17 Best Tequila Jello Shots

To start off, we have a unique jello shot that's sweet and spicy all at once! The recipe is inspired by the Mexican candy paleta, which is a fruit flavored lollipop or popsicle coated in chili powder and Chamoy sauce. In this recipe, mango jello acts as the fruity backbone and is complemented by spicy habanero mango hot sauce. It's finished off with a Tajin and Chamoy rim, resulting in a tangy, spicy, and super flavorful jello shot!

Ingredients: tequila, mango jello, mango habanero hot sauce, Tajin (for the rim), Chamoy (for the rim)

I've tried quite a few margarita jello shots in my time, and this recipe is my absolute favorite! I like it because instead of using sour mix or margarita mix, it uses all of the ingredients you'd expect in a classic margarita along with plain gelatin to really give it that signature margarita taste. Pair them with a big bowl of guacamole for a super fun and impressive party treat!

Ingredients: tequila, triple sec, unflavored gelatin, lime juice, sugar, salt or sugar (for the rim), lime wedges or lime candies (for garnish)

The only thing tastier than a margarita jello shot is a strawberry margarita jello shot! Sometimes simple is better, and these are only three ingredients and will always please a crowd. You can rim them with sugar if you want to keep them sweet, or salt if you want to more closely mimic the experience of drinking an actual margarita. They're perfect for Cinco de Mayo or whenever you need an easy jello shot everyone is sure to love!

Ingredients: tequila, strawberry jello, limes, sugar or salt (for the rim)

These jello shots are almost too pretty to drink, but I'm sure you'll find a way! They're inspired by the Tequila Sunrise, which is a fruity layered cocktail made with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine that resembles a vibrant sunrise. This recipe achieves the same ombre visual effect as the cocktail by making a layer of cherry jello and grenadine topped with a layer of orange jello and orange juice. And of course, tequila is included in both layers to give it a boozy kick!

Ingredients: tequila, cherry jello, grenadine, orange jello, orange juice, orange slices (for garnish), maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Here's a slightly fancier take on a Tequila Sunrise jello shot from our girl Betty Crocker that uses pomegranate juice in place of grenadine to make it look like a sunrise. The result is a fruity, zingy, and beautiful shot that'll be the highlight of any summertime celebration! While the picture makes it look like a complicated recipe, it's pretty much just as easy as a normal jello shot but with a few clever tricks for the presentation, including serving them on top of thinly sliced oranges.

Ingredients: tequila, unflavored gelatin, orange juice, pomegranate juice, sugar, orange slices (for the presentation)

If you're a fan of Palomas, you'll love this clever jello shot based on the classic cocktail! For those that aren't as familiar, the Paloma is a simple and refreshing cocktail of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit-flavored soda. You likely won't ever find grapefruit flavored jello, so this recipe instead uses plain gelatin with grapefruit juice to give it the Paloma's tart, lightly bitter flavor.

Ingredients: tequila, unflavored gelatin, grapefruit juice, sugar, salt (for the rim), grapefruit gummy candies (for garnish)

If you love spice and can handle the heat, these jello shots are for you! The jello shot itself is made with just tequila and lime juice. This may sound a little lackluster until you learn the shot is served inside of a hallowed out jalapeño! The tart lime juice and crisp tequila work wonderfully with the spicy, crunchy jalapeño, and make for a deliciously hot and boozy bite. If that's not enough to get you excited, it's then topped off with a mixture of lime zest, sugar, and salt to make it extra flavorful and offset some of the jalapeño's heat.

Ingredients: tequila, unflavored gelatin, jalapeños, limes (juice and zest), sugar, salt

I can't imagine a more adorable jello shot! The presentation is seriously next level, and they taste as good as they look. The shot is made with tequila, freshly puréed and strained watermelon juice, Grand Marnier, and lime concentrate, so it tastes just like a watermelon margarita in jello form. To make the shots look like a watermelon, you remove the pulp from half of a lime, fill it with the watermelon jello mixture, and top with mini chocolate chips. These would be an amazing treat for a backyard BBQ -- after all, watermelon is the quintessential summertime fruit!

Ingredients: tequila, Grand Marnier, unflavored gelatin, watermelon, frozen limeade concentrate, limes, mini chocolate chips

I promised a Flamin' Hot Cheetos jello shot, and here it is for better or for worse! Jokes aside, this shot actually sounds super tasty, and while it was created with Halloween in mind, the flavors are undeniably summery! You start by blitzing Flamin’ Hot Limón Cheetos in a food processor, which you then mix with tequila, mango nectar, and lime juice and strain to remove any Cheeto residue. You also add some crushed Cheetos on top of the first layer and around the rim of the shot glass. It sounds strange, but the Cheetos give the shot a bright red color and subtly citrusy, spicy flavor that's really delightful! The final result is a jumbo-sized layered jello shot that will surprise your friends and be the main event at any party! (As a final note: the recipe also uses Bag of Bones Cheetos for the garnish, but you can obviously leave these out if it's not on theme.)

Ingredients: tequila, unflavored gelatin, mango nectar, limes (juice and zest), Demerara sugar, salt, Flamin' Hot Limón Cheetos, lime wedge (for garnish)

This is what I would consider a "fancy" jello shot, but it's still so easy to make and approachable for all skill levels! The star of this recipe is a lavender peppercorn syrup, which is paired with reposado (i.e. aged) tequila for flavor and complexity, honey for a touch of sweetness, and lime zest for a zingy finish. Sounds pretty fabulous, right? It's perfect if you need an impressive, elegant jello shot that's floral, spicy, and sweet!

Ingredients: reposado tequila, unflavored gelatin, lavender peppercorn syrup (sugar, peppercorns, lavender), lime zest, honey

Here's another delicous and inventive jello shot I love from the Intoxicologist. You don't come across a lot of dessert jello shots, let alone tequila dessert jello shots, which is part of what makes these so cool! These decadent squares of goodness taste just like a chocolate truffle, and are really fun to serve for dessert at a picnic, BBQ, or even in place of a birthday cake! While they're definitely on the sweeter side of the spectrum, they're also surprisingly nuanced and balanced thanks to the coffee and hazelnut liqueurs, which give them a nice roasted, nutty flavor. They also have a splash of grenadine, which you wouldn't expect in a chocolate shot, but it adds a subtle tart, fruity flavor that makes the shot even more delicious.

Ingredients: reposado tequila, unflavored gelatin, hazelnut liqueur, coffee liqueur, grenadine, chocolate milk, whipped cream (for garnish), cinnamon (for garnish)

If you've ever had a blood orange margarita, you know how well tequila pairs with the vibrant, juicy fruit! Not only does this shot taste fantastic, it also has a show-stopping presentation that makes it look just like a blood orange wedge. And while you do have to hollow out oranges to act as the cups for the jello mixture, they're pretty simple to make and you don't have to squeeze fresh blood orange juice or any of that mess. Instead, they get their citrusy flavor from blood orange sparkling soda and orange liqueur. It's a delightfully tangy and refreshing bite, and as a bonus it has a gorgeous vivid orange color that immediately draws you in.

Ingredients: tequila, unflavored gelatin, orange liqueur, blood orange sparkling soda, oranges, sugar

This jello shot might look like it's going to taste like a jello-fied jolly rancher, but it actually tastes just like a margarita! It's made with a base of lime jello, lime margarita mix, and tequila, along with one other secret ingredient that makes it look like a tropical blue lagoon! This secret ingredient is blue curaçao, which has a vibrant teal color and tastes identical to orange curaçao. So you'll get plenty of the citrusy flavor you want out of a margarita, but with an unexpected and festive color that's so fun for the beach or pool parties!

Ingredients: tequila, lime jello, blue curaçao, lime margarita mix

Here we have yet another easy margarita-inspired jello shot that highlights the flavor of raspberry! It's an explosion of fruity, tangy, and sweet flavor, and perfect if you're looking for a straight-forward jello shot that everyone is guaranteed to love. Raspberry jello acts as the foundation for the shot, and the only other two ingredients are tequila and margarita mix! So when I say they're easy, I mean they're some of the most low maintenance jello shots out there! They truly prove a jello shot doesn't need to be complicated to be totally delicious.

Ingredients: tequila, raspberry jello, margarita mix, lime juice (optional)

This shot is the perfect balance between sweet and sour! It gets its cherry sour taste from DeKuyper Pucker Cherry Schnapps and sour mix, which is blended together with cherry jello and tequila for a jello shot packed with cherry flavor! It's finished off with a sugar rim, which makes it a wonderfully light and boozy bite-sized dessert!

Ingredients: tequila, cherry jello, unflavored gelatin, DeKuyper Pucker Cherry Schnapps, sour mix, corn syrup (for the rim), sugar (for the rim), lime slices (for garnish)

You'd be hard pressed to find a more festive jello shot for Cinco de Mayo than these red, white, and green layered shots that resemble a Mexican flag! Not only is this shot beautiful to look at, but the ingredients are really well thought out for each layer and it sounds absolutely delicious. The red layer is cherry jello and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, while the white layer contains condensed milk and Grand Marnier. The star of this shot for me though is the green layer, which is made with sour and sweet Starburst Watermelon jello along with Dano's Pineapple Jalapeño Tequila. If you can't find this specific bottle of tequila, feel free to use plain or jalapeno-infused tequila and add in a little bit of pineapple juice. It's topped with whipped cream and a slice of lime for a surprisingly nuanced jello shot filled with fruity, sweet, and slightly spicy flavors.

Ingredients: Dano's Pineapple Jalapeño Tequila, Grand Marnier, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, cherry jello, Starburst Watermelon jello, unflavored gelatin, condensed milk, lime juice, green food coloring, red food coloring, whipped cream (for garnish), sprinkles (for garnish), limes slices (for garnish)

Not everyone would think of putting a vegetable in a jello shot, but cucumber, lime, and tequila are a match made in flavor heaven! These tasty bites get their refreshing taste from freshly muddled cucumbers that are shaken with tequila in a cocktail shaker. The muddled mixture is then combined with lime concentrate and orange liqueur to give the final result a tart, citrusy flavor. Serve them on top of thinly sliced cucumber ribbons with a sprinkle of cayenne for a kick of heat, and you have a super refreshing, elegant summertime jello shot!

Ingredients: tequila, orange liqueur, unflavored gelatin, cucumbers, frozen limeade concentrate, cayenne (for garnish), cucumber ribbons (for garnish)