An authentic recipe for Masala Chai (tea) or Indian Spiced Chai. This easy recipe uses black tea bags (or leaves) and whole spices and takes less than 20 minutes to make!
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT20M
Rating
4.96 stars (105 reviews)
Keywords
masala chai, masala chai tea, masala tea, spiced chai
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups filtered water
1 3-inch cinnamon stick (ceylon or cassia are both fine)
3 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods (cracked open and deseeded (I throw seeds & pods in))
3 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
1/2- inch fresh ginger (peeled and thinly sliced)
3 black tea bags or sub 3 tsp loose leaf black tea (depending on brand, tea bags/leaves vary in strength (See Note 1) )
1 cup whole milk (or 2% reduced fat milk)
4 tsp turbinado cane sugar (or raw cane sugar)
Categories
Drinks
Cuisine
Indian
Pakistani
Steps
Heat a medium saucepan over high heat. Add water, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, fennel seeds (if using), and ginger. (See Note 2) Bring to a boil and add the tea bags or leaves.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 7-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like the tea and spices. It will turn a deep burgundy color and reduce slightly.
Add milk and sugar and stir. Raise the heat to high (or allow the milk to come to a boil on its own, as I do on any given day). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes.
When ready to serve, raise the heat to high and allow it to come to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes, depending on how 'cooked' you like the milk. (See Note 3) If you’d like, use a ladle to aerate the chai to deepen the flavor and make it creamier.
Pour into cups through a strainer and add more sweetener, if desired.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 115 kcal
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 12 mg
Sodium: 80 mg
Sugar: 13 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Reviews
Kassidee on 2026-07-22 (5 stars): Oh this is so good! I quadrupled it because I knew my kids would gulp it down.
I cracked the spices with a frying pan and toasted them a minute before adding the water. But the proportions were perfect!
Actually, I didn't have fennel seeds, so I added Star anise instead. It gave the same profile of flavors.
Melida Velasquez Palacios on 2026-05-19 (5 stars): This has become a staple for me. Excellent recipe.
Coleen on 2026-05-16 (4 stars): I dont drink black tea so I used dandelion. I did add star anise and fennel. It is very good. I've made it with coconut milk and cow. Both are excellent. Thanks for the information as I've made it using variations but never knew how long to cook. I use raw milk so I didnt cook it in my tea.
A Feldman on 2026-05-14 (5 stars): I have tried a number of chai recipes at home and this is the best. The detailed notes are very helpful.
Caca on 2026-05-08 (5 stars): I have an indian brother in-law and he used to make such delicious Chai tea! This taste exacltly like it! Also, this helps my developing cough that do not develop badly! Amazing!
Shea on 2026-02-22 (5 stars): Easy and made my kitchen smell amazing!
Deb on 2026-02-09 (5 stars): I followed your recipe. How can I make it spicy hot? Do we add more ginger and pepper? Or cayenne?
Thank you.
Alice on 2026-02-06 (5 stars): This is a really delicious treat -- worth the time it takes to make it! I make it with a pinch of powdered ginger rather than fresh and omit the fennel seeds. It's still good.
