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    Home » Side Dishes

    Published: Sep 10, 2020 · Modified: Nov 23, 2021 by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

    Hot Honey

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is the most amazing hot honey recipe for guaranteed sweet heat love. It infuses honey with Fresno peppers for the ultimate dip or drizzle.  Hot chicken and other spicy foods have been popular for quite a long time and make a lot of the must taste-test lists for people wanting something new and exciting. Add hot honey to your list and make this recipe soon. It is a great Mike's Hot Honey or Trader Joes' Spicy Honey sauce copycat recipe that will cost you less when you make it homemade.

    It only takes two ingredients to make this easy spicy honey sauce recipe. With a little bit of slow simmering time, the honey becomes perfectly infused with the Fresno chili peppers. What results is a quick homemade dipping sauce or sweet and spicy drizzle that you will love with some of your favorite foods.  Hot honey is just so much better in so many ways than simply adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes onto something - all heat and none of the sweet.

    Jump to Recipe

    Hot Honey the Ultimate Condiment

    There is no easier way to add so much flavor to ordinary recipes than by adding a condiment. For the ultimate combination of sticky, sweet, floral, hot, and spicy, make hot honey your next condiment addiction.  I promise you will not be sorry you made this spicy honey recipe. Popeye's, Chic-fil-a, and other fast-food restaurants have hot honey on their chicken sandwiches, wings, tenders, and more.  

    Hot honey is fantastic on just about anything you like to dip or put a drizzle of extra flavor on.  Some of our favorites to have with this spicy hot honey recipe include more than wings like; pizza, fried chicken, biscuits, cornbread, ice cream, and more.  Honey hot sauce goes on just about anything. There are so many recipes with hot honey including my recipe for GRILLED CHEESE WITH FIGS AND HOT HONEY.  An amazing gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.

     

    Hot Honey goes with onion rings and chicken nuggets

    Hot Honey dip with onion rings and chicken nuggets

     

     

    How Spicy is Hot Honey?

    The beauty of making your own hot honey at home is you can make it as mild or hot as you want it to be. It is all about the kind of pepper you choose and how many of the seeds and membranes you use.   For this recipe, I am using and recommending Fresno chili peppers. Fresno peppers offer a heat level between jalapeno and serrano.  This choice not only offers a medium heat but Fresno peppers have a fruity and smokey taste. Plus they are gorgeous red in color.

    These peppers will result in a medium heat that doesn't linger for very long since the sweet honey does complement it. So you get a bit of spicy kick followed by a sugary taste. For my husband and me, this is the perfect level of heat. We both feel it is spicy but also flavorful compared to other hot sauces that sometimes are all about the heat and have no real flavor.

     

    Types of Chili Peppers to Use for Hot Honey Recipe

    Whether you like things mild, hot, or death my chilis, you can make this recipe exactly to your liking.  You can make hot honey mild with jalapenos or go for a very spicy sauce and make habanero honey with this recipe. 

    Below are what chili peppers are easy to find and would work in this recipe based on the level of heat you wish to have along with the sweet honey. For more varieties, check out this full guide to chili peppers and how hot (Scoville Level) some can get - CHILI PEPPER TYPES. 

    • Jalapeno - mild green chili
    • Fresno - red medium chili
    • Serrano - green hot chili
    • Habanero - many colors and very hot chili

     

    INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE HOT HONEY 

    All you need is honey and the chili peppers of choice.  For this chili-infused honey recipe, we are using two Fresno chili peppers for hot honey that will have medium heat.

     

    Honey and Fresno peppers

    Only 2 Ingredients - honey and Fresno chili peppers

     

    HOW TO MAKE HOT HONEY SAUCE

    Add Ingredients to Saucepan

    To a small saucepan add the honey.    Thinly slice 2 Fresno chili peppers. Do not discard the seeds or membranes to get the full medium heat you will want from this choice in a pepper.

    honey into pan before adding peppers

    pour honey in a small saucepan

     

     

    Chili with the powerful seeds and membranes added to the honey.

    add thin sliced chili peppers

    add thinly sliced chili peppers

     

     

    Simmer the Honey and Fresno Chili Peppers

    Over medium heat bring to a slow boil. Once bubbling, reduce to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. It will thicken and the honey will take on the pepper essence and some red hues.

     

    Simmer on low to infuse heat into the honey for hot honey

    Simmer on low to infuse heat into the honey

     

    What to Serve with Hot Honey

    Here are some great ideas & recipes to enjoy with hot honey.  Our favorite ways to serve and eat hot honey are with pizza, chicken, biscuits, and cornbread.  I also recommend trying one of these recipes that goes well with hot honey. 

    GRAIN/GLUTEN-FREE FRIED CHICKEN NUGGETS (Keto & Low-Carb)
    Chicken nuggets have never been more easy or delicious to make homemade thanks to this quick grain-free coating. Keto, low-carb, & gluten-free too! 
    Check out this recipe
    plated grain free gluten free keto chicken nuggets with ketchup
    Homemade Beer-Battered Onion Rings
    Onion rings are a classic fried treat that is so easy to make homemade. This beer-battered recipe for onion rings is the perfect side dish, snack, or appetizer.
    Check out this recipe
    Homemade Beer-Battered Onion Rings
    How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings (Secret Step Included)
    Fall-off-the-bone buffalo chicken wings will please any crowd. The cooking liquid secret adds so much flavor. These spicy wings are keto-approved, low-carb, & diabetic-friendly.
    Check out this recipe
    plated buffalo wings topped with ranch dressing
    Green Chile Sweet Corn Casserole
    This silky smooth corn pudding casserole satisfies the summer craving for sweet corn on the cob.  This cheesy green chili casserole is an easy savory recipe that is a new version of the southern classic corn pudding that my grandma used to make. 
    Check out this recipe
    Green Chile Sweet Corn Casserole
    Keto Cornbread Chaffles
    Cornbread chaffles made with almond flour are the best Mini Dash keto waffle recipe. A savory low-carb & gluten-free side for chili, soup, or salad.
    Check out this recipe
    Keto Cornbread Chaffles featured 3 fanned chaffles on the left and right is a partial bowl of chili w parsley

     

    How to Store Homemade Hot Honey

    Serve immediately with your favorite foods or store for later.  I store mine in a glass jar with a tight sealing lid.  Refrigerate for usage later.  This does not last long in our house so I am not sure how long this will last once stored.  You will want to heat the hot honey in a saucepan or microwave to warm up the next time you use it as it will thicken when chilled.   ** as an alternate you can even add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the recipe for an additional pop of acid to the overall flavor and help thin it out.

     

     

    Pour Hot Honey in Jar

    Pour Hot Honey in a jar to store

     

     

    PIN FOR SAFEKEEPING & SHARING!

     

    Hot Honey PIN

    Hot Honey PIN

     

     

    Product Recommendations for this Recipe -#ad:

     

     

    The Short Order Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. This helps with the costs of running the blog. Thank you! 

     

    Hot Honey

    Hot Honey

    Angela
    This is the most amazing hot honey recipe for guaranteed sweet heat love. 
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 C honey
    • 2 Fresno Chili Peppers sliced thin

    Instructions
     

    • To a small saucepan add the honey.    Thinly slice 2 Fresno chili peppers. Do not discard the seeds or membranes, add them too.
    • Over medium heat bring to a slow boil. Once bubbling, reduce to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. It will thicken and the honey will take on the pepper essence and some red hues.
       
    • Serve immediately with your favorite foods or store for later.  I store mine in a glass jar with a tight sealing lid.  Refrigerate for usage later. 
    • To Reheat or Thin - You will want to heat the hot honey in a saucepan or microwave to warm up the next time you use it as it will thicken when chilled.   ** as an alternate you can even add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the recipe for an additional pop of acid to the overall flavor and help thin it out.
    Keyword dip, easy, gluten-free, grain-free, spicy, sweet, vegetarian

     

    Did you make this The Short Order Cook Recipe?

    Tag @theshortordercookblog (Instagram & Facebook) or @shortorder_cook (Twitter). 

    I would love to see your latest creations and kitchen adventures.

    « Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #394
    Grilled Cheese with Figs and Hot Honey »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rochelle says

      September 13, 2020 at 8:29 am

      5 stars
      Made this...so easy and absolutely delicious. It was gone in a day. A great way to incorporate some spice in my 4 year olds food 🙂

      Reply
      • Angela says

        September 13, 2020 at 10:53 am

        I am so glad you and the 4-year-old loved the Hot Honey Recipe. It is amazing how something so simple to make can be so amazing and flavorful.

        Reply
    2. Nisha says

      September 15, 2020 at 8:28 am

      5 stars
      That sounds really delicious and yum! Sweet n spicy is sure to make all the taste buds come alive .Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Ai says

      September 16, 2020 at 4:52 am

      5 stars
      Sounds delicious! I love that you used raw honey too! Tastes so much better than regular honey 🙂

      Reply
    4. Nart at Cooking with Nart says

      September 16, 2020 at 7:47 am

      5 stars
      Love this! Though I would probably add more peppers because I'm a crazy Thai, haha.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        September 16, 2020 at 3:51 pm

        Go for it, make this hot honey as spicy as you want. That is the beauty of this easy and customizable recipe.

        Reply
    5. Beth Shields says

      September 16, 2020 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      I am intrigued and this looks delicious. Love hot things and just thinking about all the applications. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    6. LaRena Fry says

      September 16, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      5 stars
      A great sounding sweet and hot sauce. Perfect for all kinds of meats and chicken.

      Reply
    7. Jacqueline Debono says

      September 17, 2020 at 12:01 am

      5 stars
      I'm a big honey user but have never had or made hot honey. Love the idea and definitely going to give it a try!

      Reply
    8. Beth says

      September 17, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      I am going to make a batch of this for my daughter-in-law, who enjoys things much more spicy than I typically do. I love how easy it is!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        September 18, 2020 at 9:49 am

        YOu can make to batches - one spicy and one mild for yourself.

        Reply
    9. Dee | Grammy's Grid says

      September 17, 2020 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 16, open until September 26!

      Reply
    10. Alpa says

      September 18, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      5 stars
      Love the combination of sweet and spicy flavors. I bet this must be an awesome condiment.

      Reply
    11. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      September 19, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      Ohhh - can't wait to try this - Pinned! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Hope to see you back tomorrow.

      Reply
    12. Lathiya says

      September 21, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      I never heard of this honey. Sounds interesting.

      Reply
    13. foodopium says

      September 23, 2020 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      Very good combination sweet and spicy.....never thought of this combination. Perfect example for a sweet and hot recipe 🙂

      Reply
    14. Ashley Charpentier says

      December 24, 2020 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      Super easy to make and delicious! I also did a batch with half jalapenos and half fresnos for a different flavor and both were delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        December 24, 2020 at 10:17 am

        Thanks, Ashley for sharing your tasty version of this recipe. It sounds great and I will try that sometime myself.

        Reply
    15. Angela says

      June 17, 2021 at 7:22 am

      5 stars
      I made this exactly as you suggest and the heat was perfect. We had it with fried chicken and cornbread and it was fantastic. So easy and so much flavor. Thank you.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Angela I’m Angela, a petite mom that loves to cook, eat and explore all things food. I have been cooking since I could pull up a stool to finally reach the counter. I still rely on my trusty stool every day. I am a former personal chef turned blogger that enjoys cooking with and for my family, traveling to try new cuisine, and constantly learning about food, drink, & how it touches all our lives.

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