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READY IN 4 hr

Dave's Mocha Chicken

Read Reviews (117)

"An original chicken dish that works well! Serve plain, or use the cooked marinade as a sauce." — CHEF YEE

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

1/4 cup olive oil
6 chicken legs
ground black pepper to taste

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Directions

In a medium, nonreactive container, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, coffee, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place chicken legs in the mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours.
Remove chicken from the marinade mixture, and set aside. Transfer the marinade to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.
Heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with pepper, and brown on all sides in the skillet. Pour the hot marinade mixture into the skillet. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool slightly before serving.

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PREP 25 mins
COOK 35 mins
READY IN 4 hrs

Footnotes

The nutrition data for this recipe includes information for the full amount of the marinade ingredients. Depending on marinating time, ingredients, cooking method, etc., the actual amount of the marinade consumed will vary.

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Quote from my daughter: "mom, please tell Dave that his chicken is amazing!" Not only did she love it, but so did everyone else. The only thing I did a little differently was the cooking method. I browned the chix on top of the stove, but then finished it off in the oven. I also added some garlic and onion powders to the marinade. The chicken was so moist and flavorful and the sauce was incredible. Thanks so much Dave!!

—LINDA MCLEAN

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 19, 2008

I didn't have any sherry on-hand, so I just left it out, adding a little chicken stock to the pan when simmering to make up the liquid measure. As a note, allow an hour to cook the chicken thoroughly - 35min is not long enough! In the end, the taste was deep and rich, but was missing a certain... sweetness, I think? Perhaps the sherry was vital to the recipe, I wouldn't recommend leaving it out (maybe more brown sugar, or another sweet sauce).

—Rebecca M

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148 Ratings

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Oct 25, 2003

I'm so glad that I decided to try this, despite the fact that there was only one review. It was fantastic! I loved how the sauce thickened as it simmered, and it tasted great over rice. Next time I'll try this with chicken breasts, but I think it would be fabulous as a sauce for chicken wings, given how thick and caramelized the dish becomes. Thanks for sharing, Dave!

—KarenTheMiltch

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Feb 13, 2009

I needed something simple for dinner that used chicken. I didn't have sherry, so I used red wine like one of the other reviewers did. I also added almost a full tsp. of ginger. I switched the measurements of the coffee and soy sauce to lower the salt a bit. It's marinating right now, but I'll update on how it turned out. EDITED: I'm glad I switched the coffee and soy sauce. It would have been too salty if I hadn't. The ginger was a nice touch. I'd make this again, only I might add garlic.

—Sarah Jo

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Sep 16, 2003

Delish!!! I was somewhat hesitant to make this, as there were (are) no other reviews to go on. Boy, am I glad I tried it!! This chicken was awesome....very, very flavorful. I chose to use two chicken breasts instead which worked well! Thanks for the recipe, Dave - it'll be made often at this house! :)

—chester

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Mar 17, 2007

My husband and I were unanimous aboout a 5-star rating for this recipe. I only made a couple of small changes: I added about a teaspoon of dark cocoa powder and a few dashes of cayenne pepper. I also cooked it in a slow cooker and then put it in the oven (400 deg F) for about 15 minutes to glaze the skin. It was super tasty with rice and steamed broccoli and carrots, topped with leftover sauce. Yum.

—VELISHA

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Feb 07, 2008

I thought this recipe was great! I didn't have sherry so I used marsala wine and I also added a little bit of honey (2 TBsp). I thought it was great. I took some sauce from the pan for my kids to "dip" it in and they loved it! Next time I might try using boneless skinless breasts so it doesn't give us sticky fingers.

—MRBERRY

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Nov 12, 2003

I think the name of the recipe is misleading and so people are afraid to try it. My boyfriend couldn't even tell there was coffee in the recipe yet it added the richness to the flavour. It was surprisingly good though it didn't look like it would be once it was finished cooking. The flavour reminded me of a szechuan dish but with chicken rather than pork. Worth trying.

—CREMEB

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Nutrition

Calories
731 kcal
37%

Carbohydrates
32.9 g
11%

Cholesterol
208 mg
69%

Fat
43.9 g
68%

Fiber
0.5 g
2%

Protein
48.3 g
97%

Sodium
2701 mg
108%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Dave's Mocha Chicken

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 731
Calories from Fat: 395

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 43.9g 68 %
Saturated Fat 10.4g 52 %
Cholesterol 208mg 69 %
Sodium 2701mg 108 %
Potassium 648mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrates 32.9g 11 %
Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2 %
Protein 48.3g 97 %
Sugars 27.5g
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C 11 %
Calcium 7 %
Iron 39 %
** Thiamin 19 %
Niacin 183 %
** Vitamin B6 50 %
** Magnesium 27 %
** Folate 19 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.