Sweet Tea is the Secret Ingredient at Southern Cookouts

Across the South, sweet tea isn’t just the drink we love to sip on porches, and pack into coolers for beach days and picnics. It’s also an ingredient in some of the South’s best cookout recipes! The tannins in sweet tea help tenderize meats while the sweetness caramelizes to create that smoky-sweet flavor and crave-worthy char everyone reaches for first.

From ribs and pork chops to tea-infused pound cake for dessert, sweet tea might just be the hardest-working ingredient at your next cookout. So pour yourself an ice-cold glass of tea while you fire up the grill, and let’s get cookin’ with these top Southern cookout recipes.

Tea-Brined St. Louis RibsTea-Brined St. Louis Ribs on a serving platter

A sweet tea brine helps tenderize these ribs while layering in subtle sweetness and deep Southern flavor before they ever hit the grill. The result? Smoky, juicy ribs with beautifully caramelized edges.

Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Peaches
Sweet Tea Brined and Glazed Pork Chops with grilled peaches

In this recipe, sweet tea helps keep pork chops juicy and flavorful while grilled peaches add smoky sweetness that tastes like summer on a plate.

Sweet Tea Lemon Poundcake
Sweet Tea Lemon Pound Cake on a cake plate, with tall glasses of Luzianne Iced Tea with lemon wedges in background.

This Sweet Tea Pound Cake is the perfect ending to a cookout spread and pairs beautifully with fresh berries or whipped cream.