Copycat Texas Roadhouse Legend Margarita Recipe

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Of all the mixed drinks and cocktails Texas Roadhouse sells, the Legendary Margarita ranks right at the top of the list. According to a TikTok video posted by the chain, the ingredients include Grand Marnier and three types of tequila: Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado, and Patrón Añejo. The restaurant uses its own sour mix, and Texas Roadhouse Authentic Margarita Drink Mix can be purchased online or in some grocery stores. We make our sour mix fresh, from lime juice, agave, and orange extract. As developer Julianne De Witt tells us, "I make the lime mix separately, and the recipe makes enough for about three cocktails." 

De Witt tells us, "This copycat Texas Roadhouse Legend Margarita is so quick to put together and is incredibly lively and bright with the addition of orange extract." If Patron is too pricey, a less expensive tequila will work, although for the margarita to be truly "legendary," you do need to use all three types. You can also swap Grand Marnier for a more budget-friendly triple sec, but De Witt explains, "I like to use Grand Marnier in my margaritas because the orange flavor mixed with cognac adds a more complex flavor and a little less sweetness than Triple Sec." This margarita goes well with snacks and would be particularly nice with chips and guacamole, fish tacos, or your favorite Mexican dishes. Since the recipe comes from Texas Roadhouse, though, you know it'll also be a fantastic accompaniment for steaks, ribs, and burgers.

This margarita is made with a combination of silver, reposado, and añejo tequilas along with Grand Marnier and sour mix made from limes, orange extract, and agave nectar. To dress up the drink, you'll also need black salt for rimming. Black salt is a product of volcanic rock, and as such, it has a somewhat sulfurous or briny flavor. De Witt tells us, "The black salt I use is Hawaiian black lava salt made with activated charcoal. It has a slightly smoky taste, and it's great as a finishing salt to add a little smoky/earthy flavor, and it's striking on a cocktail rim." It's what Texas Roadhouse uses for the Legend Margarita, and we're using it here for veracity, flavor, and visual appeal.

Juice enough limes to produce 1 cup, and add the fresh juice to a mason jar.

Add the agave nectar.

Add the orange extract.

Shake the ingredients together and set aside.

Rub the rim of a rocks glass with a lime wedge.

Dip the rim in black salt.

Add the ice to a cocktail shaker.

Measure out the three tequilas and add them to the cocktail shaker.

Add the Grand Marnier.

Add 2 ½ ounces of the lime mix.

Shake well.

Pour the margarita into the rimmed glass, garnish with a lime wedge, and serve.

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Even though Texas Roadhouse eschews fresh fruit in favor of a pre-made mix, juicing the limes yourself really does produce a better-tasting margarita than one made with any kind of bottled juice. (Especially the sweetened stuff like Rose's.) To maximize the amount of juice you get out of your limes, you can roll them on the counter before squeezing them. If you've taken them straight out of the fridge, microwaving them for 15 seconds will help to warm them up and allow for more juice to be extracted.

The ultimate margarita, according to Guy Fieri, requires just the right ice. The purest ice is made from pre-chilled water that's been filtered or distilled, and you can measure the right amount by filling a rocks glass nearly to the rim. Speaking of rims, a salted one is an integral part of any margarita worth its, well, salt. If you don't have black lava salt on hand, that's not a deal-breaker, but you shouldn't swap it out for table salt. Instead, opt for kosher or sea salt. You can even make a flavored margarita salt by combining equal amounts of salt, sugar, and citrus zest.

All of the different types of tequila start off the same: as the distilled juice of the agave plant. The difference between each type of tequila lies not in the ingredients, which are identical, but in how long it is aged. Blanco, also known as silver, is the youngest (a mere two months old) and, as such, it has the cleanest and purest taste. Its sweetness comes from the agave, which is a plant that's also used to make a natural sweetener.

The next step up the ladder is joven or gold tequila, which we're not using in this recipe, but after that comes reposado, which is aged for up to a year. It's pale gold in color and has started to develop notes of caramel, chocolate, honey, and vanilla. Another year or two in the barrel turns reposado into añejo, which is rich and smooth and tastes of caramel and sugar. You may also see extra añejo tequila on store shelves. This, as the name implies, has been aged even longer (three years or more) and has notes of fruit, nuts, and spice.

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