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Dirty Chai Latte: What It Is and How to Make One at Home
A dirty chai latte is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. It combines spiced black tea, hot milk and coffee in one mug. An ordinary chai latte has no coffee, and the espresso is what makes the drink “dirty.”
Chai simply means tea, and masala chai is black tea brewed with spices, sweetened and mixed with milk. A chai latte is closer to a strong spiced tea poured into a cup and topped with frothed milk, which is the approach this dirty chai tea latte takes. It starts with a small spiced base brewed from scratch. You can use a bottled concentrate instead, and there is a note on that below.
Dirty Chai Latte Recipe
Dirty Chai Latte
A hot chai latte with a double shot of espresso: spiced black tea, milk and espresso in one mug.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Put the water, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, peppercorn and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the tea and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is dark.
- Strain into a measuring jug and measure out 100 mL. If you have less, top up with hot water to 100 mL; if you have more, reserve the excess. Stir the sugar into the measured base until dissolved.
- Heat the milk in a small pan or the microwave until steaming, about 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F). Do not let it boil. Froth if you like.
- Pull the espresso (about 18 g of coffee to about 36 g of espresso in roughly 25 to 30 seconds) into a 300 to 350 mL mug.
- Pour in the chai, then the hot milk, holding back the foam and spooning it on top.
- Stir and taste. Add more sugar a quarter teaspoon at a time if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
For a milder drink, use half the brewed double shot. A single shot requires a suitable single basket (7–10 g coffee yielding 14–20 g espresso); do not underfill a double basket. Non-dairy milk: Breville suggests keeping it below about 55°C; follow the milk manufacturer’s guidance. No machine: use about 45 mL strong moka pot or AeroPress coffee. Bottled concentrate: follow its dilution instructions, then add espresso. Iced: cool the measured 100 mL sweetened chai until no longer hot; add to a 475 mL (16 US fl oz) glass with 100 g ice, 120 mL cold milk and the double espresso. Add ice, chai, milk, then espresso and stir.
How to Make a Dirty Chai Latte at Home
The chai base. The recipe uses 130 mL of water simmered with whole spices and a little tea, strained to about 100 mL. It follows the order in delicious. magazine’s classic masala chai: spices and ginger simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, then the tea goes in for 2 to 3 more. That recipe serves four and boils the milk with the tea. Here the recipe is adapted for one mug, and the milk is heated separately so it never boils.
The espresso. Use a double shot: about 18 g of ground coffee pulling about 36 g of espresso in roughly 25 to 30 seconds, 3fe’s brew guide baseline. Weigh the espresso in grams, because 36 g is not 36 mL; crema makes the volume larger. For a milder drink, use half the brewed double shot. If you prefer to pull a single shot, use a suitable single basket with 7 to 10 g of coffee yielding 14 to 20 g of espresso; do not put that smaller dose in a double basket. Machines differ in what they call a shot, so go by weight and taste.
The milk. Heat it until it is steaming and hot to the touch, around 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F) for dairy, never boiling. Breville’s guidance is the same for dairy, and it advises keeping non-dairy milk under about 55°C (130°F) because it can separate. Froth it with a whisk or frother if you like.
Assembly. Pull the shot into the mug, pour in the chai, then add the milk and spoon the foam on top. Stir and taste. Chai bases differ in sweetness, so add sugar a quarter teaspoon at a time rather than all at once.
Using concentrate instead. A bottled chai concentrate is not a one-for-one swap for the base above, and brands call for different amounts of milk. Follow the dilution on the bottle for the chai and milk, then add the espresso.
Iced Dirty Chai Latte
Use the same chai base, milk and espresso, so the serving does not double. The only addition is ice, in a glass of 475 mL (16 US fl oz) or larger: 100 g of ice, 100 mL of cooled chai, 120 mL of cold milk and a 36 g shot. Stir the sugar into the chai while it is hot, then let it cool until it is no longer hot before pouring, because hot liquid melts the ice. About 10 minutes is a starting estimate; the container and room temperature affect cooling. Add the ice first and the espresso last.
No Espresso Machine?
Strong coffee can stand in for the shot, though it is not true espresso. A moka pot gives a concentrated cup but, as AeroPress notes, it cannot produce crema. AeroPress’s own espresso-style recipe uses 14 to 15 g of espresso-fine coffee with water at 92 to 93°C. Use about 45 mL (3 tablespoons) of either one in place of the shot and add more if you want it stronger. Our guide to espresso without a machine covers more options. If all you have is a pod machine, see whether a Keurig can make espresso.
How Much Caffeine Is in a Dirty Chai?
Both the black-tea chai and the espresso contribute caffeine, and the total varies with the tea, how long it steeps and how much coffee goes into the shot. A single shot makes a milder drink than a double. For a comparison of brewed chai, concentrates and coffee, see Does chai tea have caffeine?
Choosing Your Ingredients
Use loose black tea such as Assam or Darjeeling, which is what the recipe above calls for. Whole milk gives a richer drink, and our guide to the best milk for lattes compares the options.
Dirty Chai Latte FAQ
How many shots of espresso go in a dirty chai?
This recipe uses one double shot (about 36 g). For a gentler coffee flavor, use half of that brewed espresso.
Can I make it with oat or other plant milk?
Yes, but heat it gently. Breville advises keeping non-dairy milk under about 55°C, because higher heat can make it separate. Brands vary, so try a small amount first.
Is it still a dirty chai without an espresso machine?
It is close. Strong moka pot or AeroPress coffee stands in for the shot, as described above, but it is not true espresso, so the flavor will differ.
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