This warming ginger turmeric lemon tea is made with fresh lemon juice, honey and warming spices. Ready in less than 5 minutes, it's sweet, tangy and slightly spicy and perfect for chilly days.
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Made with ground turmeric, ginger, lemon and honey, this simple homemade tea has a warming kick from black pepper and cayenne. It's quick to make with everyday ingredients and easy to adjust to suit your tastes.
If you love cooking with turmeric, be sure to check out my collection of easy turmeric recipes, or browse my other drinks recipes.
Ingredients
- Turmeric: I use ground turmeric for this tea, so it's quick and easy to make. Check that your turmeric is fresh and fragrant for the best flavor.
- Ginger: Ground ginger adds a warming, slightly spicy flavor.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the tea a bright, tangy flavor.
- Honey: Adds sweetness to balance the lemon and spices. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Black pepper: Just a pinch adds a little extra warmth.
- Cayenne: Adds a spicy kick. You can reduce the amount or leave it out for a milder drink.
How to Make Ginger Turmeric Lemon Tea
- Add all of the ingredients, apart from the boiling water and whisk well (photo 1).
- Add hot, not boiling, water to mixed ingredients. Whisk well until combined (photo 2).
- Pour the turmeric tea into mugs and enjoy (photo 3).
What does turmeric tea taste like?
Turmeric has an earthy, slightly bitter flavor that pairs well with the fresh, tangy lemon and sweet honey. Ginger, black pepper and cayenne add warmth and a little kick. You can easily adjust the sweetness and spice in this lemon ginger turmeric tea to suit your tastes.
Ginger Turmeric Lemon Tea
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne
- 3 cups water freshly boiled, but not boiling
Instructions
- Boil a kettle of water.3 cups water
- In a pyrex jug, or other heat poof jug, add all of the ingredients, apart from the boiling water, and whisk until you have a smooth consistency and everything is incorporated.1 tablespoon turmeric powder, juice of 1 large lemon, 3 tablespoons honey, ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, pinch cayenne
- Let the kettle boil, and then let it sit for a few minutes before puring the water into the jug with the other ingredients. Don't add the water if it's boiling.
- Whisk again well to incorporate all of the ingredients and then pour into two cups.
Notes
- Check that your turmeric powder isn't stale. Take a little of the powder, rub it between your fingers and it should be fragrant. If not, buy some more!
- When you add the water it shouldn't be boiling. Boil the kettle but let it sit for a few minutes before adding it.
- This drink isn't for strict vegans due to the honey used. You could sub the honey with maple syrup - I haven't tried this but pretty sure it will work well.
Rose says
Would this be safe for a pregnant woman just into her second trimester? I feel a cold coming on and can’t take medication due to be pregnant.
Slow The Cook Down says
Hi Rose, sorry for the late reply - I'm on maternity leave myself right now! Congrats on the pregnancy! As always with these things, it's best to check with your Doctor, but I would class this as any herbal tea and one cup a day will be beneficial.
Itana says
Thanks so much for this recipe! I wanted to ask--how often would you recommend someone to drink this to continue improving immunity? Once a day? Thanks!
Slow The Cook Down says
Hi Itana, I'm not a nutritionist, but one of these a day is a great idea as it's loaded with lots of the good stuff! It definitely won't do any harm 🙂
Laurie says
My boyfriend has been super sick for the past few days and I finally started to feel a bit icky like I was starting to catch what he has.
I made this tea for us and while it made my boyfriend feel better, he was already too sick for this tea to cure him.
I however drank two cups of this and also made myself and oregano capsule (really great for when you are starting to feel sick) and I woke up this morning feeling absolutely great!
Thanks so much!
Slow The Cook Down says
Ah glad it helped Laurie!
Dee says
I have this drink every morning and it really boost my energy for the day,i would recommend it yo anyone,taste good too
Mandy says
Do you think adding apple cider vinegar to this recipe would work? I usually drink ACV with lemon, but this looks like a good variation to add ginger and turmeric. Just wondering if you think the flavors would jive.
Slow The Cook Down says
Hi Mandy, I haven't tried this myself, butI think a little, maybe a tablespoon would work fine. You could also substitute half of the lemon juice for ACV - the acidity definitely wouldn't be overpowering that way. Would love to know if you try it!
Yvette rice says
I have been drinking this mixture since 2020 and stopped but started back up after knee surgery in 2022 and my kneees feel 80% better plus I lost 85 pounds
Slow The Cook Down says
Glad you enjoy it Yvette! Turmeric is so great for inflammation! Wishing you a speedy recovery and congrats on the weight loss!
Carlin says
Works very good
Shaline says
I halved the receipe for 1 cup... its delicious. I plan to make it with almond milk and more cayanne pepper next. Thanks
Slow The Cook Down says
So glad you enjoyed it Shaline! Love the idea of adding some non-dairy milk!
Juli Bastien says
I have an amazing tea containter. I add all the ingredients into the strainer insert, poor the hot water over, it steeps until I am ready to poor it over my ice. I love it cold!
Slow The Cook Down says
Oooh I haven't tried it cold, that's a great idea for the hot weather! Glad you enjoy it 🙂
Lei says
Just saw your recipe while scrolling and searching for a turmeric tea. and i tried it BECAUSE i was suffering from asthma, dry cough and sore throat.
In 3 weeks. And voila it works..
Thank u😊😘
Slow The Cook Down says
Ah so glad it helped Lei! There's a tonne of goodness in this one!
Marissa Tyler says
I made this and I loved it. I wanted to make a turmeric tea but since I love lemon and ginger, this is perfect for me. Thanks for a great tea recipe idea.
Kelly Baumstark says
it tastes good
Tamara Andersen says
I recently bought Michael Symon's cookbook Fix It With Food dealing with anti inflammatory foods. Turmeric is one of them. I am trying to include more turmeric in my diet, and this looks like a great way to use it. I just need a cooler day! Haha!
Ben says
I had a stinking cold and made this. It worked wonders and really pepped me up!