How Do I Make a Tropical Sunrise Margarita From Chili’s?
While the exact recipe for Chili’s Tropical Sunrise margarita is a proprietary secret, it is possible to make a good replica of the drink by using just a few ingredients to approximate the flavor of the original. The recipe varies slightly from the restaurant’s description of its drink, so play around with the flavors to find the exact taste desired.
The ingredients for a tropical sunrise margarita include fresh lime, optional margarita salt, 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons orange liqueur, 3 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons tequila, 1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, ice, 3 tablespoons lemon-lime soda or club soda, and 2 teaspoons grenadine.
Begin by rimming a chilled glass with fresh lime and dipping it in margarita salt if desired. Mix lime juice, orange liqueur, juice, tequila, powered sugar and ice in a shaker. Shake until mixed and chilled. Strain into a glass, and add soda or club soda. Top with grenadine, and serve immediately.
If fresh lime juice is not available, substitute 1/3 cup frozen limeade concentrate. If using limeade concentrate, omit the powdered sugar.
Chili’s uses Hornitos Resposada 100 percent Blue Agave tequila, DeKuyper melon liqueur and pineapple juice in its recipe. Substitute the melon liqueur for the orange liqueur and pineapple juice for orange juice if desired.
