This southern strawberry sweet tea recipe is just what you need on a hot day! Actually, it’s just what you need, no matter what the temperature. You likely have everything on hand, just add some fresh strawberries to create an amazing sweet drink any time, for any occasion!

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Ingredients 

You’ll need:

For the Strawberry Simple Syrup:

• 3 cups strawberries (washed and stems removed, then sliced) 
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

For the Sweet Tea:

• 3 family-sized Lipton original tea bags (or 9 regular-sized tea bags)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 cups cold water, in a large pitcher
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges for garnish in a glass
• 6 to 8 strawberries, washed but leave stems on, with a cut on the bottom for garnish on the glass
• Ice cubes

Substitutions and Additions 

SUGAR: For a lower-calorie version of this strawberry sweet tea, you could swap the two cups of sugar for a low-calorie sweetener. Another good alternative is 1½ cups of honey, which gives an added layer of flavor.

STRAWBERRIES: If you don’t have enough strawberries, you could add some other soft fruits, such as raspberries or blackberries.

LIPTON TEA: Substitute an equal amount of your favorite brand of tea if you don’t have Lipton tea on hand.

How to Make This Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe

STEP ONE: In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and sliced strawberries. Cook over medium-high and bring to a boil.

STEP TWO: Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until strawberries are soft, and the liquid is a deep red color.

STEP THREE: Strain the strawberries using a mesh strainer into your pitcher. Press down on the strawberries gently, but make sure to not press too hard. You don’t want any strawberry chunks in your sweet tea.

STEP FOUR: While the strawberry simple syrup is cooling in the pitcher, add 3 cups of hot water to a large bowl. Place 3 family-sized tea bags into the hot water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags from the bowl and throw them away.

PRO TIP: This is where you can customize your tea by adding an extra tea bag and steeping it a little longer if you like a stronger taste, or by using one less tea bag for a lighter-colored, milder version.

STEP FIVE: Add 1 cup of sugar into the bowl with the tea and stir well.

STEP SIX: Dump the sweet tea from the bowl to the pitcher.

STEP SEVEN: Add 8 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir well.

PRO TIP: This recipe calls for a nice large pitcher or two medium-sized pitchers.

STEP EIGHT: Add the juice from 1 large lemon to your sweet tea and mix well.

STEP NINE: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or until very cold. Serve over ice and enjoy!

How To Serve 

Show off this amazing fresh southern strawberry sweet tea by garnishing your pitcher with sliced strawberries, lemons, and ice. Add a slice of lemon to the rim of each glass as garnish and serve with a straw.

If you are a fan of berries like I am, you might like our blueberry cobbler that only takes an hour to make. It’s so fresh and fruity, you’re sure to love it alongside a glass of our Southern strawberry sweet tea. For your next birthday party, serve this yummy iced tea with an easy-to-make vanilla crazy cake. It’s perfectly sweet and simple, and your guests will love it.

Storage 

IN THE FRIDGE: Strawberry iced tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours to enjoy all afternoon.

IN THE FREEZER: This drink is best served right away, and we don’t recommend freezing it.

With a few simple ingredients and some fresh strawberries, you can create an amazingly fruity drink that everyone will enjoy any time of the year.

FAQ:

Question? Can I make a smaller quantity of this Southern strawberry iced tea recipe?

Answer: Simply reduce the amount of each ingredient to make a smaller batch of sweet tea.

Question? Can I add alcohol to this strawberry sweet tea?

 Answer: To turn this sweet tea into an alcoholic cocktail, simply add a shot of your favorite liquor. Rum or vodka are great choices, and add complementary flavors that are sure to get your party started.

Question? What is the difference between sweet tea and iced tea?

Answer: Sweet tea goes by many names. It is interchangeably called ice tea, iced tea, sweet tea, or simply tea.

Print

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

Fresh strawberries and southern sweet tea combine to make this refreshing, fresh, and delicious strawberry sweet iced tea.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 14

Ingredients

Strawberry Simple Syrup

• 3 cups strawberries washed and stems removed, then sliced (should measure three cups after they are sliced)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Sweet Tea

• 3 cups boiling water
• 3 family-sized Lipton original tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 cups cold water in a large pitcher
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 lemon cut into slices or wedges for garnish in glass
• 6 to 8 strawberries washed but leave stems on, with a cut on the bottom for garnish on the glass
• ice

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and sliced strawberries. Cook over medium-high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until strawberries are soft and the liquid is a deep red color.
• Strain the strawberries using a mesh strainer into your pitcher. Press down on the strawberries gently, but make sure to not press too hard. You don’t want any strawberry chunks in your sweet tea.
• While the strawberry simple syrup is cooling in the pitcher, add 3 cups of hot water to a large bowl. Place 3 family-sized tea bags into the hot water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags from the bowl and throw them away.
• Add 1 cup of sugar into the bowl with the tea and stir well.
• Dump the sweet tea from the bowl to the pitcher.
• Add 8 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir well.
• Add the juice from 1 large lemon to your sweet tea and mix well.
• Cover the pitcher and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or until very cold. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe uses 20-ounces of strawberries. You’ll want three cups of sliced strawberries plus 6 to 8 strawberries for garnish.

For the most intense strawberry flavor, this recipe works best with very ripe strawberries. While you can enjoy it all year round, strawberry iced tea is tastiest in the summer when strawberries are in season and at their juiciest.

This recipe makes quite a lot of tea, so you’ll need either a very large pitcher or two medium-sized ones. If you’re not having a party and just want to make a drink to enjoy yourself at home, we suggest using smaller quantities of all the ingredients.

You can adjust the number of tea bags to vary the strength of your tea. For a stronger tea, add an extra tea bag and steep for an extra five minutes. For a lighter-colored tea, use only two tea bags and add extra water.

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