Name: Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 3 cups strawberries, (washed and stems removed then sliced (should measure three cups after they are sliced)); 2 cups water; 1 cup sugar; 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

Two tall glasses of strawberry sweet tea with garnishes of fresh lemon and strawberries, surrounded by ingredients.

Juicy strawberries, a bit of sugar, and some lemons—along with just a few simple steps—make this Southern strawberry sweet tea an easy summer favorite.

Jump to Recipe

Prep Time30

Total Time2 30

Servings

If you’ve never had homemade sweet tea with real strawberry syrup, oh, you are in for something special. This isn’t just tea with fruit floating in it—it’s brewed and sweetened properly and then finished with a gorgeous homemade syrup that turns every sip into something downright addictive.

Close-up of a mason jar filled with strawberry sweet tea and lemon, with text overlay “Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea.”

📌 Pin this recipe now so you don’t forget! 📌
Try pinning it to these boards:
— “Southern Recipes”
— “Easy Summer Drinks”

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea Ingredients

Flat lay of sweet tea ingredients including lemons, strawberries, sugar, tea bags, ice, and a pitcher of water.

For The Strawberry Simple Syrup:

3 cups of strawberries – use fresh for the most intense strawberry flavor
2 cups of water
1 cup of sugar

For The Sweet Tea:

3 cups of boiling water
3 family-sized Lipton original tea bags – or 9 regular-sized tea bags
1 cup of sugar
8 cups of cold water
2 lemons
Ice cubes
8 additional strawberries for garnish

Ingredient Variations

Can I use frozen strawberries? – Absolutely. Just thaw them first so they release their juices more easily.

Can I skip the lemon? – You could, but it really helps balance the sweetness. Even just a splash makes a difference.

Can I use regular tea bags? – Yes. A family-sized tea bag equals three regular tea bags. This recipe would use 9 regular-sized bags.

Can I spike it? – For sure. A splash of vodka or bourbon will turn this into an amazing summer cocktail.

How To Make This Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe

This recipe makes enough sweet tea to fill a very large pitcher or two medium-sized ones.

How to Make It

1. Make the Strawberry Syrup 🍓
Simmer sliced strawberries with water and sugar for 30 minutes until the liquid turns ruby red and the berries are very soft. Strain the mixture into a large pitcher using a fine mesh sieve—press gently to extract the syrup, but don’t push so hard you end up with pulp in your tea. Cool completely.

2. Brew the Tea ☕
Pour 3 cups of boiling water into a bowl and add your tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes—no more, no less—then discard the bags. Stir in the sugar while the tea is still hot to fully dissolve it.

Step-by-step collage showing how to make strawberry syrup, brew tea, and combine ingredients for sweet tea.

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.

3. Combine It All
Pour the sweetened tea into the pitcher with the cooled strawberry syrup. Add 8 cups of cold water and fresh lemon juice. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate until cold (two to three hours).

4. Serve and Store 🍋
Serve over ice with a lemon slice and a whole strawberry perched on the rim of each glass. It’s pretty, playful, and the ultimate Southern touch.

💡 Make it ahead – It actually tastes better the next day, once the flavors settle and blend. Store in a sealed pitcher in the fridge for up to five days. Stir before serving if it’s been sitting, as the syrup can settle a bit.

Overhead view of a glass pitcher filled with strawberry sweet tea, lemon slices, and strawberries.

More Sweet Tea Recipes

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

5 from 6 votes

Juicy strawberries, a bit of sugar, and some lemons—along with just a few simple steps—make this Southern strawberry sweet tea an easy summer favorite.

Prep Time 30

Total Time 2 30

Servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

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!

Video

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.

Nutrition

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Sian Cox Photographer
Amy Tandiko Graphic Designer
Ina Chong

Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea