Someone is killing Clare's
coffeehouse customers.
Now in its 15th printing.
Click here to learn more...
|
If you've read our culinary mystery Through the Grinder (now in its 15th printing, woo-hoo), then you already have our recipe for coffee-marinated steak with garlic mashed potatoes and hearty coffee gravy.
Well, here's a new coffee recipe for you to try this summer: our coffee-glazed barbecued chicken. You can make it in the oven or on the grill.
Summer is here at last.
May you...
Barbecue with joy!
~ Cleo
In our little back garden in Queens, New York, Marc and I often cook on a charcoal kettle grill. This glaze is a real favorite.
To download this recipe in a free PDF document that you can print, save, or share, click here.
Servings: About 10 chicken pieces. (I often use chicken thighs and drumsticks with this recipe because dark meat tends to remain juicier during grilling, but this recipe will work equally well with breasts, wings, or a combo of parts. You can use it on chicken parts with or without skin.)

Prepare chicken and pan: Rinse your chicken parts, pat dry. Prepare a shallow baking or roasting pan by lining with aluminum foil. (Trust me, you want to do this for easy cleanup.) Now coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in the pan, skin side up (if your pieces have skin).
Bake and baste: Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Place your prepared pan of chicken pieces in the middle rack of your oven. After 15 minutes, remove the pan and generously brush the prepared coffee glaze on top of each chicken piece. After another 15 minutes (at the 30 minute mark), flip each piece (so that the skin side is down) and glaze the unglazed side of the chicken. Bake for another 15 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces one last time so that skin side is up again and generously brush on a final coat of glaze. Return the chicken to your oven for another 20 to 25 minutes. Total baking time is approximately 60 minutes.
NOTE ON COOKING TIME: If you are baking chicken breasts, which are bigger and thicker than thighs, you will need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the cooking time. For smaller pieces, such as wings, the cooking time should be shortened by 10 to 15 minutes.
Pictured below is how the coffee glaze looks
when baked in the oven. Like a complex premium coffee blend,
it brings many flavors together (sweet, bright, tangy, yet rich and earthy)
it brings many flavors together (sweet, bright, tangy, yet rich and earthy)
and it truly complements the chicken...
Coffee Glazed
Barbecued Chicken
![]() |
Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
|
In our little back garden in Queens, New York, Marc and I often cook on a charcoal kettle grill. This glaze is a real favorite.
The earthiness of the brewed coffee blends beautifully with the smoky flavor from the charcoal and the sweetness of the glaze's molasses and brown sugar. The lemon brings brightness and the cornstarch is the magic trick to make the glaze thick. We also very much enjoy this recipe baked in the oven, and we hope you do, too!
~ Cleo
![]() |
Click here for the
PDF of this recipe.
|
To download this recipe in a free PDF document that you can print, save, or share, click here.
Servings: About 10 chicken pieces. (I often use chicken thighs and drumsticks with this recipe because dark meat tends to remain juicier during grilling, but this recipe will work equally well with breasts, wings, or a combo of parts. You can use it on chicken parts with or without skin.)
Ingredients:
½ cup brewed coffee or espresso
½ cup brewed coffee or espresso
½ cup molasses (unsulphured, and not blackstrap)
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cornstarch (for thickening)

GLAZE DIRECTIONS: To make the glaze, combine coffee, molasses, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a nonstick saucepan. Stir for a minute over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time until it disappears. While continuing to stir the glaze, increase the heat and bring the glaze to a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. When gaze thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about the consistency of honey), it’s done. See my photos for reference and my troubleshooting tips below.
TROUBLESHOOTING: If the glaze seems too thin, increase the heat and bring it to a full boil while continuing to whisk. This should do the trick. If it doesn’t, whisk in a little extra cornstarch (1 teaspoon at a time) and it should thicken up fast. If the glaze becomes too thick, simply whisk more coffee into the saucepan, a little at a time, and continue to heat and whisk the glaze until it loosens to the right consistency for brushing.
TO COOK IN YOUR OVEN (GRILLING DIRECTIONS BELOW):
Prepare chicken and pan: Rinse your chicken parts, pat dry. Prepare a shallow baking or roasting pan by lining with aluminum foil. (Trust me, you want to do this for easy cleanup.) Now coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in the pan, skin side up (if your pieces have skin).
Bake and baste: Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Place your prepared pan of chicken pieces in the middle rack of your oven. After 15 minutes, remove the pan and generously brush the prepared coffee glaze on top of each chicken piece. After another 15 minutes (at the 30 minute mark), flip each piece (so that the skin side is down) and glaze the unglazed side of the chicken. Bake for another 15 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces one last time so that skin side is up again and generously brush on a final coat of glaze. Return the chicken to your oven for another 20 to 25 minutes. Total baking time is approximately 60 minutes.
NOTE ON COOKING TIME: If you are baking chicken breasts, which are bigger and thicker than thighs, you will need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the cooking time. For smaller pieces, such as wings, the cooking time should be shortened by 10 to 15 minutes.
![]() |
TO COOK ON YOUR GRILL:
Step 1 - Roll chicken pieces in vegetable oil and shake off
excess. You want a nice, light coating. Sprinkle salt on all sides. If you are using a charcoal, you must create a
cool area where there are fewer coals.
Step 2 - Lay the chicken pieces skin side down on the hot
side and grill for 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot the grill is (you do not
want the chicken to burn). Once you have a good sear on one side, move the
chicken pieces to the cool part of the grill (if you are using a gas grill,
lower the heat to medium low). Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3 - Turn the chicken pieces over and baste them
with the coffee glaze. Cover again and allow to cook for another 20-30 minutes.
Repeat, turning the chicken pieces over, basting them with sauce, covering, and
cooking for another 20-30 minutes.
Finishing Zap – Here’s a quick and easy cheat to make sure your chicken is
cooked through: Remove cooked and glazed chicken from grill and place in a
microwave on high for 1-3 minutes. Then return the chicken to THE HOT PART of
the grill for another 3 minutes. This should take the meat to 165 degrees, and
keep the seared skin nice and crispy.
Eat with Joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice).
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here.
Visit my online coffeehouse here.
|
The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling
works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the
13 titles includes the added bonus of recipes.
GET A FREE
TITLE CHECKLIST
(with mini plot summaries)
by clicking here.
GET A FREE
TITLE CHECKLIST
(with mini plot summaries)
by clicking here.
Sign up for my newsletter!
Simply write an e-mail that says
"Sign me up" and send it to this address...
Simply write an e-mail that says
"Sign me up" and send it to this address...
CoffeehouseMystery@gmail(dot)com
This will also enter you in my weekly
Free Coffee Drawings.
Every week, I give away a package of
premium coffee to a subscriber.
Good luck!
Free Coffee Drawings.
Every week, I give away a package of
premium coffee to a subscriber.
Good luck!
* * *
Billionaire Blend
Our *Star Reviewed
Hardcover Bestseller
See the Recipe Guide
by clicking here.
Our *Star Reviewed
Hardcover Bestseller
See the Recipe Guide
by clicking here.
***
15 printings--amazing Cleo--big congrats! And your chicken looks amazing too--just in time for BBQ season. thanks!
ReplyDeleteLucy/Roberta - It is indeed the season for outdoor fun, and Marc and I always have a great time firing up the kettle grill in our little back yard. Cooking with coffee is something we enjoy, too, so it's nice to share both with the MLK folks. Thanks for dropping in. I truly appreciate it!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
This sounds wonderful, as always.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me that many, many years ago I cooked an anniversary dinner for my parents (I was just tall enough to see the top of the stove--at least that's how I remember it). It was a roast (veal?) with a coffee based glaze. Wish I had the recipe now (although I avoid veal these days).
Thanks for the memory.
Libby - Great story, and I'm so glad this recipe brought back good memories for you. xoxo - Coffee's rich earthiness makes a great complement to meat dishes (as many chefs have shown for years). Now you've got *me* curious to investigate a veal glaze. I'll have to put on my Clare Cosi hat and get my (coffee) house detective on the case. :)
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
This might be fun http://www.seasonedgourmandfoods.com/#!dry-rubs/cjpm
DeleteThere are several recipes for pot roast style with brewed coffee as part or all of the liquid.
Wish I could remember more. Ah well.
Wow, Cleo! You've got two of my favorite tastes here: coffee and barbecue chicken. As soon as it stops raining today, I know what I'm doing!
ReplyDeleteBig congrats on your success.
XOXO
MJ - Rain, rain go away. I have to tell you that we waited a very long time for summer here in NYC. As a result, every little ray of sunshine feels precious, so I feel for you with a rainy day. (Okay, in the interest of drought prevention, it's allowed to rain at night, but that's it! :))
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the post, MJ, and I appreciate your stopping by. Summer doesn't mean slowing down for anyone these days, and I appreciate the kind comment. Cheers and have a delicious (sunny!) rest of your week...
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
15th printing! That's impressive, Cleo. Congrats! This is making me drool. Yum. Perfect for summertime!
ReplyDelete~Krista
Krista - Summertime is the word! It was a long time coming, and Marc and I are so glad it's here at last. Frankly, I hope it sticks around through September, even early October. Fingers crossed the planet will turn a little slower and let us enjoy bright sunny days, lemonade, cookouts, and all that wonderful fruit and veg of the season!
DeleteThanks for dropping in today, Krista. I know how busy everyone is--summer doesn't mean slowing down, and I appreciate the kind comment. Have a great week!
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Tonight's dinner idea, thanks! Perfect ingredients: coffee for me, BBQ chicken for my husband.
ReplyDeleteGrandma Cootie - Ha! That's wonderful! Marc and I agree. It's hard to say no to a caffeinated chicken. :) I hope you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for dropping in today, I appreciate it!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
My mouth is watering! I'm trying this as soon as the sun comes out! (Tomorrow, I think!)
ReplyDeletePeg - The sun must appear. It's in his summertime contract. :) Thx for dropping in and may the rest of your week be full of light!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Gorgeous chicken! Yum! I love a good glaze. And congrats on your 15th printing. Wow! Oh, to be you. :)
ReplyDeleteHugs, Daryl aka Avery
Daryl/Avery - It's hard to say no to a caffeinated chicken! XOXO - thanks for the kind words, Marc and I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteMay the glaze be with you...!
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Yum.
ReplyDeleteCleo, your chicken looks fabulous! (You really take great photos!)
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine makes a similar glaze and calls it Blackjack Sauce--really tasty stuff. Thanks for reminding me to add the coffee next time we grill some birds! Congrats on the 15th printing of a great series.