Thai Tea Lemonade (Cha Ma Nao) is an iced refreshing lemonade to beat the summer heat! Sweet and tangy, this traditional and easy to make recipe asks for only 3 ingredients and can be ready in less than 5 minutes.
a glass mug of thai lime tea with a lime garnish / --
Wanting more refreshing and easy ideas? I have a delicious collection of unique tea lemonades for you: Earl Grey Lemonade is my readers’ all time favorite! Blueberry Lavender Lemonade is a delicious and fancy-looking mocktail that screams summer.
Ingredients
Thai Lime Iced Tea is quick and easy to make: just make sure to have enough ice, and it can be done in 5 minutes! It’s always a huge hit at BBQs, and you can easily make an adult version spiking some of your favorite hard liquor.
Thai Tea Mix. I usually go with the Number One brand, but Pantai thai tea mix is also pretty popular. They both have orange coloring to give the tea its traditional color after brewed.
Limes. If you’re ordering this drink outside the US, you might hear thai "lemon" tea instead of "lime". But the authentic version is made with limes instead of lemons. Key limes are tangier and give a stronger taste to the beverage, but you can make this limeade with lemons and still get a delicious drink.
Prefer to use fresh lime juice for this recipe, as store-bought might give this beverage an artificial flavor.
How to make it
Let’s find out how to make lime thai tea in an easy, foolproof way.
Step 01. Add 3 tablespoons of Thai Tea to 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 5 minutes, then pour tea through a fine mesh strain.
Step 02. Juice about 2 limes. You’ll need ¼ of a cup for this recipe.
Step 03. In a pitcher, add ice, water, lime juice and sugar. Pour the tea over the limeade. Stir to mix.
Step 04. Serve on a glass half filled with ice.
Expert Tips
When using a strain to remove the tea after steeping, some fine particles of tea can go through the mesh. While this is totally ok, if you’re aiming for a clearer version, use a cloth or coffee filter to strain the tea off.
If you want a homemade version with no food coloring, or if you can’t find Thai tea where you live, mix black tea with a pinch of ground cloves, star anise and cardamom. You can also add a drop of vanilla extract to get a flavor similar to the Number One brand.
During the hottest days of summer, to avoid a watery thai lemonade, you can serve this drink over a mix of thai tea ice cubes and lemonade ice cubes (or use ice cubes made using this thai lime iced tea recipe!).
Questions you might have
Thai iced tea is a very sweet and creamy drink, made with thai tea and sweetened condensed milk, while Thai tea limeade combines fresh lime juice with Thai tea and sugar, creating a sweet and sour beverage. Both drinks are made using the same Thai tea mix as their base.
It tastes like black tea and spices. Thai tea is a mix made of black tea and spices, usually cloves, star anise and cardamom. Some brands like Number One add a hint of vanilla to its mix.
No. Thai tea is a mix of black tea and spices, usually cardamom, cloves and star anise.
Yes, you can make Thai Tea Lemonade with lemons instead of key limes.
Storing
You can make this recipe ahead and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also make tea ice cubes with this recipe.
Have you tried this Thai Tea Lemonade? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!
📖 Recipe
Thai Tea Lemonade (Thai Lime Iced Tea)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Thai tea leaves
- 1 cup water boiling
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 cup water cold
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons of Thai Tea to 1 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
- While the tea is steeping, juice about 2 limes. You’ll need ¼ of a cup for this recipe.
- Pour tea through a fine mesh strain.
- In a pitcher, add ice, water, lime juice and sugar.
- Pour the hot tea over the limeade. Stir to mix.
- Serve on a glass half filled with ice.
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