There's nothing more refreshing than a glass of this Fresh Mint Iced Tea with Lemon over ice in Summer. It's my drink of choice all Summer long and it comes together in minutes with just a few simple (and cheap) ingredients!
I'm a huge fan of iced tea and constantly order it at restaurants and sometimes I even buy a jug of it at the grocery store. Little did I know, it's seriously so easy to make at home and way cheaper.
Plus, then you'll have a whole pitcher full to enjoy for a few days. How can you go wrong? Let's make it!
For more of my favorite homemade Summer drinks, try this Basil Lemonade, Mango Pineapple Smoothie, Watermelon Juice with Lime, Creamy Lemonade Recipe, and Sparkling Lavender Lemonade.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love Brewing Iced Tea at Home:
- Easy. The recipe is so easy to make and takes a few minutes of prep work.
- Taste. Making tea at home with fresh herbs, like mint, really enhance the flavors because it's so fresh.
- Cheap. Buy a big box of black tea and enjoy iced tea at a fraction of what you'll pay for a gallon at the store.
- Skip the Drive Thru. I'm big on Chic-fil-A iced tea, but brewing tea at home really does save a lot of time waiting in the drive thru line. Plus, they're closed on Sundays.
- Makes a Big Batch. This iced tea recipe makes 6-8 cups of iced tea, so you can stay refreshed for a few days or share it with others. It's great for parties and picnics.
For Summer recipes to pair with Iced Tea, try this Jalapeño Pimento Cheese, Redneck Caviar, Turkey Roll Ups or Mexican Street Corn Dip.
Ingredients:
Black Tea: Black Tea is great for Iced Tea and I suggest Lipton's.
Boiling Water: By boiling the water, this creates a quicker brew time in just 6 minutes.
Fresh Mint: Fresh mint is muddled then mixed into the iced tea for amazing flavors.
Lemon Juice: Citrus always adds a nice touch to iced tea and it pairs well with the mint.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions:
- This Iced Tea is not sweet at all. If you like sweet tea, add in 1 tablespoon at a time of simple syrup until it's sweet enough. Simple syrup is a combination of 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup of water. Boil it together in a pot until the sugar is dissolved. Adding sugar itself into the iced tea won't dissolve well.
- If you don't like fresh mint, feel free to leave it out.
- Prefer strong iced tea? Add in a few extra bags or leave them in longer to steep.
- Don't have a muddler for mint? Use the back of a wooden spoon.
How to Make Mint Iced Tea:
Step 1: Add 6 cups of boiling water to a pitcher with 4 black tea bags. Allow it to sit and steep for 6 minutes.
Step 2: Remove and discard the teabags.
Step 3: Place the mint leaves in a cup and muddle about 10-15 times until the mint is aromatic and smells pretty strong.
Step 4: Add the mint leaves, lemon juice, and ice to the tea pitcher.
Step 5: Stir well and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Step 6: Fill glasses half way with ice and pour in iced tea. Top with lemon wedge, if desired, and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- I like to carefully remove the paper and string on the teabag before adding into the boiling water. It just tugs right off, but don't tear the tea bag open.
- Leaving the tea bags in longer will make a stronger iced tea.
- Be careful when muddling the mint not to tear the leaves. You want the oils released gently.
For easy Summer dishes to make with this Mint Iced Tea, try this Peach Burrata Salad, Blackstone Smashburgers, Chicken Pesto Sandwich, and Italian Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls.
Recipe FAQs:
Place the rinsed and dried mint leaves in a cup or shaker. Use a muddler or the back of wooden spoon and rotate in a half circle motion over the mint gently. Do not rip the leaves, we're just releasing the oils.
The general rule for simple syrup is 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 cup water. Bring to a low boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. You can also buy simple syrup pre-made in the cocktail ingredient section of the grocery store, but it is rather expensive. I keep a bottle in my liquor cabinet for cocktails or coffees, when I'm in a pinch.
I suggest storing it in the pitcher with a lid in the fridge. This makes it easily accessible and ready to pour. I don't remove the mint leaves from the pitcher, so it continues to get even more infused in the tea.
More Summer Drinks To Try:
If you tried this Mint Iced Tea Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Fresh Mint Iced Tea
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Description
There's nothing more refreshing than a glass of this Fresh Mint Iced Tea with Lemon over ice in Summer. It's my drink of choice all Summer long and it comes together in minutes with just a few simple (and cheap) ingredients!
Ingredients
- 6 cups boiling water
- (4) 2.5 black tea bags (I prefer Lipton)
- 14 mint leaves, about 2-3 sprigs
- juice from 1 large lemon
- 4 cups of ice
- Optional: Additional lemon for garnish
- You also need a large pitcher to store the iced tea
Instructions
- Add 6 cups of boiling water to a pitcher with 4 black tea bags. Allow it to sit and steep for 6 minutes.
- Remove and discard the teabags.
- Place the mint leaves in a cup and muddle about 10-15 times until the mint is aromatic and smells pretty strong.
- Add the mint leaves, lemon juice, and ice to the tea.
- Stir well and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Fill glasses half way with ice and pour in iced tea. Top with lemon wedge, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to carefully remove the paper and string on the tea bag before adding into the boiling water. It just tugs right off, but don't tear the tea bag open.
- Leaving the tea bags in longer will make a stronger iced tea.
- Be careful when muddling the mint not to tear the leaves. You want the oils released gently.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Fridge Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: drink
- Method: brew
- Cuisine: American
Leah says
Obsessed with this! Such fresh flavor from the mint and lemon.
Tara Smithson says
Thanks Leah! I agree. This one is in my fridge all Summer long.