Fresh Ginger Tea

Learn how to make ginger tea from fresh ginger root! Soothing and warming, it's perfect for sipping on cold days. I love it with a little honey and lemon.

Fresh ginger tea with lemon

This fresh ginger tea recipe has been on repeat in our house this winter. It’s soothing and warming, filled with a delicious spicy flavor from the fresh ginger root. Sweetened with a little honey and topped with a slice of lemon, it’s the perfect nourishing drink for a cold day.

I bought ginger tea bags for YEARS before I started making this recipe. Let me tell you, I was missing out. The fresh tea has a bolder, spicier flavor, and it’s almost as easy to make.

I’m sharing my simple method for how to make ginger tea below, along with a few variations I love. Cozy, flavorful, and packed with health benefits, it’s a great hot beverage to have in your winter rotation. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Recipe ingredients - fresh ginger root and lemon slices

Benefits of Ginger Tea

This homemade tea is delicious…but that’s not the only reason to try it! Drinking ginger tea also has benefits such as these:

  • It can relieve an upset stomach. It has been used as a home remedy for morning sickness, nausea, and vomiting for years.
  • It aids digestion. Gingerol, a compound in fresh ginger, speeds up the digestive process.
  • It has anti-inflammatory properties.

Read more about the health benefits of ginger tea here!

How to Make Ginger Tea

Start by prepping the ginger. I use a 1-inch piece of ginger root for every cup of tea. No need to peel! Just wash it well and thinly slice it.

Then, simmer. Combine the ginger slices and water in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, or longer for a stronger flavor.

Strain the tea to remove the ginger pieces. I like to set a small fine mesh strainer directly over a mug and pour the tea through.

If desired, sweeten to taste with honey or maple syrup. Garnish with a lemon slice (or add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice), and enjoy!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Straining ginger root tea into mug

Ginger Tea Variations

This simple recipe is delicious as written, but you can feel free to add other spices or aromatics for a fun twist. Here are a few variations I love:

  • Add fresh turmeric. Thinly slice a 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric and simmer it along with the ginger.
  • Toss in a cinnamon stick. Simmer it along with the ginger.
  • Make it citrus-y. Simmer 2 strips of orange peel along with the ginger. You could also garnish your mug with an orange slice instead of a lemon slice.
  • Add fresh herbs. After you simmer the ginger, turn off the heat. Add a sprig of fresh thyme or a handful of fresh mint leaves to the hot water. Cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes before straining.

Let me know what variations you try!

Ginger tea recipe

More Warm Drink Recipes to Try

If you loved learning how to make this tea, try one of these cozy beverages next:

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Fresh Ginger Tea Recipe

rate this recipe:
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 1
This ginger tea recipe is easy to make with fresh ginger root and water! With a delicious spicy ginger flavor, it's a perfect soothing, warming drink for cold days.

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water

Optional add-ins

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh turmeric, thinly sliced
  • 2 strips orange peel
  • Honey or maple syrup, to taste
  • Lemon or orange round, for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine the ginger and water in a small pot along with desired add-ins like a cinnamon stick, fresh turmeric, or orange peel. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
  • Strain the ginger tea through a fine mesh strainer set over a mug. Discard the ginger slices and other add-ins.
  • Sweeten the tea with honey or maple syrup, if desired, and garnish with a lemon or orange round, if using.

2 comments

5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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  1. MrsGreenJeans
    02.19.2025

    5 stars
    Has anyone tried making it in large quantity and keeping it in the refrigerator, gently re-warming??

  2. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    02.18.2025

    great! I’ve been told that I should add ginger to my diet, but haven’t found a good way to do it, tea is much better than grated raw ginger, so thank you!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.