Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea Easy Copycat Recipe
That first sip of ice-cold Chick-fil-A sweet tea next to a chicken sandwich is hard to forget. This easy copycat makes a full gallon of smooth, sweet black tea using family-size tea bags and just two cups of sugar. Steep the tea for only about four minutes to keep it bright and free of bitterness, so every glass tastes clean and refreshing. It takes about 15 minutes of work, serves a crowd of around 16, and chills in the pitcher until you are ready for a glass.
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Chick-fil-A sweet tea is a classic Southern-style iced tea, brewed strong, sweetened while it is still hot, and then diluted with cold water for a smooth, mellow flavor. This copycat recipe makes a full gallon, so it is ideal for gatherings, meal prep, or keeping a pitcher ready in the refrigerator all week.
The recipe has only three ingredients and one pot. The key is in the timing, since a short steep and a measured amount of sugar give you a tea that is sweet without tasting heavy or bitter.
What Makes Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea So Good?
Chick-fil-A is one of the best places to go whenever you’re hankering for a delicious chicken sandwich. But you won’t find one of the most popular official menu items served between two pieces of bread! That is because it is the chain’s legendary Sweet Tea.
Made with high-quality ingredients, Chick-fil-A sweet tea is a must-have every time you visit, but even if you can’t make it to the restaurant, you can now enjoy the same authentic sweet tea at home with this recipe.
Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea Ingredients
To make the best sweet tea Chick-fil-A style, you’ll need:
- Water – Brews the tea when hot and dilutes it to the right strength when cold.
- Family-size tea bags – Provide the strong, smooth black tea base.
- Sugar – Sweetens the tea and dissolves completely into the hot tea.
Ingredient Notes
- We tested the original recipe with Tetley family-size iced tea bags. Luzianne or Lipton family-size bags work as well.
Popular alternatives to Tetley that come in family-sized bags are Luzianne Iced Tea and Lipton Family Size Tea Bags.
To make unsweet tea, omit the sugar.
How To Make Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea
To prepare this Chick-fil-A sweet tea gallon recipe:
- Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot with at least a 6-quart capacity.
- Turn off the heat and wait about 30 seconds before adding four family-sized tea bags directly into the pot.
- Allow the tea to steep for about four minutes. You can brew longer if you prefer a more robust tea. However, the longer you brew, the higher the chance the tea will become bitter. It is best never to brew longer than 7 minutes.
- Discard the tea bags.
- Add two cups of sugar and stir until the sugar completely dissolves.
- Add 8 cups of cold water to the pot and stir.
- Let the sweet tea cool without a lid. Once the sweet tea reaches room temperature, pour it into a glass pitcher.
- Chill the pitcher in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea Lemonade
To make a sweet tea lemonade, combine half sweet tea and half lemonade in a glass or pitcher. Serve over ice and enjoy!
- Use fresh-squeezed lemonade for the best flavor.
- Make it sugar-free: Use diet lemonade and tea sweetened with an artificial sweetener.
What To Serve With Sweet Tea
Although many people consider sweet tea the perfect beverage for sipping with Southern classics like fried chicken or baby back ribs, it is more versatile than that. You can enjoy Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea with any lunch or dinner; it is an ideal drink for cooling off in the middle of the afternoon.
The best way to serve sweet tea is in a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and lemon slices or lemon wedges.
How To Store Sweet Tea
Always put Chick-fil-A sweet iced tea in the fridge to keep it fresh for longer.
How Long Does Sweet Tea Last
When you store sweet tea in the fridge, it can last up to five days in a pitcher with a lid. However, if you put it in an open container, you should finish it within 24 hours for the best taste.
Does Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea Have Caffeine?
Yes, Chick-Fil-A sweet tea contains caffeine, 3.88mg per fluid ounce. A cup (8 fluid ounces) contains 31mg of caffeine.
Another great thing about this copycat recipe is that you can make it at home using decaffeinated tea bags for caffeine-free tea. You’ll make the best Chick-fil-A iced tea for you and your guests.
Additional nutrition information is in the recipe card below.
More Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets Recipe
- Chick-fil-A Lemonade Recipe
- Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Chick-fil-A Sauce Recipe
Popular Iced Drink Recipes
- Cherry Limeade
- DIY Cold Brew Coffee
- Hibiscus Berry Tea
- Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
- Iced Cake Batter Latte
- Iced Vanilla Latte
- Peach Iced Tea
- Pink Drink at Starbucks
- Sonic Ocean Water
Check out more of my easy drink recipes and the best copycat Chick Fil A recipes here on Copycat!
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Chick-fil-A Sweet Tea
Ingredients
- 16 cups water divided use
- 4 family-size bags Tetley iced tea blend
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Turn off the heat, add the tea bags to the water, and let steep for 4 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags.
- Add 2 cups of sugar, and stir until dissolved.
- Add the remaining 8 cups of water, and stir.
Perfect sweet tea
This is good. I used 16 Lipton black teabags. Instead of sugar, I used 2 teaspoons of pure organic Stevia powder and the color and sweetness seems to be right on with Chick-fil-A.
Best tea in alamance county!!!!
This is almost my exact recipe except when the tea comes to a boil add 1/4 tsp of Baking soda. Then let steep. Pour the hot tea over the sugar- stir- then add cold water to make a gallon! Sometimes i use 2 1/2 cups of sugar