A smoky, citrusy cocktail full of fresh pineapple flavor!

Are you a mezcal fan? I do like tequila but I have not yet tried mezcal… a liquor also distilled from agave but done so in vessels lined with wood and charcoal that give it a distinctive, smoky flavor.

My friend Chris recently suggested coming up with a margarita made with mezcal. Not having any on hand I started brainstorming a different way to get some smokiness into that drink.

How fortuitous that I had several fresh pineapples on hand! (I must have learned this from repeated viewings of Psych… there is a pineapple in every episode!)

Also on hand? A grill.

Fresh pineapple sliced into planks grills up quickly, getting some lovely char marks and a kiss of caramelized, smoky flavor.

A quick stay in the freezer, the grilled planks are then whizzed up in the blender with Triple Sec and tequila. And let me tell you: it’s quite refreshing! For a pop of color, a skewer blueberries added on top.

There is no salt on the rim of this slushy, sweet margarita – very rare for me, to enjoy a margarita without the salty rim. Instead just a tiny pinch of salt over the top of the slush, to enhance the fruity flavor.

I think it’s about time for a Grilled Pineapple Margarita, don’t you? The recipe is below!! And here are a couple other refreshing treats to consider:

Grilled Pineapple Margarita

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 22 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Freezing Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 384kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

When grilled, fresh pineapple gets even sweeter! And when grilled pineapple is blended into a margarita it gets even more delicious!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into flat, wide planks, plus a few small cubes for garnish
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional: see below)
• 4-6 fresh blueberries, for garnish
• 2 cocktail picks
• 5 ounces Tequila
• 3 ounces Triple Sec
• Crushed ice
• Kosher salt

Instructions

• Heat up a gas grill, or a grill pan on your stove top. Make sure the grates of the grill or grill pan are very clean.
• Once the grates are very hot, lay the planks of pineapple across them. (If the grates are clean and hot the pineapple should grill just fine without sticking. You can brush a very light layer of olive oil over the pineapple before grilling if you are worried they will stick.) 
• Grill the pineapple for about 4 minutes on each side, until the pineapple starts to look soft and has grill marks. Remove from heat.
• (If you used oil, gently blot the grilled surfaces of the pineapple with a paper towel to remove the oil.) Place the pineapple in a sealed container and freeze for about 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, place two margarita glasses in the freezer. Thread the blueberries and fresh pineapple pieces onto two picks. Wrap and refrigerate the picks until you’re ready to make the drinks.
• Once the pineapple is frozen, place it into a blender along with 1 cup of crushed ice. Blend the mixture until it is smooth, adding more ice if needed to achieve the frozen texture. Add in the tequila and Triple Sec, and blend a few seconds more to combine.
• Pour the pineapple mixture into the two chilled glasses, filling them to the tops. Sprinkle just a pinch of salt over each glass. Garnish each glass with the prepared fruit picks and serve immediately.

Notes

Note: The pineapple for this drink gets grilled and then frozen, which means you can complete these steps ahead of time! When it’s time to serve your guests, you’ll have the pineapple ready and waiting in your freezer.

Create, Be Curious, Celebrate… with Food!

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 67.7mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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How do you like this margarita? Comment below – I want to know! 🙂