husband to fire up the grill. These are SO good! I can’t grill outdoors here in the fall/winter because of all the rain, but the indoor grill works pretty well for these too! Cheers!
OMG!!! Seriously! I need one of these in my future very very soon!!
They’re the best Renee!!!
Sounds great–planning on trying this this weekend! I just wanted to confirm though, you said that the recipe uses 1 cup of tequila for 2 cocktails…which comes out to 4 ozs of tequila per cocktail. Is that correct? Seems pretty high to me!
Hi Aaron – You will infuse a cup of tequila, but each cocktail only uses 1 1/2 oz. You will have enough infused tequila for more than 2 cocktails. And trust me, it’s easy to drink more than that! 😉
Can you pre-grill and freeze the pineapple? Then use at your leisure?
Hi Taryn – I think that is a great idea! It shouldn’t be a problem at all!!! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
I don’t have agave, could I sub sugar or honey?
Hi Sheila – You can definitely substitute honey in this recipe!
I’d love to make a big batch of these and serve them – approximately how many do you think would fit in a gallon sized dispenser? I’m thinking of doing 6x the recipe.
Hi Michael – There should be plenty of room in the gallon sized dispenser for 6 cocktails. Maybe even 12?