A fresh take on your everyday tea.
Bright lemon, chilled black tea, and a little sweetness make a refreshing glass for warm afternoons. Brew the tea first, let it cool, then add fresh lemon juice and serve over ice.
Tea bags, water, lemon, and sugar. Nothing complicated.
Keep it light, or add a little more to suit your taste.
Lemon juice goes in once the tea is chilled.
Iced Lemon Tea
Fresh lemon, gently brewed black tea, and just enough sweetness. Serve well chilled over plenty of ice.
Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go. Garnishes stay “as needed” when scaling.
Step by step
Heat the water
Bring the water to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Brew gently
Add the black tea bags and steep for 3–5 minutes. Remove the bags once the tea reaches your preferred strength.
Sweeten while warm
Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Start with less if you prefer a lightly sweetened drink.
Let it chill
Let the tea cool, then refrigerate for 1–2 hours, until well chilled.
Add the lemon
Stir freshly squeezed lemon juice into the chilled tea. Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed.
Pour, garnish, enjoy
Fill your glasses with ice and pour over the tea. Finish with lemon slices and optional fresh mint.
Make it your own
Start with less sugar for a lighter drink. Add the optional mint just before serving for a fresh herbal aroma, or leave it out and let the lemon shine.
Make ahead, pour later
Plan for the 1–2 hour chilling step. Keep your tea chilled, then add ice, lemon slices, and optional mint when you’re ready to serve.
A few little questions
When should I add the sugar?
Stir the sugar into the tea while it is warm, before chilling, so it dissolves evenly.
When do I add the lemon juice?
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice after the tea has chilled, just as in the original TeaTurbo recipe.
Can I make a bigger batch?
Yes. Use the batch multiplier above for the water, tea bags, sugar, and lemon juice. Add ice and garnishes as needed. The steeping time stays the same.
Is mint required?
No. Fresh mint is an optional garnish. Lemon slices are all you need for a simple finish.
Adapted from TeaTurbo’s existing iced lemon tea recipe. This version uses black tea.
