Jam Coffee Glazed Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs glazed in apricot jam and coffee with savory spices, perfect for any meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 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

# How To Make It:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The glaze strikes that perfect balance between sweet apricot, tangy coffee, and savory spices that makes you wonder why this combination doesn't exist everywhere.
  • It's genuinely quick—less than an hour from start to finish—but tastes like you fussed for half the day.
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly juicy while the skin crisps, and the glaze sticks to them like they were made for each other.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry, or the skin will steam instead of crisp—this is the difference between good and genuinely delicious.
  • If your jam is very thick or crystallized, warm it in a small saucepan with the coffee for thirty seconds before whisking in the other ingredients, and your glaze will be silky instead of lumpy.
  • The glaze will look thin before it goes in the oven, but it concentrates and darkens as the chicken cooks—trust the process and don't add more sugar thinking it needs it.
03 -
  • If heat is something you want, add a pinch of chili flakes to the glaze—just a small one, because you want it warming in the background, not shouting over the coffee and jam.
  • Make extra glaze if you're feeding more than four people; it keeps in the refrigerator for a week and turns plain roasted vegetables into something memorable.
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