You don’t need us to tell you that coffee works in the kitchen. We start with coffee cake (classic), then branch out with coffee brownies and coffee ice cream (make it). And then we get adventurous with savoury coffee recipes!
Coffee in savoury dishes. It makes complete sense when you think about it. Rich and aromatic, coffee’s flavour compounds work a treat alongside so many savoury foods. Its earthiness pairs perfectly with roast vegetables, and it will tenderise and flavourise different types of meat. Because coffee isn’t just for cake: coffee at dinnertime is our new favourite thing!
Coffee rub for steak
Steak and chips. It’s a curiously versatile dinner. Macho pub grub that’s still perfectly classy on Valentine’s Day. I’m struggling to think of another dish that’s so obliging. ?
But how to flavour that classic steak-frites combo? A melty blob of butter, perhaps? Or tomato sauce? How about a rub… a coffee rub?
This on-trend rub infuses the meat with a punchy, smokey warmth that’s perfect with fries. Take a big, flavour-packed bite and you’ll never go back to regular steak again.
Ingredients
1 steak
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chilli flakes or cayenne pepper
2 tbsp espresso coffee grounds
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp sea salt flakes
Good pinch black pepper
Method
Pat the steak with kitchen paper and massage the oil into the meat.
Mix all of the remaining ingredients together and rub into the steak. Leave to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge and 1 hour on the kitchen worktop.
Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C / Gas Mark 7.
Heat a frying pan or skillet on the hob for a few minutes until it starts to smoke slightly.
Take your steak and tap to remove any excess rub.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to get a nice crust. Then transfer into the oven for around 8 minutes if you like a medium-rare steak, longer if you like it well cooked.
Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then tuck in!
Coffee roasted carrots
We know carrots are flexible in the kitchen (carrot cake, anyone?), but did you know they also take kindly to coffee? That’s right, coffee and carrots will become your new Sunday lunch staple! The strong-brewed coffee adds a lovely earthiness to the sticky maple glaze, while the thyme keeps things fresh and peppery. Don’t keep roasted roots to Christmas – this dish is great all year round!
Ingredients
5 carrots
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
60ml strongly brewed coffee
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Small handful fresh or dried thyme
Method
Chop up your carrots into chunky batons and put them in a large baking tray. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6.
Bring the coffee, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Cook for five or so minutes or until the liquid has reduced half.
Drizzle the carrots with the oil and add the salt, pepper and thyme. Toss well.
Put the carrots in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Then, drizzle the coffee glaze over the carrots and mix to coat. Return to the oven for ten more minutes or until cooked.
Coffee bacon sandwich
Aldi sells coffee-infused bacon – did you know? But put the packet aside and whip up your BEST EVER bacon sarnie. The brown sugar and maple syrup caramelize into a finger-lickingly sticky glaze, with a flicker of chilli to add a warm-but-not-spicy heat. And the coffee, oh my! Caffeinate our favourite breakfast/brunch/lunch option for a sandwich that’s sure to impress!
Ingredients
8 bacon rashers
50ml brewed coffee or a shot of espresso
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp chilli flakes
Good pinch black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5. Line a baking tray with tin foil and lay the bacon out evenly.
Whisk the coffee, maple syrup, brown sugar and chilli together in a bowl and brush all over the rashers (just the one side at this point). Season with black pepper.
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the rashes and flip them over. Then brush on the remaining glaze. Turn up the temperature to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6.
Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and nicely caramelized.
Stack into buttered bread, make a BLT or serve with your next full English! Yum!
Caffeinate lunch time and brunch time with these unmissable savoury coffee recipes. Tuck in!
Meet the chimp behind this article!
Head Chimp founded Two Chimps alongside Laura in 2016 after being self-employed from the age of 21. He caught the coffee bug from using an at-home roaster, and the rest is history!
What Andy does outside of the treehouse:
When the weather’s nice, Andy loves going on bike rides with his trusty sidekick, microchimp Felix (who always leads the way, of course). Andy also enjoys spending time tending to the family’s vegetable garden, and looking after their at-home farmyard, which includes a cat, two guinea pigs, and six chickens!
Andy says…
“I believe every day is a school day, and I’m always looking for opportunities to stick my head in a book and absorb new knowledge. I also love a problem to solve and fix – there’s no such thing as problems, only solutions.”
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