Coarse, Flaky or Chile-Lime? Best Salt for Rim of Margarita Glass

The salt on a margarita glass is not decoration. A little salt on the lip of the glass softens the sourness of lime and brings out the agave in the tequila, and because it sits on the outside of the rim, each sip can be as salty as you want. Get the salt wrong, though, and the whole drink suffers: fine table salt tastes harsh and dissolves into a briny crust, and big flakes fall off before the first sip.

This buying guide covers the salts that work on a margarita rim, from plain coarse margarita salt and kosher salt to flaky sea salt, lime-infused blends and the chile-lime rimmers that turn a margarita into something closer to a michelada. It also covers a rimmer tray that keeps the job tidy, and how to rim a glass so the salt stays where you put it.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant bar looks for in a rim salt, the makers’ own information and product listings, and retailer ingredient panels, which we name.

Quick verdict: which margarita salt to buy

The rest of this guide explains why, and which salt suits the margaritas you make.

Five rim salts and a rimmer side by side

Our five standout picks, one for each kind of margarita drinker, with the type, size and ingredients each maker or listing states. All seven products are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Ingredients are as stated by each maker, its listing or retailer ingredient panels; check the package if you avoid any ingredient.

Our picks for the best salt for rim of margarita glass

These seven products cover every common way to rim a margarita: a plain margarita salt, two everyday kitchen salts that do the job well, two flavored salts, a chile-lime rimmer and a tray that holds them. Each pick explains what it is made of, what kind of margarita it suits, and one honest reason to skip it.

How to rim a margarita glass properly

A good rim is a thin, even band of salt on the outside of the glass, not a crust that falls into the drink. The International Bartenders Association lists a half salt rim as an optional garnish for the margarita, and that is good practice: rim half the glass and each sip can be salted or not.

1. Chill and dry the glass. Salt sticks best to a dry glass that you wet on purpose, not to one wet from the dishwasher.
2. Spread the salt. Pour a thin, even layer onto a small plate or into a rimmer tray, a little wider than the glass.
3. Wet only the outside of the rim. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, slide it onto the rim and run it around the outer edge, or around half of it.
4. Roll, do not press. Hold the glass at an angle and roll the outside edge through the salt so it picks up a band about a quarter-inch deep. Pressing the glass straight down coats the inside too, and that salt ends up in the drink.
5. Tap off the loose salt and fill the glass carefully, pouring into the center so the drink does not wash the rim.

Lime juice is the classic glue, but it dissolves salt over time; rim the glasses just before serving. For a sweeter drink, a thin film of agave syrup works as the glue instead. For a frozen margarita, a coarse salt stays crunchier against the cold glass than a fine one.

Choosing the best salt for rim of margarita glass

Four things decide which salt suits you.

1. Grain size

Coarse beats fine. Fine table salt packs densely on the rim, tastes harsh and dissolves quickly in lime juice. Coarse margarita salt and kosher salt sit on the rim as distinct crystals and taste milder; flaky salt works too once it is lightly crushed.

2. Plain or flavored

Plain salt lets the tequila and lime speak. Lime-infused salt adds aroma, spicy salt suits jalapeño margaritas, and chile-lime seasoning such as Tajín changes the drink into something closer to a michelada. If you are unsure, keep plain salt for most glasses and a flavored one for those who want it.

3. Ingredients and additives

Most plain rim salts are just salt. Flavored salts and seasonings add citrus, chile, citric acid or an anti-caking agent, and some listings do not give a full ingredient panel, so check the package if you avoid anything.

4. Container and quantity

A wide tub you can dip into is convenient for a home bar. A big box of kosher salt is the cheapest per glass. A rimmer tray solves the problem for any salt and lets you serve two at once.

How we chose these seven products

We started from what a margarita rim needs: a grain that clings to a wet glass, a flavor that suits the drink, and a container that makes rimming quick. We looked at plain margarita salts, everyday kosher and flaky salts, flavored rimming salts and chile-lime rimmers sold on Amazon in the United States, checked that each was in stock, and took ingredients and descriptions from the maker or the brand’s own listing, using retailer ingredient panels where the listing gave none. Each review says which source it used. We left out salts from sellers with no identifiable maker, listings with almost no product information, colored margarita salts that add only color, and products that were out of stock or nearly so. We have not compared these salts side by side ourselves; where we describe how a salt behaves on a rim, it follows from its grain size and the maker’s description.

Margarita salt questions, answered

What kind of salt do you use for a margarita rim?

A coarse salt: margarita salt, kosher salt or lightly crushed sea salt flakes. Avoid fine table salt, which is too dense and dissolves too fast.

Can you use table salt on a margarita glass?

In a pinch, but use very little and rim only half the glass. Fine grains pack tightly, so the same rim tastes much saltier than coarse salt.

Is margarita salt the same as kosher salt?

Not always. Both are coarse, but margarita salt is sold specifically for rimming and may be sea salt, flavored or colored. Kosher salt is a coarse cooking salt; Diamond Crystal’s hollow crystals stick to a rim well and work just as well for most margaritas.

How do you get salt to stick to a margarita glass?

Wet only the outside of the rim with a lime wedge, then roll that edge through a thin layer of salt. Lime juice works best on a dry glass; a thin film of agave syrup also works if you want a sweeter rim.

Should a margarita have salt on the whole rim?

It is up to you. The IBA lists a half salt rim as optional, and rimming half the glass lets each sip be salted or not, which suits most drinkers.

Our final pick for a salted rim

Buy Collins White Margarita Salt for a classic rim, Tajín Clásico Rimmer for a chile-lime one, and Diamond Crystal kosher salt if you want one box for the kitchen and the bar. Add a three-tier rimmer if you make margaritas for a crowd. Whichever salt you choose, wet only the outside of the rim, roll rather than press, and rim the glasses just before you pour.

Salt is one part of a good margarita setup. Our guide to margarita accessories covers the rest of the bar, and the best margarita glasses helps you choose what the salt goes on.

And if you would rather someone else rimmed the glasses tonight, see our drinks and the menu, or call to order.