Happy National Margarita Day! 22 Margarita Recipes & Food Ideas To Help You Make The Most Of This Holiday

In case you haven’t fully taken it in, it’s National Margarita Day. Not afternoon, not evening, a full day. A Cozy Kitchen has you covered with the perfect chilaquiles recipe to start your day off right. I won’t tell if you have a breakfast margarita. It’s the weekend, it’s fine.

Image: A Cozy Kitchen

This watermelon margarita from The Crepes of Wrath is just what you need to pretend we’ve made it through this miserably frigid winter and arrived poolside in a new bikini. Like a mini vacation, but way cheaper.

Image: The Crepes of Wrath

OK, back to reality. It’s really cold out there (at least for most of us) — and this tortilla soup from Blogging Over Thyme is packed with fresh, hearty, healthy ingredients that will warm you up while keeping deliciously with the theme.

Image: Blogging Over Thyme

I probably only know what tamarind is because of the Mexican candy trucks that parked outside of my Los Angeles middle school every afternoon. The sweet, date-like fruit lends this margarita from The Crepes of Wrath an unexpected flavor that’s perfectly complimentary to fresh, tart citrus.

Image: The Crepes of Wrath

To be totally honest, I usually don’t get too excited about squash. But these flavor-packed, roasted veggie vegan fajitas from Fo Reals Life prove that you can get your Tex-Mex fix without loading up on meat and carbs. The perfect healthy entrée to balance out those margs. Fo reals.

Image: Fo Reals Life

Even without the tequila, this combination of tart, fresh grapefruit and crisp cucumber from Joy the Baker would be irresistible. Margarita-fy it and you’ll need to stop yourself from downing the entire pitcher.

Image: Joy the Baker

Packed with fresh, healthy ingredients, this Mexican corn salad from A Cozy Kitchen is that side dish that’s so good you can’t help but load up on seconds and thirds — without feeling too bad about it. Unlike most Mexican corn recipes that use mayonnaise (my personal nemesis), this one uses creme fraiche instead. Win-win.

Image: A Cozy Kitchen

I realize this sounds pretty cray, but sometimes the best things in life are. Adventures in Cooking combines homemade rhubarb syrup with lime juice, ancho chile, and fresh rosemary. This is definitely a more complex rendition of the day’s drink, but worth the effort.

Image: Adventures in Cooking

This easy recipe from Food and Style proves that you don’t need fancy ingredients to make an A+ taco. A few tasty staples dressed up with bold spices and fresh cilantro make these a no-brainer compliment to your margaritas.

Image: Food and Style

Nobody said you have to drink your margaritas. These brilliant popsicles by Endless Simmer deliver all the refreshing tequila-y goodness of a margarita in the convenient, nostalgic form of a popsicle. Cucumber, honeydew, and mint will transport you to the tropics even if you’re stuck inside on a snowy day.

Image: Endless Simmer

As long as you’re teleporting to paradise, you should probably whip up a batch of this shrimp and avocado salsa from Natasha’s Kitchen. Even if you’re stuck inside with the heater on, chipful upon chipful of this superior salsa will make it taste like you’re in Cabo.

Image: Natasha’s Kitchen

Mezcal might not be for everyone, but this recipe from Food and Style balances out tequila’s “smokey sister” with the fresh sweetness of honeydew, elderflower liqueur, and spicy chipotle syrup. If you’re not sure if you like mezcal, you probably will after you taste this combo.

Image: Food and Style

OK, so maybe lasagna isn’t the most traditional compliment to margaritas. But this version from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is far from your typical lasagna. Black beans, veggies, three cheeses, and a host of spices make this a kind of enchilada/pasta hybrid.

Image: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Sorry if I’ve been imparting this bias on you, but cucumber and spicy elements are my favorite things to add to margaritas. Not too sweet, refreshing, and tart with a bite. This recipe from Cozy Kitchen is just that in its purest form. And the salty rim has fresh lime zest!

Image: A Cozy Kitchen

These fish tacos from Kitchen Confidante are elevated by a creamy avocado cilantro sauce that’s simple to concoct and takes the dish from good to amazing with just a few pulses of a food processor.

Image: Kitchen Confidante

Apple gets a pretty bad rap as far as cocktails go, but this green apple margarita by Kitchen Confidante is here to dispel the stereotypes. Super fresh, tart ingredients keep these bright and refreshing, not sticky sweet.

Image: Kitchen Confidante

Pulled pork has made its way from mommy crockpots to trendy gastropubs for a reason, and these quesadillas from Big Girls Small Kitchen put the tender, succulent pull-apart meat center stage.

Image: Big Girls Small Kitchen

Not only is How Sweet It Is totally brilliant for combining ginger beer with tequila, but she’s given you instructions on how to make both a single serving and pitcher’s worth of her groundbreaking beer-garitas.

Image: How Sweet It Is

If there’s anything I like more than an exceptionally good cocktail, it’s a perfect avocado. This loaded and grilled version from The Kitchen Alchemist is unexpected in all the best ways.

Image: The Kitchen Alchemist

Fresh strawberries, oranges, and limes make this twist on the margarita from Jelly Toast naturally sweet, summery, and perfect for pretending we’ve landed five months in the future into the middle of summer. Plus, look how pretty they are.

Image: Jelly Toast

Do you see what I see? How Sweet It Is has basically engineered a taco cake. Layers of perfectly seasoned, juicy shredded chicken, cheese, salsa verde, and corn tortillas are just what the doctor ordered to celebrate this day to top all other days.

Image: How Sweet It is