A delicious fruity drink; this Blood Orange Iced Tea is PERFECTLY flavorful.
It only takes under 30 minutes to make and is everyone's favorite!
Iced tea, a blend of strong brewed tea with citrus or stone fruit is popular in the restaurants of India. Over all the years of living there, I have enjoyed it at numerous restaurants and at home.
Summers where I grew up were super warm. Moreover, being close to the sea; Mumbai has a lot of humidity and summers are perfect to enjoy glasses of chilled drinks.
As kids we enjoyed Iced teas, juices, lemonade and chilled flavored milk. There were also some delicious milkshakes, buttermilk, thandai and lassis.
From all the various drinks I have had, Iced tea is super close to my heart. Orange, Peach and now Blood Orange are my picks when I have it.
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What is Blood Orange Iced Tea?
Iced tea is essentially a mix of tea with a sweetener, ice cubes and water. Mixing in citrus juice elevates the taste and flavor to a new high.
Blood oranges are seasonal, super flavorful and delicious. Adding them to my Iced tea has been a favorite since I tried them the first time.
The juice of Blood Oranges is thicker than regular oranges and they tend to be super sweet in peak season. That is when I add the blood orange juice without any sugar to my tea.
Why this recipe works
- This Iced Tea is super easy to make and needs only a handful of ingredients. You can make it as a big batch or make it by the glass.
- Plus, it is easy to customize to include any citrus fruit or stone fruit. I have made and loved cherry, peach, apricot and orange iced tea each summer.
- Can easily be a great drink to enjoy throughout the year. Not just summer, this drink is awesome for Spring and Fall too. And I love making it with oranges for Fall. It is such a refreshing drink with Halloween and Thanksgiving meals!
- This drink is easy to modify for everyone; include sugar or leave it out, add a single citrus or include them all; the choice is yours!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Black Tea: Good quality tea makes the best Iced tea. Pick a strong black tea so it remains great even when watered down with ice and brewing water. Green tea and jasmine tea work well too. I usually use 2 bags per 12 oz glass of iced tea. Feel free to change the number of bags based on how strong you like the tea.
- Blood Oranges: These add a citrus flavor and a deep color to the tea. I LOVE to use them as long as I can find them. When not in season, replace with your favorite citrus. Juice them and use immediately. This juicer comes really handy to extract any citrus juice. I like to place a couple of slices in the drink too. This is optional but works really well.
- Sweetener: An optional ingredient to make the tea sweet. Often the oranges are super sour and if you happen to get a batch like that, use a sweetener of choice. Sugar, honey, jaggery or maple syrup are perfect to sweeten this blood orange iced tea.
- Water: Hot water is necessary to steep the tea. I often steep the tea in hot water and add cold water to it once the tea steeps. Then it can be poured directly onto the ice.
- Mint: An optional ingredient, mint adds a lot of oomph and beauty to the otherwise brown tea. It is great for freshness, plus I love to add a sprig or two. However, if you do not have access to it, leave it out! Rosemary sprig is an option too. It add a lot of freshness to the drink.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- In hot water add sugar (if using) and place 4 black tea bags.
2- Let them steep for 10-12 minutes. Then remove the bags and set aside.
3- In a glass add ice.
4- Then add the juice of one blood orange to the glass.
5- Pour the tea over the ice and add water as needed as well as place a couple of slices of blood orange and a sprig of mint.
6- Then mix well to combine and serve the tea immediately.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Start with a strong tea in the recipe because it does get watered down with all the ice and regular water.
- The tea can be made with any citrus fruit like oranges, grapefruit or lemon, plus with stone fruits like peach and apricots!
- In order to make a big batch, juice the oranges and make the tea and sugar mixture; then mix them as you serve with water.
- If using a sweetener in the recipe; sugar, jaggery, honey or maple syrup will work well.
Recipe FAQs
Iced Tea is a form of cold tea generally enjoyed without milk. It is a blend of steeped tea, ice, an optional sweetener and an optional fruit juice. These come together to make a delicious drink for any meal or snack.
Blood Orange (or Raspberry Orange) is a type of citrus with crimson or near blood colored flesh. These are seasonal and appear mostly between December and March in California.
Yes certainly. I sometimes make the juice and steep the tea before hand. When ready to serve, just pour the mix over ice and serve. It can also be stored in a pitcher with glasses and ice on the side.
More Drink recipes to try
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Blood Orange Iced Tea
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bags Black Tea
- 2 Blood Oranges (juiced)
- 2 teaspoon Sugar (if using)
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 1 Blood Orange Sliced (to top)
- 2-3 sprigs mint (to top)
Instructions
- In hot water add sugar (if using) and place 4 black tea bags.
- Let them steep for 10-12 minutes. Remove the bags and set aside.
- In a glass add ice.
- Add the juice of one blood orange to the glass.
- Pour the tea over the ice and add water as needed. Place a couple of slices of blood orange and a sprig of mint.
- Mix well and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Start with a strong tea in the recipe because it does get watered down with all the ice and regular water.
- The tea can be made with any citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit or lemon, plus with stone fruits like peach and apricots!
- In order to make a big batch, juice the oranges and make the tea and sugar mixture; then mix them as you serve with water.
- If using a sweetener in the recipe; sugar, jaggery, honey or maple syrup will work well.
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