What Is a Dirty Chai? Caffeine, Ingredients, and How to Make One

A dirty chai is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. The name comes from the coffee muddying the color of the tea. The chai spices and black tea stay in the foreground, with coffee adding body and extra caffeine — which makes it a natural middle ground for anyone who finds straight coffee too strong but wants more than a plain tea latte.

What goes into a dirty chai

Three components: a concentrated chai tea, a shot of espresso, and steamed milk. The chai itself is black tea brewed with ground spices — typically ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves. Because milk is part of the standard build, a dirty chai is technically a latte.

Dirty chai vs. chai latte

The only difference is the espresso. A chai latte is spiced tea and steamed milk. A dirty chai adds a shot of coffee on top of that, which raises the caffeine and deepens the body without removing the spice character.

How much caffeine is in a dirty chai?

More than a chai latte, less than a large coffee. A chai latte typically lands in the 30 to 50 mg range depending on the tea and how much milk dilutes it; adding a single espresso shot puts a cafe dirty chai roughly in the 90 to 120 mg range.

Waka's instant Dirty Chai contains approximately 70 mg per 1.5 teaspoon serving. For comparison, the traditional chai is about 15 mg per 1/4 teaspoon and Waka's medium roast instant coffee is about 55 mg per 2 teaspoons.

Making a dirty chai at home

The cafe method requires an espresso machine and a chai concentrate. Two shortcuts work without either.

Using an instant blend. Waka's Instant Dirty Chai blends tea, 100% Arabica instant coffee, and real spices into one powder. Dissolve 1.5 tsp in a small amount of hot water, then add hot or steamed milk. For iced, dissolve in hot water first, then pour over cold milk and ice.

Building it yourself. Make a cup of chai, then add a shot of instant espresso dissolved in a little hot water. That gives you control over the coffee-to-chai ratio.

Either way, unsweetened components mean you decide the sweetness — most cafe dirty chais are built on pre-sweetened concentrate and are considerably sweeter than the same drink made at home.

Common questions

Why is it called a dirty chai?
The espresso darkens and muddies the color of the tea and milk, which is where "dirty" comes from. It is not a comment on flavor.

Is a dirty chai stronger than coffee?
Usually not. A dirty chai with one espresso shot lands below a large brewed coffee, since a shot holds around 63 mg and an 8 fl oz brewed cup runs 70 to 140 mg.

Can I make a dirty chai without an espresso machine?
Yes. Instant espresso dissolves into a concentrated shot without pressure or pods, and instant dirty chai blends combine everything into one powder.

Does a dirty chai have to be made with milk?
Traditionally yes, since it is a latte format, but water works and plant milks substitute directly.

Shop Waka Instant Dirty Chai or read what chai tea is.