An easy way to make ginger tea with lemon and honey to warm up during the chillier months. See how quickly this hot herbal drink comes together using a couple of shortcuts.
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Ginger Tea from Scratch
Ginger tea made from scratch may seem daunting, but it’s actually super simple.
- Fresh ginger tea made from scratch is a whole lot better than ginger tea from a tea bag.
- The secret to making fresh ginger tea quick and easy is by grating fresh ginger. With this trick, tea is steeped and ready to drink in just 5 minutes!
- A little lemon (for vitamin C) and honey (to soothe the throat and to sweeten) makes it tasty.
Looking for more hot herbal tea recipes? Try Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea, Honey Citron Tea, and Hibiscus Tea.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh ginger
Find ginger root in the produce section of your supermarket. Look for firm pieces that look plump and don’t get ones that look shriveled. You can break off as much as you need from a bigger piece when you buy. - Lemon
Sliced lemons or lemon juice both work. - Honey
Use any kind of honey you have available. - Filtered water
Tea is mostly made of water so use better water.
Steps to Make Ginger Tea
For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to see the recipe.
- Boil water.
Making tea is easier when you use an electric kettle with temperature setting to boil water. - Peel and grate ginger.
Grate ginger straight into the teapot. - Slice half a lemon.
- Add lemon slices and honey into the teapot and steep.
You can add the honey after the steep if you prefer. - Strain solids and pour hot tea into a teacup.
Notes & Tips
- Instead of sliced lemons, you can also use the juice from half a lemon.
- If lemon is too acidic, try Meyer lemons which are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.
- In the summer, make the drink iced and top it with some sparkling water for a zingy and refreshing drink.
- Add as much or little ginger as you like. For two cups of water, I’m using an inch of ginger root. I like the flavor to be strong but if you want a milder taste, use less ginger root.
Questions You May Have
There’s no caffeine at all in ginger tea. You can drink it all day without worrying about it keeping you up at night.
You can grate ginger ahead of time and freeze it. Store it in a resealable plastic bag, flattening it before freezing. When you need some grated ginger, snap off a piece.
Yes!
There are claims that you destroy the good enzymes in honey if you add it to boiling hot water. If you’re worried about this, add the honey to your teacup after the tea has steeped and poured.
Avoid buying fresh ginger root that’s shriveled and dry. Look for plump and firmness. It’s sold by weight don’t be afraid to break off a piece of the freshest ginger root you see in the pile if it’s too big.
More Herbal Tea Recipes
- Citron Tea from Scratch
- Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea
- Herbal Medicinal Tea
- How to Make Hibiscus Tea Properly
- 15 Herbal Tea Recipes
Quick & Easy Ginger Tea from Scratch
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups water
- ½ lemon thinly sliced
- 1 inch fresh ginger root
- 1 tablespoon honey
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil water.Use filtered water for the best quality ginger tea. I like to set my electric kettle with a temperature setting to 208°F. If you’re boiling water on the stovetop, let the water get to a boil.
- Peel and grate ginger.Peel one inch piece of fresh ginger root and grate into a teapot with a strainer or an infuser.
- Slice half a lemon.Thinly slice half a lemon. No need to take out the seeds since the tea filter or infuser from the teapot will make sure the seeds don't get into your tea. Add the lemon slices into the teapot. Make sure to wash the lemon well since the rind will steep with the tea.
- Add honey.You can add the honey after the steep if you prefer.
- Strain solids and pour hot tea into a teacup.
Hi can you eat the grated ginger instead of straining it.?
Hi Angie, yes!
Great Recipe. The only thing I wouldn’t do is put the honey straight with the boiling water as it will kill all the benefits that comes with the honey.
what can i do with the strained ginger and lemon slices. there has to be use for it, i’d feel bad throwing it away!
Hi Arias, you can leave the ginger in the drink instead of straining it out.
Lovely drink, when it’s cold can I heat it up later
Hi Jan, yup, you can.
Can I put Juice of half a lemon grated ginger and honey in a cup with boiling water and drink it
Hi Ann, yes!
What quantity should be taken per day
Hi Bright, I drink a cup or two a day when I’m feeling sick otherwise a cup of day should be fine.
Can you make this and refrigerate to drink cold as well?
Hi Amanda, yes!
Where did you get your cup and strainer? It looks so pretty!
Hi Linda, the cup is from CB2 and the glass teapot and strainer is from Amazon — you’ll see it linked in the post!
Grating ginger for a fast brew – brilliant! Thanks!
FYI, I took it another step to be even faster…
Grating takes what ever time it takes. But rather that grate the ginger each time, I now grate a bunch – usually the whole root, and freeze. I put a healthy tablespoon in each cube of an ice cube tray, fill each gently with water, and freeze.
Once they are frozen, I take them out of the tray and store in a freezer-proof canning jar in the freezer. Yes, all this takes a little time, but after that…
When I want a cup of tea, I just take out a cube, put it in a tea ball in my cup, pour in boiling water, and let it steep just as you would any other kind of tea. (I have a big tea ball – I’m not sure if the ice/ginger cube would fit in a small tea ball.) Two ice/ginger cubes in a french press work just as well if I’m making a couple cups.
It’s a little more work up front for many super fast cups of ginger tea later.
Is it okay to leave the ginger in and nibble on it as one drinks the tea?
Hi Sandy, actually nibbling on the ginger would be even better!
Can you use powdered ginger?
Hi Pamela, you can use powered ginger but it won’t be as potent.
Thanks for this simple, beautiful, quick suggestion for tea. I needed it tonight! Delicious!
Hi Beth, glad you made it!
I’ve read in many places that it’s unhealthy to add boiling water to honey, but in your recipe you suggest to do this. Would it be better to add the honey to the filtered tea once it’s cooled down a bit?
Hi Curtis, I haven’t heard of this, but yes, add the honey after the steep if you want to avoid adding honey to boiling water.
This was perfect, thank you for sharing!
Always looking for teas made with herbs
Thanks for the info on the recipe for ginger honey tea!!! I really appreciate it very much!!!
Would placing small slices in juicer be more effective than grating? I could just pour juice in boiling hot water and add lemon and honey? Agree or not?
Hi Michael, you can certainly juice the ginger and add the ginger juice into hot water.
Hi can i use pre crushed ginger instead?
It won’t be as potent as freshly grated ginger but if it’s all you have on hand, go for it!