This delicious homemade London Fog Latte is extremely easy to make and can be brewed and in your mug in under 5 minutes!
Is a London Fog Latte your go-to Starbucks drink? Well you’re in luck. This is one of the easiest coffee shop recipes to recreate at home. Just like chai lattes , London Fog Lattes can be made using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and in under 5 minutes.
What is a London Fog Latte? And why is it called a London Fog Latte?
If you haven’t ever had one before, a London Fog Latte is made with strongly brewed Earl Grey tea with frothed milk, a dash of vanilla, and sugar to taste. The steamed milk foam sits upon a bed of sweet Earl Grey tea like a white and fluffy cloud.
And fun fact, the London Fog latte was not invented in London, but in a small cafe in Vancouver in 1997 by a pregnant woman named Maria Loria. Suffering from morning sickness and unable to stomach the taste of coffee, Maria asked the Buckwheat Cafe to make her an Earl Grey tea with skim milk. She then added vanilla and sugar to her drink until she was satisfied. Happy with the result, she would go on to recommend this new drink to others, and it quickly caught on.
By the time this drink became popular, it had developed the name “London Fog latte.” How it got the name is shrouded in mystery, even to Maria herself. It is also known as an Earl Grey Latte, Earl Grey Lavender Latte, and even goes by the name of Vancouver Fog Latte in Scotland.
What does a London Fog taste like?
A London Fog Latte gets most of its flavor from the Earl Grey tea base (black tea with notes of bergamot). The bergamot gives this drink a slight citrusy flavor that pairs well with the bitter black tea. The tea is then combined with vanilla, milk, and sugar giving the London Fog latte its signature soothing sweet taste.
Ingredient Notes
- Earl Grey tea bags: Use your favorite Earl Grey tea here. Decaf works great for an evening latte.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk for this recipe – whole milk, 2%, even your favorite dairy-free substitute if you’d like to make a vegan Earl Grey tea latte.
How to Make a London Fog Latte
Bring water to boil: In a small pot or kettle, bring your water to boil.
Steep tea bags: Pour ½ cup of water into a mug, and steep your tea bags in the hot water for 5 minutes.
Make your tea concentrate: Remove the tea bags from your mug, and stir in the sugar.
Froth your milk: While your tea bags are steeping, heat your milk in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave until the milk begins to steam (but be careful not to let your milk come to a boil). Then whisk vigorously until your milk foams or use a handheld milk frother to froth your milk . Alternatively, you can use an electric milk frother like the Aeroccino I used in the photo below.
Combine your ingredients: Pour most of the milk into your mug with the tea concentrate. Stir in the remaining ingredients and add any cream or vanilla to your latte. Then, add in the last of the milk and foam.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Variations
- You can use this technique to make a latte with any type of tea. Experiment, go wild, and make the tea latte of your dreams!
- You can also serve this drink over ice and make an iced London Fog Latte.
More Coffeeshop Favorites
- Iced Chai Latte
- White Chocolate Mocha
- Homemade Mocha
- Classic Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ cup filtered water
- ▢ 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ( 8g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ ½ cup milk any percentage
- ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- In a small pot, kettle, or your microwave, bring water to a boil. Pour ½ cup of water into an 8-ounce mug and steep tea bags for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in the sugar.
- While your tea steeps, heat milk in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave until the milk begins to steam (do not bring to a boil). Whisk vigorously until foamy or use a handheld milk frother to froth milk.
- Pour most of the milk into the tea concentrate leaving room for the cream and vanilla (if using). Stir in the remaining ingredients and then add in the last of the milk and foam. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are quick to prep, easy to make, and filled with tons of flavor!
Slow cooker chicken tacos are a great quick and easy meal for busy weeknights. Toss the handful of ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and then all you have to do when dinner comes around is shred the meat and assemble some seriously good tacos.
Upgraded Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
In college, the classic way I learned to make chicken tacos in the crockpot was just to top chicken breasts with salsa, press “start,” and call it a day. And they were fine if a little boring.
But these days, we don’t have to settle for just “fine.” Let’s make some tacos we can be excited about. This recipe uses a combination of canned tomatoes with honey or brown sugar for a hint of sweetness, classic taco spices for a kick of flavor, and a little vinegar to finish things off with a little bite of acidity.
You end up with deliciously juicy chicken packed with a ton of flavor that is anything but boring.
Ingredient Notes
- Your choice of chicken: You can use either 3 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs in this recipe, OR a mix of 1½ pounds of each. I really like the combo of thighs and and breasts because you get the richness of the dark meat without it being too rich.
- Diced canned tomatoes: If all you have on hand is canned whole tomatoes, roughly chop them before adding them to the slow cooker. I do not recommend substituting crushed tomatoes here.
- Taco spices: All spices and the salt can be replaced by 3 tablespoons of store-bought taco seasoning. If using homemade taco seasoning without salt, add the salt called for in the recipe.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Add onions and chicken to slow cooker: Dice your onion, and then spread the onion over the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the chicken in an even layer over the top of the onion.
Add canned tomatoes, honey OR brown sugar, and all spices: You can stir everything on top of the chicken together if you want, but skip if you’re running short on time.
Start your slow cooker: Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F for chicken breasts and 175°F for thighs.
Shred the chicken: Transfer the chicken from the slow cooker to a cutting board, and shred the chicken.
Add the remaining ingredients: Add white vinegar to the cooking juices before returning the chicken to the slow cooker. Then stir in shredded chicken and cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.
Make your tacos, and enjoy!
Variations
For spicier tacos, try substituting Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies for the diced tomatoes or take canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce and add a couple diced peppers and tablespoon of the adobo sauce for more of a smokey spice.
For creamy chicken tacos, try stirring in 1 cup of sour cream to the finished taco meat.
How to Store Your Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Chicken taco meat stores quite well in both the refrigerator and freezer, making this an excellent make-ahead meal.
- Refrigerator: Store the chicken taco meat in its juices in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Store in individual portions in quart-sized freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use within 3 months for best results.
Can I use frozen chicken in the slow cooker?
Although many people will just add an extra 30 minutes to 1 hour to their cooking time and toss their chicken in frozen, it is not recommended. Current USDA guidelines recommend only using thawed chicken in the slow cooker because the food will spend too much time in the “danger zone” while thawing, making it potentially unsafe to eat.
What are the best toppings for these tacos?
These tacos don’t need a ton of toppings. I like them best with a little sour cream and extra chopped cilantro, but feel free to add your favorite toppings like cheese, diced onions, or avocado.
Related Recipes
- Slow cooker carnitas
- Easy carne asada tacos
- Chipotle chicken tacos
Ingredients
- ▢ ½ medium white or yellow onion diced
- ▢ 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs OR a mix of 1 ½ pound of each
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes *
- ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder *
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ▢ 1 teaspoon table salt plus more as needed
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more as needed
- ▢ 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro plus more for topping
- ▢ 12 taco-sized tortillas
- ▢ Sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Spread the onions over the bottom of your slow cooker and then place the chicken in an even layer over the top.
- Add canned tomatoes with their juices followed by the honey or brown sugar. Then sprinkle all spices and salt over the top.
- Place the lid on your slow cooker, and cook until the chicken reaches at least 165°F for chicken breasts and 175°F for thighs, about 2-3 hours on high or 3 to 6 hours on low.
- Transfer chicken from the slow cooker to a cutting board, allow to cool until cool enough to handle and then and use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
- Before returning the chicken, add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the cooking juices. Stir in shredded chicken and cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the taco meat with your favorite tortillas and a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store the chicken taco meat in its juices in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Store in individual portions in quart-sized freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use within 3 months for best results.
These incredibly easy and deliciously indulgent Loaded Mashed Potatoes are quick, nearly foolproof, and perfect for when you need a side that will WOW.
Who doesn’t love loaded mashed potatoes? It’s comfort food that combines the creamy richness of mashed potatoes with all the best toppings of a baked potato. Genius!!
I apologize in advance if after making these once you find yourself making them a little too often, but they’re just SO good and so easy to throw together. You’ll start dreaming of all that gooey cheese, crumbled bacon, and ultra-rich mashed potatoes, and the next thing you know, you’ll be in the kitchen throwing them together.
Ingredient Notes
- Sour cream: I highly recommend measuring your sour cream using a kitchen scale . It is the fastest way of measuring and makes cleaning up super easy (although the old-fashioned measuring cups will also get the job done). You can use either full-fat or low-fat sour cream, although full-fat sour cream is going to give you the best, richest results.
- Potatoes: This recipe calls for Russet potatoes, but you can also use Yukon Gold or red potatoes. Just be careful if you use reds or Yukon Golds not to over mix because you can wind up with gummy potatoes.
- Heavy cream: You won’t use a full carton of heavy cream for this recipe. For storage tips and recipes to use up leftover heavy cream, check out my post What to do With Leftover Whipping Cream . If you are out of heavy cream, you can also substitute for it with milk or half and half.
- Fresh chives: You can also substitute minced scallions for the fresh chives.
How to Make Loaded Mashed Potatoes
This is a quick overview with photos of the cooking process. For the full, printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Prep your ingredients: Before prepping anything else, cut your butter into 1-inch pieces and measure out your sour cream. Then, set them both in a warm place in your kitchen. (The warmer these two ingredients are, the easier they are to mix in, and the less they will cool your potatoes down before serving.) Once your sour cream and butter are prepped, chop your bacon into ¾-inch pieces, and peel and chop your potatoes.
Cook your bacon: Place your bacon pieces into a cold skillet and cook them over medium heat until your bacon is cooked to your level of crispiness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer your bacon pieces onto a towel-lined plate.
Cook your potatoes: While your bacon is cooking, add your peeled and chopped potatoes to a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water until your potatoes are fully submerged by about 1-inch. Add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep the water at a good simmer, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender (you should be able to easily smash a potato against the side of the pot with a fork). Then drain, return them to the pot, and cover to keep warm.
Heat heavy cream: Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it is steaming hot.
Add butter and mash your potatoes: Add the cubed butter to the pot with the mashed potatoes. Then use a potato masher to mash your potatoes until they reach your preferred texture.
Add the rest of your ingredients: Stir in the sour cream and ¼ cup of the warmed heavy cream to the mashed potatoes. Taste and add the rest of the heavy cream if needed. Then stir in the cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve, and enjoy!
How to store your Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Refrigerator: If you have any leftover loaded mashed potatoes, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: I don’t think the texture of mashed potatoes is quite as good after freezing, but many people disagree with me, so try it for yourself and see what you think. To freeze these potatoes, transfer them to a freezer bag, press out all the air, and store them in your freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Serve These Potatoes With
- Country-style Pork Ribs Oven-roasted Tri-tip Slow Cooker Beef Ribs
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Paper towels
- Large pot
- Potato masher
- Microwave-safe measuring cup, or microwave-safe dish to heat cream in
Ingredients
- ▢ 8 tablespoons (115g) butter salted or unsalted is fine
- ▢ ½ cup (120g) sour cream
- ▢ ½ pound bacon chopped 3/4-inch
- ▢ 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and chopped into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
- ▢ 1 tablespoon table salt plus more as needed
- ▢ ½ cup heavy cream divided
- ▢ 1 cup ( 4oz ) shredded cheddar cheese
- ▢ 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives plus more for topping if desired
- ▢ Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Before you begin preparing any of the other ingredients, cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and measure out your sour cream. Set both in a warm place in your kitchen.
- Place bacon pieces in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat until bacon reaches your preferred level of doneness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- While your bacon cooks, to a large pot, add your peeled and chopped potatoes. Cover with cold water so potatoes are completely submerged by about 1-inch. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to keep the water at a good simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender—you should be able to easily smash a piece against the side of the pot with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot and cover to keep them warm.
- To the cooked potatoes, add the cubed butter. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until they reach your preferred texture.
- Heat all of the heavy cream in the microwave until it is steaming hot. Stir in sour cream and ¼ cup of the warmed cream. Taste and add remaining cream if needed.
- Stir in the cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives, and then salt and pepper to taste.
- Keep the potatoes covered until you’re ready to serve them, and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Transfer to a freezer bag, press out the air, and store them in your freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently in the microwave.
London Fog Latte
Ingredients
- ½ cup filtered water
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 2 teaspoons ( 8g ) granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk any percentage
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- In a small pot, kettle, or your microwave, bring water to a boil. Pour ½ cup of water into an 8-ounce mug and steep tea bags for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in the sugar.
- While your tea steeps, heat milk in a small pot on the stove or in the microwave until the milk begins to steam (do not bring to a boil). Whisk vigorously until foamy or use a handheld milk frother to froth milk.
- Pour most of the milk into the tea concentrate leaving room for the cream and vanilla (if using). Stir in the remaining ingredients and then add in the last of the milk and foam. Serve and enjoy!
