Dirty chai latte

A dirty chai latte is a spiced chai latte with a shot of espresso. How to make one at home, hot or iced, plus the difference between a dirty and a filthy chai.

By PGP Iyer · June 24, 2026 · 1 min read

A dirty chai latte is a spiced chai latte with a shot of espresso added. The chai brings the cardamom-ginger-cinnamon warmth; the espresso adds a coffee backbone and an extra caffeine kick. It is the drink for people who can't decide between tea and coffee and refuse to.

One shot makes it “dirty.” A double shot, by convention, makes it a filthy chai.

Ingredients

• 2 sachets Spice Rush Collagen Black Tea (or 2 tbsp loose masala chai)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 shot (about 1 oz / 30 ml) espresso (or 1/4 cup very strong coffee)
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk of choice, steamed or warmed
• 1–2 tsp sweetener to taste — optional

How to make a dirty chai latte

1. Brew a strong chai. Steep your chai in 1/2 cup of water for 4–5 minutes; you want it concentrated, since the espresso and milk will dilute it.
2. Pull the espresso. Make one shot of espresso (or brew 1/4 cup of very strong coffee).
3. Warm and froth the milk. Steam it with a wand, froth with a handheld frother, or heat and whisk it.
4. Build the drink. Pour the strong chai and the espresso into a mug, add any sweetener, then top with the frothed milk. Stir once.

Tips and variations

• No espresso machine? Use 1/4 cup of very strong brewed coffee, or a moka-pot shot. It won't have crema, but the flavour holds up.
• Iced dirty chai: brew the chai strong, let it cool, then pour chai + espresso over ice and top with cold milk. See our iced chai latte method.
• Filthy chai: add a second espresso shot. Worth knowing the caffeine adds up — see how tea and coffee caffeine differ.
• Sweetness: a dirty chai needs less sweetener than you'd think; the spice reads as sweet on its own.