Rice Free Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Few drinks capture the spirit of a long, lazy afternoon quite like a tall glass of sweet iced tea. This classic Southern staple is made with just three pantry staples — water, black tea bags, and sugar — so it's naturally free of grains, fillers, and anything that doesn't belong in your glass. The method is straightforward: steep, sweeten while hot so the sugar dissolves completely, then dilute and chill until you're ready to pour. Skipping the step of squeezing the tea bags is a small but important detail that keeps the flavor smooth and mellow rather than bitter. A generous pour over ice, a few lemon slices, and a sprig of fresh mint turn this into something that feels genuinely special with almost zero effort. It's the kind of drink that disappears fast at gatherings, so you may want to double the batch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 8 cup water
- 6 black tea bags (family-size or regular)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a full boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags without squeezing them — squeezing releases bitter tannins.
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