Jam Coffee Glazed Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs with an apricot and coffee glaze offering sweet, tangy, and smoky notes.

# Components:

→ Chicken

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

→ Glaze

05 - 3 tablespoons apricot jam (up to ¼ cup)
06 - 2 tablespoons 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

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry. Rub with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Whisk apricot jam, coffee, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and smoked paprika until smooth.
04 - Arrange chicken skin-side up in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Brush with half of the glaze.
05 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
06 - Brush chicken with remaining glaze. Bake 15 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F and glaze caramelizes.
07 - Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The glaze tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in under five minutes, making you feel like a genius on a weeknight.
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly juicy while the edges get caramelized and sticky, hitting that perfect textural sweet spot.
02 -
  • If you don't cool the coffee before adding it to the jam, the jam will seize and you'll end up with a grainy glaze instead of a silky one—learned this the embarrassing way.
  • The second glaze application is not optional; that's what creates the caramelized, restaurant-style finish that makes people think you spent hours on this.
03 -
  • Always use a meat thermometer—chicken thighs can look done when they're not, and this removes all guesswork and guarantees juiciness.
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry; that one step is the difference between crispy skin and rubbery skin, and it takes five seconds.
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