Blood Orange Palomas are a refreshing, simple to make, and refined sugar free cocktail to make during winter citrus season! They’re sweetened with agave nectar, and lots of citrus! There’s freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, vibrant blood orange juice, and lime juice. To top it all off, some good quality tequila and soda water for a little fizz. Winter cocktail goals!
You know I couldn’t have Healthyish January without a really good cocktail. Especially something that involves tequila. A paloma is always a good idea: freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, a little bit of lime, tequila of course, and a little something sweet to balance out all of that citrus. And in this case, we’re adding the best of the winter citrus: blood orange! And you’re probably thinking, well what makes this drink “healthyish”?
The healthyish part of this beautiful ruby red paloma cocktail is the fact that it’s sweetened with agave nectar instead of simple syrup, making it refined sugar free and a little more natural than regular ol’ granulated sugar. Plus, it takes one extra step out of the cocktail making equation – no need to make simple syrup and wait for it to cool. Nope! Just add a little agave nectar to your cocktail shaker, and that’s all you need! It sweetens these so perfectly – not sure if I’ll even go back to making simple syrups all the time!
Plus, this paloma is filled with freshly squeezed citrus juice, so that’s more health right there, right?!
Let’s talk about blood oranges for a quick sec.
First of all, my love for them knows no bounds (and I’m pretty sure every millennial woman would say the same, ha!), but it’s true!
If you’ve never had one, blood oranges are definitely different from your typical navel orange. To me, they’re perfectly citrusy, a little sweeter, and they honestly kind of have a fruit punch vibe to them. They’re all-around just a little bit more complex than your regular orange. During their short winter season, I try to do as many things with them as possible, because after that, they’re gone!
To make these palomas, you just need a few simple ingredients, a cocktail shaker, some crushed ice (always a must!), and a glass!
All you need:
- tequila (I use gold tequila for these, but use your favorite!)
- freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- freshly squeezed lime juice
- agave nectar
- a splash of soda water
And, some coarse salt for rimming the glass, if that’s your jam!
They are SO simple, and so ridiculously good & refreshing. They’re easy to make for 1, or for more – I’ve included directions on how to make them pitcher style in the recipe below!
What I love about this paloma recipe and the addition of blood orange, is that it sweetens up and adds depth to an otherwise super citrusy/grapefruity drink! To me, this is my perfect cocktail. I love them so much!
A few tips on how to prep these ahead:
- To make your citrus squeezing a little bit easier, especially if you’re making them for a crowd, use a citrus juicer! This
is the one I use, and I love it. Whenever I’m making pitcher-style cocktails for a party, or if I’m making more than 3 or 4 cocktails, I’ll always bring it out.
- Slice all of your garnishes and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. I like to garnish these with a slice of blood orange, but you could go with grapefruit or lime as well!
- Measure out your citrus juices and keep them sealed in the fridge – I wouldn’t do this any earlier than the morning of. Sometimes citrus can change and/or lose some of it’s brightness and acidity if it sits too long.
- If you really want to get ahead, choose the glasses you’re going to use, and bring out your margarita salt and put it on a plate!
I love finishing off a paloma with a little bit of fizziness. Totally optional, but I find that a little bit of soda water just cuts the acidity a little bit, and brings all of those big beautiful blood orange and grapefruit flavors together.
And if you’re looking for more ways to use blood oranges this season, here are a few of my favorite recipes!
Blackened Salmon Tacos with Blood Orange Avocado Salsa
Spiced Blood Orange Palomas
Sparkling Blood Orange Sangria
Autumn Blood Orange Kale Salad
Vanilla Bean Blood Orange Cake
Blood Orange Ginger Smoothie
Blood Orange Beergaritas
Blood Orange Pomegranate Mimosas with Vanilla Bean Sugar
Honey Citrus Chicken, Blood Orange, and Avocado Chopped Salad
Roasted Beet Salad with Quinoa, Mint, and Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Cheers to Healthyish January!
Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen. Be sure to hashtag #healthyishjanuary too so I can see all the Healthyish January recipes you make this month!
Blood Orange Paloma
Blood Orange Palomas are a refreshing, simple to make, and refined sugar free cocktail to make during winter citrus season! They're sweetened with agave nectar, and lots of citrus! There's freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, vibrant blood orange juice, and lime juice. To top it all off, some good quality tequila and soda water for a little fizz. Winter cocktail goals!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces tequila*
- 3 ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- 1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce agave nectar
- splash of club soda
- thinly sliced blood orange, grapefruit, and/or lime for serving
- coarse margarita salt for rimming the glass (optional)
Instructions
Moisten the edge of your glass with lime and rim in the coarse margarita salt (if desired). Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and add the tequila, blood orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and agave nectar. Shake for 20 seconds and pour in the glass. Top with a splash or two of club soda, stir to combine, and garnish with a slice of blood orange, grapefruit, and/or lime if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
*I like to use gold tequila for this paloma, but you can use silver or whatever your favorite tequila is!
*To make these pitcher-style for a crowd, I'd measure all of the cocktail ingredients out for how many people you want to make them for, add everything to a pitcher, and chill the mixture in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, add the club soda, blood orange and and grapefruit slices if desired, and serve!
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*If you don't like cocktails that are on the sweeter side, start with 1/2 ounce of agave and go from there!
There may be an affiliate link(s) in this post, which means that if you click on a product link above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you SO much for reading!
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