Jam Coffee Glazed Chicken (Print)

Tender thighs glazed with a rich apricot jam and coffee blend offering sweet and smoky flavor.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Glaze

05 - 3 tablespoons apricot jam (up to ¼ cup)
06 - 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee, cooled
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Garnish (optional)

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub evenly with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk apricot jam, coffee, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, minced garlic, and smoked paprika until smooth.
04 - Place chicken thighs skin-side up in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Brush with half of the glaze.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
06 - Brush remaining glaze over chicken. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and glaze is caramelized.
07 - Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired before serving warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The glaze gets gorgeously caramelized and sticky without requiring any fussy techniques or fancy ingredients.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay impossibly tender while the skin crisps up in all the right ways.
  • The coffee and jam combination sounds strange until you taste it, then you wonder why every glaze doesn't have both.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting step at the end, the chicken will lose moisture and feel drier than it deserves to be—those five minutes matter.
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning, otherwise you're steaming instead of browning and the skin stays pale and rubbery.
03 -
  • If your glaze looks too thick after you whisk it, add a teaspoon of water at a time until it brushes smoothly over the chicken without running off.
  • The second coating of glaze is what makes the difference between good and memorable—don't skip it or rush it, and give those thighs a proper brush.
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