Ginger Turmeric Tea Recipe (Great Benefits and Perfect for Colds)

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A powerhouse drink, ginger turmeric tea is an earthy, soothing tea that is easy to make and boasts of great immunity-boosting benefits. And, those benefits are backed by scientific studies and ancient practices like Ayurveda.

While you can use powdered ginger and turmeric, I prefer using the fresh roots. They contain all the micronutrients that may be lost during the processing phase. And, the freshness adds to the unique earthiness of the tea.

If you enjoy ginger teas, I have several on the blog including lemon ginger tea and lemongrass ginger tea. Feel free to explore my turmeric tea recipe too.

ginger turmeric tea recipe on a side view photo of ginger and turmeric tea

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Ingredients for ginger turmeric tea

  • fresh ginger: as I mentioned, I always prefer using the fresh ginger root. The tea tastes a lot better with it. But, you can use ginger powder as a substitute (1 tsp should suffice).
  • fresh turmeric: much like ginger, fresh turmeric root adds great flavor to the tea. If you have extras, consider making your own turmeric powder (check out my process here). And, you can use the powder for this recipe as a substitute (less is more so 1/2 tsp would be enough).
  • water: for brewing.
  • sweetener: like honey to balance the spicy, earthiness of the tea. This is optional and you can drink the tea as is.
  • black pepper: is optional but is often used with turmeric since it can help the body absorb the useful compound in turmeric.

Equipment

A strainer is needed for this recipe and you can also use a zester if you prefer to grate the fresh roots instead of finely chopping them.

How to make ginger turmeric tea

Prep

As with all my ginger tea recipes, prep starts with washing and peeling the ginger. I prefer peeling the root to ensure there is no dust or dirt in the tea. I’ve grown and harvested ginger many, many times and it’s always tough to get all the mud out, so I prefer peeling.

After peeling, I chopped the ginger into small pieces. Of course, you can grate it too. The smaller pieces ensure all the spicy, gingery goodness gets into the brew faster.

Next, I wash, peel and finely chop the turmeric. It’s essentially the same process for both roots and that is all that’s required for prep.

ginger turmeric tea ingredients

Brew

To a small saucepan on medium heat, I added the water along with the chopped ginger and turmeric. The water doesn’t have to be hot to start, it can be at room temperature.

ginger and turmeric in water for brewing

Allow the tea to brew for 15 minutes. It should have a golden-yellow to light orange color.

brewing turmeric and ginger tea

Once done, remove from the heat, strain and sweeten to your liking. You can serve immediately or leave to cool down slightly before serving.

Black pepper can be sprinkled on top before serving. The pepper contains a compound called piperine that can help the body absorb the main compound in turmeric (curcumin). Curcumin is responsible for all the important benefits of turmeric, which I’ll get into below.

turmeric and ginger tea in glasses

More recipes

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Turmeric recipes

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Ginger turmeric tea benefits

Ginger benefits

Two powerful compounds in ginger – gingerol and shogaol – are responsible for the many benefits of ginger. They’re shown to be antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and gastroprotective. Reducing nausea is another wonderful benefit of ginger.

But, it doesn’t stop there.

Studies like this one from 2011 found ginger can help improve cognitive function and memory when taken daily for 2 months, by middle aged women.

This 2015 lab study noted the blood thinning benefits of ginger and suggested it could reduce the occurrence of blood clots.

And, these 2017 and 2020 studies found ginger can help reduce BMI, insulin, fasting blood sugar, HbA1C and lipid levels. It can also help with weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity.

Turmeric benefits

Turmeric and its main compound, curcumin, are well studied. The compound has been linked to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, antibacterial and wound healing benefits.

There’s also a 2024 study that found curcumin can help lower fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, BMI, weight, and insulin resistance.

But, curcumin isn’t easily absorbed in our bodies. For starters, it is fat soluble and, secondly, it is much easier to absorb in the presence of piperine, the main compound in black pepper (here’s the source study).

So, having the tea with some milk and a pinch of black pepper will certainly help your body absorb more curcumin. But, too much turmeric isn’t a good thing as it can cause an upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea. It also has blood thinning properties so, if you are on aspirin or warfarin, it’s best to talk to your doctor if you plan on having this tea frequently.

ginger turmeric tea benefits (+ recipe) text overlay on a photo of ginger turmeric tea with a sprinkle of black pepper on top

Back to the recipe.

Turmeric and ginger tea recipe

Ginger turmeric tea

Ginger turmeric tea is a mildly spicy, earthy tea that's soothing and sure to help boost immunity and overall wellness. It’s pretty simple to make and is best served with honey and a pinch of black pepper.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ginger turmeric tea
Servings: 2
Calories: 14kcal
Author: Ros Singh

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (12 grams)
  • 2 tsp fresh turmeric (8 grams)
  • 3 cups water
  • sweetener like honey (1½ tsp) (optional)
  • pinch of black pepper (optional)

Equipment

  • strainer

Instructions

  • Wash, peel and finely chop the ginger.
  • Wash, peel and finely chop the turmeric.
  • Place a small saucepan on medium heat.
  • Add the water, chopped ginger and chopped turmeric.
  • Leave to boil for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Strain.
  • Sweeten to your liking (optional).
  • Sprinkle black pepper if desired (optional).
  • Serve warm.

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