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Welcome to Food52’s new series Let Me Show You, where our favorite culinary experts break down kitchen fundamentals.
In this episode of Let Me Show You, content creator and cookbook author Stefan Ng answers question…
Welcome to Food52’s new series Let Me Show You, where our favorite culinary experts break down kitchen fundamentals.
In this episode of Let Me Show You, content creator and cookbook author Stefan Ng answers questions, like: What are salt’s four categories? Why and when should you salt? And how do we save something that’s been over-salted?
This homemade Ricotta Cheese tastes way better than the store-bought version and only uses 4 ingredients. Add it to lasagna, ravioli, cannoli, or even calzones!
Step up your margarita game with the Cadillac Margarita! It uses top-shelf tequila and Grand Marnier liqueur for a smooth,…
Step up your margarita game with the Cadillac Margarita! It uses top-shelf tequila and Grand Marnier liqueur for a smooth, sophisticated twist.
Want a sophisticated spin on the margarita? When we have friends over and want to step it up a notch, we pull out the Cadillac! It’s of our favorite spins on this classic tequila cocktail using top quality tequila and Grand Marnier. It has a smooth, nuanced flavor that makes everyone say, “Wow! What’s in this?”
Why we love a Cadillac margarita: As two cocktail experts with over 300 cocktail recipes in our library and 25+ margarita recipes under our belt, the Cadillac is a tried and true favorite! The pop of citrus against the bitter orange, vanilla and oak notes in the Grand Marnier gets us every time. It’s a great way to step up your cocktail game with very little effort.
A Cadillac margarita is a version of the classic margarita using premium ingredients: best quality tequila and orange liqueur, with Grand Marnier floated onto the top of the drink. This luxurious spin on the classic is believed to have gained mainstream popularity in the 1980s in Southern California restaurant chains. Adding the nuanced, sophisticated Grand Marnier flavor takes this drink over the top. Here are the ingredients you’ll use:
You’ll pour the Grand Marnier right onto the other ingredients so that it floats on top (though it gradually sinks to the bottom over time). If you prefer a margarita on the sweeter side, you can add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar. But we like it without added sweetener: the drink comes out perfectly balanced and the smooth, citrusy flavor makes it irresistible.
Grand Marnier is a French brandy liqueur made with Cognac, bitter orange, and sugar. The bottle you’ll most often see is called Cordon Rouge, the Grand Marnier brand’s most popular product. What does Grand Marnier taste like? You’ll taste bitter orange and brandy first, then the sip finishes with notes of vanilla and oak.
Many margarita recipes use tequila blanco (unaged or “new” tequila). For the Cadillac margarita, we like it best with a tequila reposado (aged). We like how it gives the drink even more layers of flavor with notes of caramel, honey and vanilla.
The Cadillac Margarita is comes together simply by shaking up a few ingredients, then floating the Grand Marnier over the top.
You can use simple kosher salt for the rim or step it up with colorful margarita salt with lime and orange zest. Or, try a Tajín rim: it’s a Mexican seasoning blend of chili peppers, lime, and salt that adds a burst of tangy, spicy flavor.
This Cadillac Margarita is a hands-down classic! Here are a few more of our refreshing cocktail recipes you might also enjoy:
A classic margarita uses tequila, lime juice, and sweetener, while a Cadillac margarita adds a splash of luxury with Grand Marnier, a French orange liqueur. This gives the Cadillac margarita a smoother, more complex flavor profile. Some Cadillac margaritas also use a premium tequila or a tequila reposado.
For the best results, use a premium reposado tequila. This aged tequila has a smoother flavor that complements the Grand Marnier without overpowering it.
You can add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar, to taste.
Simple kosher salt works well, or try mixing it up with margarita salt, a chili lime salt rim for a spicy kick, or a Tajín rim.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes 
Yield: 1 Step up your margarita game with the Cadillac Margarita: it uses top-shelf tequila and Grand Marnier liqueur to add sophistication and style!
To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
Sweet variation: If you prefer a margarita on the sweeter side, add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon).
Rim variations: Try margarita salt, a chili lime salt rim for a spicy kick, or a Tajín rim.
Category: Drink
Method: Stirred
Cuisine: CocktailKeywords: Cadillac Margarita, Cadillac margarita recipe
This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish makes any cocktail to a masterpiece. Here’s…
This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish makes any cocktail to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it!
Looking to amp up your margaritas? This margarita salt is the best way to transform your glass from meh to marvelous. It’s seriously simple too! Alex and I made this margarita salt as part of our frozen margarita recipe, but we realized that it would be just about perfect for really any cocktail that works with a salt rim.
From now on, we’ll be adding it to our classic margarita recipe, all our top flavored margarita recipes—and maybe even our Paloma, too. Here’s what you need to know about margarita salt!
Margarita salt is the salt added to the rim of a margarita glass. Why is a margarita served with salt? Well, salt intensifies the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. It makes the sour flavor seem brighter, making the overall drink experience that much more pleasurable.
There are lots of store-bought brands of margarita salt out there, but why buy your own when you can make it at home? It’s seriously easy to make, and you don’t end up with half-used containers lying around.
This recipe could not be simpler (literally). Some recipes will call for drying out the citrus zest in the oven or doing other fancy things. In our testing, we found it’s not necessary: it really is this simple. Here’s how to make margarita salt:
Step 1: Zest your lime and orange using a microplane grater or box grater.
Step 2: Place 2 tablespoons kosher salt, the zest of 1 lime, and zest of ½ orange on a cutting board.Crush them together using a rolling pin.
Store your margarita salt in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
What’s the best way to make a salt rim for a margarita? We’ve got a few tips and tricks to simplify the process! Here are our tips to making the perfect rim:
The best type of salt to use for a margarita is kosher salt, which has coarse grains and a nuanced flavor. Sea salt also works! Avoid using iodized table salt, since the flavor and texture is much too intense for rimming drinks.
This margarita salt is great with all types of margarita recipes, from a classic margarita to a Cadillac margarita, frozen margarita, jalapeno margarita, and even a virgin margarita! It also works with fruity variations like a strawberry margarita, mango margarita, and more.
This recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Run a lime wedge around the rim of your margarita glass to moisten it.
Dip the rim of the glass upside down into a shallow plate filled with your chosen margarita salt.
Gently press the rim onto the salt to ensure it adheres evenly.
The salt adds a salty counterpoint to the sweet and sour flavors of the margarita, enhancing the overall taste experience. It also adds a festive touch to the drink.
Store your margarita salt in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: ¼ cup This margarita salt recipe makes the best margarita salt rim! This zesty garnish takes any cocktail from meh to a masterpiece. Here’s how to make it.
Category: DrinkMethod: RawCuisine: AmericanKeywords: Margarita Salt, Margarita salt rim, What is margarita salt, What kind of salt for margarita
When it comes to baking and desserts, one doesn’t necessarily think of salt as a flavor. But more and more, I keep considering, and reconsidering, the role that salt plays in just about everything I bake. And because I keep both salted and unsalted butter on hand – I can’t imagine my morning toast without a little salted butter spread over the top – I’ll…
When it comes to baking and desserts, one doesn’t necessarily think of salt as a flavor. But more and more, I keep considering, and reconsidering, the role that salt plays in just about everything I bake. And because I keep both salted and unsalted butter on hand – I can’t imagine my morning toast without a little salted butter spread over the top – I’ll sometimes reach for the salted variety when tackling a baking project or making dessert.
I wasn’t the first person to put salt on dessert; people from various cultures have been sprinkling salt on fresh fruit for ages. And many pastry chefs, as well as some big chocolate companies, have gotten in on the “salt in chocolate” act as well.
But I’ve gotten so used to sprinkling it on sweets that sometimes if I’m having my last course in a restaurant and I think the dessert needs a little perking up, you’ll find me looking around the table for a little bowl of flaky sea salt. Salt is so important to me that I’ll sometimes carry a little wooden box of fleur de sel, which when I’d bring out in restaurants, my co-diners would give me a look as if I was being pretentious. (Then – of course – they’d ask if they could have a pinch too.)
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