Chick fil A Sweet Tea Recipe Copycat

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Chick-fil-A sweet tea recipe consists of three main ingredients of black tea, water and sugar. To make this recipe we’ll use a simple syrup to make the tea perfectly delicious. And if you’ve had the real deal at your local Chick-fil-A, you’ll know just how delicious this is and we think you’ll be quite pleased.

chick fil a sweet tea recipe copy
Chick fil A Sweet Tea Recipe. Photo by CookThink.

This Copycat Chick-fil-A Sweet Iced Tea Recipe Tastes Like the Real Thing

Our copycat recipe is quite straightforward and tastes like the real deal. It’s easy to make and can be ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Southern Sweet Tea

If you’re from the south, you’ll likely know the importance of having sweet tea on hand. And this recipe is a good one. We’ve also included a few recipe variations that include different flavorings below.

This southern specialty with international roots remains unchanged

When Chick-fil-A first started offering sweet tea and iced teas on their menu, they knew that they wanted their tea to be proprietary and so delicious but unable to be found anywhere else. And that’s exactly what happened.

The Story Behind Chick-fil-A Iced Tea

Tetley is where the tea originated and its blend has remained unchanged for more than three decades, since its origination. And the smart thing for Chick-fil-A is that it’s only served in their restaurants.

Homemade Southern Sweet Tea

Our immediate family is not from the south, but I remember my grandma, who was a farmer’s wife, making homemade southern sweet tea quite regularly in the summer. In the summertime she would place her gallon jar of tea and steeping tea bags with water on the south side of the house for a bit so that it would catch the sunlight. She thought that helped to make it the best. Those are wonderfully fond memories.

Why Add The Baking Soda?

Some sweet tea recipes call for adding a pinch of baking soda. And we recommend doing that if you’re not fond of the bitterness that comes with black tea. The addition of a bit of baking soda takes the bitterness right out of the tea if you soak it for too long or it turns tart after a day.

Ingredients Needed: (Full Recipe at the Bottom of the Post)

To make our copycat Chick-fil-a sweet tea recipe, you’ll need the following items:
2 Lipton Family Size Tea Bags
4 cups hot not boiling water
Simple syrup ¾ cup of water + ¾ cup sugar
Sliced lemon for garnish

Southern Sweet Tea With a Secret Ingredient

Southern sweet tea can be made with a secret ingredient. That ingredient is baking soda. Using a pinch of baking soda or a little more can make your sweet tea just plain sweet. It helps to remove the bitterness.

chick fil a sweet tea with lemon
Chick fil A Sweet Tea Recipe. Photo by CookThink.

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making the Best Southern Sweet Tea

We are glad to have found out about the secret sweet tea ingredient of baking soda. I have to admit I haven’t always appreciate the flavor of straight black tea because of the bitterness aspect. But using baking soda does make a difference that is noticeable and much more enjoyable. 

Perfect Southern Sweet Iced Tea (Never Bitter)

We hope that you too appreciate knowing about the Perfect Southern Sweet Iced Tea and the addition of baking soda so that it’s never bitter. The use of the baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity which causes the bitterness and completely removes it, making it sweet and delicious.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Store Chick fil a sweet tea recipe?
Sweet tea is best kept in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator.

How Long Does it Last?
Chick fil A sweet tea recipe can last for about a week if kept in the refrigerator. It should not be left out at room temperature for a long length of time.

Can You Freeze Chick fil A sweet tea?
Sweet tea can be frozen in an airtight container or a zipped freezer bag for up to three months.

Pro Tips: Important Steps In Making Iced Tea

When making iced tea, there are some important tips that you’ll want to take note of aiding in the success of the outcome of your most delicious tea:

Always double the amount of tea as compared with hot tea. Iced tea is different than hot tea and will come out best when doubled.  

Add sugar at the same time as the tea bags or use a simple syrup. You’ll want to make sure the sugar is suspended rather than just sitting on the bottom of the pitcher.

Pour over ice when the tea finishes steeping and let cool.

For a stronger brew add more tea instead of steeping longer. Steeping longer can cause the tea to become more bitter.

Three Decades, One Blend: The Story Behind Chick-fil-A Iced Tea

If you ask Chick-fil-A about their famous Iced Tea, the response you’ll likely get is that it was before the time of the current employees. It is a fact that the tea blend that is used is proprietary for Chick-fil-A. It is made by Tetley and the blend has remained unchanged since the beginning and is served only in Chick-fil-A restaurants.

chick fil a sweet tea recipe
Chick fil A Sweet Tea Recipe. Photo by CookThink.

Caffeine by Cup Size

small 47mg
medium 62mg
large 85mg

Ingredients in Chick-fil-A Iced Tea

To make Chick-fil-A Iced Tea, you’ll need black brewed tea, water and sugar. There are approximately 30 g of sugar for 16 oz of sweetened black tea.

Caffeine Content Compared to Other Items

Chick-fil-A iced tea has slightly more caffeine than Coca Cola Classic pop and slightly less than Red Bull. It has significantly less caffeine than Monster Energy, Starbucks Triple Shot Energy, and Bang Energy drinks.

Welcome, Sunjoy! Popular Off-Menu Beverage of Sweet Tea and Lemonade Joins Chick-fil-A’s Official Menu

Sweet tea and lemonade have both become quite popular items on Chick-fil-A’s menu. They’re delicious and if you’ve been to Chick-fil-A and you haven’t tried them, you’re probably going to want to at some point. And then we expect you’re going to want to figure out how to make them at home so that you can enjoy them again and again for a fraction of the cost.

Chick-fil-A Medium Unsweetened Iced Tea Nutrition Facts

The unsweetened iced tea from Chick-fil-A is quite healthy. In fact, the nutrition facts are quite boring.  Following is the data based on the ingredients for a medium unsweetened iced tea from Chick-fil-A:

Calories 0
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 10mg
Total Carbohydrates 0g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g Protein 0g

How Much Caffeine in Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea?

Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea, whether homemade or purchased from the restaurant, has about 55mg of caffeine in a cup of tea.  

Does Chick-fil-A Lemonade Have High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Chick-fil-A’s diet lemonade is a good alternative for anyone that wants to spare themselves from calories from soft drinks that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, but still enjoy something that tastes sweet.

Who Has the Best Sweet Tea?

There are several popular fast-food chains and grocery store brands that serve sweet tea. In your opinion, which one has the best? Of course, we’re partial to Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A
McDonald’s
Wendy’s
Burger King
Publix
Zaxby’s
Bojangle’s
Milo’s
Sweet Leaf
Tim Horton’s
Krispy Crème
Starbucks

Is Sweet Tea Bad For Your Kidneys?

Research shows that iced tea has oxalic acid, when consumed in excess can create deposits in your kidneys and those can muck up the work of removing waste from the blood.

Is Drinking Sweet Tea Everyday Bad for You?

Moderate intake of regular tea can be healthy for most, but consuming too much could lead to negative side effects.  Most people can drink 3-4 cups of tea daily without adverse effects, but some can even experience side effects at lower doses. If you’re someone who is sensitive to caffeine, be careful about drinking too much tea with caffeine.  

Which is better Sweet Tea or Unsweet Tea?

Which one tastes better is a matter of personal preference. Do you like sweet tea or do you prefer it unsweetened? The one that is healthier for you to consume is unsweet tea. Sugar or sweetener adds calories and sugars that makes it not as healthy as it would be to drink it without the sweetener. But if you’re asking us, we prefer sweet tea.

How To Make Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea | Copycat Recipe

To make Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea, you’ll need tea bags, water and sugar. We also like to add sliced lemon for a garnish. First, we’ll make the simple syrup which is what is used to sweeten the tea, then we’ll make the tea and mix them both together.

Ingredients

2 Lipton Family Size Tea Bags
4 cups hot not boiling water
Simple syrup ¾ cup of water + ¾ cup sugar
Sliced lemon for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix ¾ cups sugar with ¾ cups water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until dissolved.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, which will suspend the sugar. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

For Sweet Tea:
1. Heat 4 cups of water in a saucepan until it is hot, but not boiling.
2. Pour the water over the tea bags and let them steep for 15 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags and add simple syrup. Mix well. Add baking soda if desired.
4. Chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice. If desired, more water can be added to the mixture to dilute the flavor.

Alternative Recipe Variations

Peach Iced Tea

Peach iced tea is another form of sweet tea that is deliciously flavored with peaches. If you love peaches and tea, you’re probably going to love peach iced tea. It’s so refreshing and delicious to enjoy.

The Perfect Easy Peach Tea Recipe:

Below, we’ve included a recipe for you to try if you like flavored teas and want to give it a try. You can use fresh or frozen peaches to make this wonderful peach sweet, iced tea.

Can I Use Frozen Peaches?

Yes, fresh or frozen peaches will both work fine for this recipe. If you’re using frozen peaches, you’ll want to thaw them out ahead of time for the best results. Peaches can be thawed either in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.

How Much Sugar Is In Peach Tea Recipe?

There is one cup of sugar in this peach tea recipe. But if your diet requires you to eat sugar free, you can simply use a sugar substitute or artificial sweeter in place of the sugar.

You are going to love this Sweet Peach Tea!

Sweet Peach iced tea is a great, refreshing drink for summertime or anytime. We love fresh peaches when they’re in season and this makes a great flavor combination.

Is Peach Tea Good for You?

Peach tea can be good for you if consumed in reasonable amounts just like anything else.

How To Make Peach Iced Tea:

To make peach iced tea, you’ll need 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2-3 sliced fresh peaches, 3 tea bags, 6 cups water. First, mash the peaches into as fine of a mash as you can create, mix with sugar. Then, add the water and heat it to almost a boil. Add the tea bags, remove from heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. Drain the peaches and the tea bags. Cool, serve and enjoy!

Copycat Chick-fil-A Mango Passion Tea

To make Chick-fil-A Mango Passion Tea you’ll need ½ cup freshly brewed black tea, ¼ cup homemade lemonade, ½ cup Welch’s passionfruit juice, ½ cup Goya mango nectar

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chick fil a sweet tea recipe pinterest pin

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Sarah
Sarah is known for her extra fancy yeast breads, melt in your mouth pies, and everything salads. She has won awards as a home cook, and is passionate about helping others feel smarter in the kitchen. Sarah is the cooking genius of the sister duo.

4 thoughts on “Chick fil A Sweet Tea Recipe Copycat”

    • 4 regular sized tea bags usually equal about 1 family sized tea bag, so you will want to use 8 regular sized tea bags, in place of the two family sized tea bags. 🙂

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