Our Homemade Iced Tea Recipe
On hot days, this classic, easy iced tea recipe always hits the spot. I sip it all day. My recipe serves six people, so it’s perfect for serving to a crowd! You can even double it for big gatherings. It goes just as well with summer fruit salads as it does with corn on the cob, grilled steak dinners, chips and guacamole and beyond. Master my super easy iced tea recipe, and then get creative!
Add lemonade to the finished iced tea to make an Arnold Palmer, or sweeten it more or less according to your tastes. Once you’ve got the idea, experiment! Brew it with herbal teas instead of caffeinated black tea, or cold-brew it slowly overnight in the fridge.
Iced Tea Ingredients
- Black tea bags: It’s fine to use decaffeinated black tea if you don’t want caffeine.
- Sugar: I use ¼ cup regular sugar, because I like my iced tea sweet! But if you don’t, leave it out.
How To Make Iced Tea
- Boil water. Grab your favorite pot and boil some water.
- Steep! Off the heat, add the tea bags. 4 minutes is probably long enough. If you want a stronger tea, don’t steep it longer, just add another teabag or two. You’re basically brewing a tea concentrate that you will cut later (much like our chai concentrate). A kitchen timer is helpful here.
- Take out the tea bags.
- If you like it sweet, this is your moment! Stir in the sugar until it has dissolved.
- Pour it into a pitcher and add another 4 cups of water.
- Chill. At least an hour in the fridge, so that the iced tea is cold and refreshing.
- If you want to add fresh herbs, now is the time!
- Serve over ice, and enjoy!
Iced Tea Add-In Ideas + Variations
- Sweeteners: Sugar, simple syrup, or other sweeteners.
- Fresh herbs! I like to add fresh mint, fresh thyme or lemon verbena from my garden.
- Fresh lemon slices or wedges
- Lemonade: Half iced tea, half lemonade is called an Arnold Palmer (named for the famous golfer) and it’s delicious!
Tips For The Best Iced Tea
- Tea brands. The best tea for making iced tea is any tea that you love! It seems like a cop out answer, but it’s true. Lipton black tea is a classic iced tea choice, but feel free to get a little fancy. Smith Tea is a local favorite here in the Pacific Northwest.
- Serve simple syrup on the side. If you’re serving a crowd, it’s nice to serve simple syrup on the side so folks can sweeten their tea to their own tastes. Simple syrup is simply 1 part sugar to 1 part water. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
- Store any leftover iced tea in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make it with herbal tea! You can use this recipe with any tea, including herbal tea! Just be sure to follow the tea maker’s recommended brewing time.
- Spike it! If it’s inching toward afternoon, you may want to spike your tea with a little whiskey or bourbon. We say go for it!
A Note About Sun Tea
Ok so not to be a killjoy but it seems that the sun tea your grandmother made every summer (at least mine did) is technically not safe to drink. Southern Living (I’d call them iced tea experts, if anyone is!) asked the FDA and the FDA said that sun tea, sadly, is a recipe for bacterial growth. Sorry.
Summer Recipes To Serve With Iced Tea
Pass That Pitcher
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