Iced dirty chai latte recipe with tea and espresso
Jack Donnell
At a glance
Make an iced dirty chai latte with spiced black tea, espresso, milk, and ice. Includes a tea-bag method, concentrate substitution, and mixing tips.
A dirty chai latte adds espresso to a chai latte. This iced home recipe uses spiced black tea bags, a measured espresso, cold milk, and a little brown sugar. It is a convenient tea-bag interpretation rather than a claim to reproduce every traditional masala chai preparation.
The tea needs to be concentrated enough to remain noticeable beside espresso and milk. Brew it in a small measured water portion rather than preparing a full mug and then adding every other ingredient.
Iced dirty chai latte recipe with tea and espresso
Yield: 1 drink · Prep: about 2 minutes · Cook/brew: about 6 minutes · Total: about 8 minutes
Use these quantities as home starting points and adjust to taste. Times are estimates; allow extra time for an espresso machine to warm up. US volume measures are approximate metric conversions.
Equipment
Kettle, heat-resistant cup, espresso maker, spoon, tea timer, and a 16 fl oz glass.
Ingredients
- 2 spiced black chai tea bags
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot water, or the tea maker’s suggested temperature
- 1 espresso, about 1 fl oz (30 ml)
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) cold milk
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) brown sugar
- 1 cup ice cubes (about 140 g)
Instructions
- Steep the chai. Steep the two tea bags in the measured hot water for the time on the package, typically about 4–5 minutes. Remove the bags without squeezing them hard.
- Sweeten and brew espresso. Stir brown sugar into the hot tea. Prepare the espresso and add it to the tea.
- Cool with milk. Let the tea and coffee stop steaming, then stir in the cold milk.
- Serve over ice. Fill the serving glass with ice and pour in the chai, coffee, and milk mixture. Stir thoroughly before drinking.
Tips and adjustments
Tea tastes harsh?
Follow the package steeping time rather than leaving the bags in much longer. Use an additional bag in the same water quantity if you need more tea flavor.
Using chai concentrate?
Replace the tea and water with the label’s single-drink concentrate portion and adjust milk to its directions. Omit added sugar initially if the concentrate is sweetened.
Espresso dominates?
Use half the prepared shot in the first comparison. Doubling both tea and milk can make an oversized drink without solving the balance.
Common questions
Does ordinary chai latte include espresso?
Usually the coffee addition is what the word dirty communicates. Check the cafe recipe, because names and concentrate formulas vary.
Can I make it hot?
Yes. Warm the measured milk and combine it with the hot tea and espresso, omitting ice. A small amount of foam is optional.
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Illustrative stock photo: Pexels, used under the Pexels license.