This easy, homemade Thai Iced Tea recipe allows you to have the taste of Thailand in your home and makes a delicious drink to accompany any Thai dish.
I can’t keep myself from ordering Thai Iced Tea (also known as Cha Yen) when I eat at Thai restaurants, so I decided to learn how to make Thai tea at home!
Luckily, Thai Iced Tea mix is easy to find in any Asian-import grocery store, but can also be ordered online. I buy this brand.
A bag that size will make many, many large batches of Thai ice tea so it’s definitely worth the small investment. Once you have your Thai tea mix, you just need water, ice, sugar, cream, and a way to brew it.
I prefer to use my French press to make this Thai tea recipe because it comes out of the package “loose leaf.” You could also use a cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer, or coffee filter to strain out the solids once the tea has brewed. 
My French Press has a frame which is not made out of metal, meaning I can fill it with water and put it (minus the metal plunger) in the microwave to heat up the water. Seriously, taking out the step of heating the water separately and pouring it in has changed my mornings forever.
It holds 8 cups of water, so I typically use 4 tablespoons of the Thai Iced Tea mix to brew mine to my liking. You can absolutely use more more less depending on how strongly you take your tea.
How to Make Thai Iced Tea
Simply fill your press with water, add in 4 tablespoons of sugar, then heat in the microwave until boiling.
Stir to make sure the sugar has dissolved, then add in the Thai Iced Tea mix.
Let it set for about 10 minutes or so, then stir with a wooden spoon and press down the plunger to separate the solids from the liquids.
Place your French press directly into the fridge and let it cool.
When you are ready for some tea, just pour it directly over ice and then splash in some half-and-half to achieve that creamy taste and beautiful look that Thai Iced Tea is famous for.
Thai Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 c. water
- 4 Tbsp. white sugar
- 4 Tbsp. Thai Iced Tea Mix
- Ice
- 1 to 1 1/2 c. half-and-half
Instructions
- Heat the water and sugar until boiling in a microwave-safe French press or liquid measuring cup. Stir the water to ensure the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the Thai Iced Tea mix and let sit for 10 minutes to steep.
- Plunge down the strainer if using a French press, or strain the solids out of the tea by using a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter.
- Chill in fridge for 1 hour or until cold.
- To serve, pour 8 oz. (1 c.) of tea into a tall glass over ice. Top with a slash of half-and-half. Drink immediately.
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Please note that this recipe is often misspelled as: Tai tea recipe, Tai iced tea recipe, Tai ice tea recipe, Thia iced tea recipe, Thia tea recipe, and Thia ice tea recipe.
I ordered the recommended Thai tea mix. I thought maybe it had other ingredients other than tea, like masala Indian tea, but it is all tea with a LOT of yellow dye. So must use a straw or your lips will turn orange! It will stain everything so care must be taken. It has a warning on the package that the yellow dye may effect children’s behavior. Crazy!
Hi Sherri,
Almost all Thai tea mixes contain yellow food coloring.
However, I had not noticed that warning before.
Thanks for letting me know.
I did find an all natural brand (with no food coloring) that I just ordered to check it out and have switched out the recommendation on the article to this one as it has great reviews on Amazon.
Here is the link if you want to try it next: https://amzn.to/2wruc1c
-Linda