McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!)

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McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ is famous for a reason: its tea is strong, sweet, and cold – as sweet tea should be! Next time you’re craving a glass of McAlisters Deli Tea, save yourself the drive and make your own with this easy copycat recipe! You just need 3 ingredients (+ water!)

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What Kind of Tea Does McAlister’s Deli Use?

According to their website, McAlister’s Deli uses high-quality black tea leaves to make its McAlister’s World Famous Sweet Tea™.

What You Need to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

• 6 black tea bags or 2 family-sized tea bags
• 1 cup sugar, adjust to taste
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Why is there Baking Soda in This Recipe?

In this recipe, we add baking soda to help take out the bitterness of the black tea and keep your tea fresh for longer.

Trust us, once you try this trick, you’ll swear by this hack! We’re so sure it works that we guarantee your tea will taste just as fresh the next day!

What If I Want to Make McAlister’s Deli Unsweet Tea?

To make McAlister’s Deli Unsweet Tea, you can simply omit the sugar in this recipe!

If you want it sweet but just want to cut down on the sugar, you can also substitute Splenda for the sugar, or just use less sugar to your taste preference!

How to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

1. In a medium pot, boil 1/4 gallon of the water on medium-high heat.
2. Once water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and pour the water into an empty pitcher (I love this specific pitcher).
3. Add the tea bags and baking soda and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.
4. Take out the tea bags, then stir in the sugar. Top it off with the rest of the water and stir.
5. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until cold. Serve the tea as needed in tall glasses with extra ice cubes. ENJOY!

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If you make this Copycat McAlister’s Deli Tea Recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle so I can repost it on my stories!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.