Looking for a sauce to spice up your favorite foods? Our Hot Honey Sauce is easy to make with just four ingredients in a few minutes. Perfect for making hot honey fried chicken, chicken wings, pizza, and more!
Rready to spice up your taste buds? Ignite a flavor explosion with our sizzling hot honey sauce recipe!
Hot honey sauce is popular and you can find it all over the world these days. For good reason! This tangy, spicy concoction will take your culinary adventures to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Bursting with the perfect balance of sweet and fiery, our hot honey sauce is perfect for adding excitement to so many different dishes. Keep a jar on hand whenever you are in the mood for a flavor adventure!
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🍯 What is hot honey sauce?
Hot honey is a spicy sauce condiment that combines the contrasting flavors of honey and chili peppers.
It is typically made by infusing honey with spicy ingredients, such as chili flakes, chili powder, or even fresh chili peppers. The result is a tantalizing blend of sweet and spicy flavors that can be used to add a fiery kick to a wide range of dishes.
Hot honey sauce can vary in heat intensity, depending on the amount and type of chili used. It is a versatile sauce that can be drizzled, dipped, or used as a glaze to enhance the flavors of various foods. Use it on savory dishes like chicken wings and grilled meats to sweet treats like vanilla ice cream and even breakfast items. Its popularity has grown significantly in recent years, as it adds a unique and irresistible twist to culinary creations.
🛒 Ingredient notes
You only need four simple ingredients to make this homemade hot honey recipe!
Honey - Use the best quality honey you can for this recipe. I happen to have a beekeeping friend whose bees makes the absolute best tasting honey. But you can usually find a high quality organic honey at your local grocery store will yield the best results.
Red pepper flakes - We use crushed red pepper flakes, but if you want to make a truly spicy hot honey sauce, you can use dried chili flakes, ground chili powder or cayenne pepper, or even fresh chilis like chili peppers or cayenne chiles.
Garlic powder - While not a common ingredient in a hot honey sauce recipe, I love the little bit of extra flavor garlic powder adds.
Apple cider vinegar - This helps balance the sweetness of the honey and the spiciness of the red pepper flakes.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
You'll find the full list of ingredients and more details instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a visual guide with step-by-step photos to help you make this easy hot honey recipe.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the honey, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.
- Stir gently for 3 minutes, keeping the heat on the lowest setting, then turn off the heat.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and stir.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
- If leaving the red pepper flakes in to increase the heat/spiciness of the sauce over time, go ahead and pour the slightly cooled mixture into a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid.
- If you prefer the hot honey to be milder, strain out the red pepper flakes while pouring the hot honey mixture over a fine mesh strainer or sieve placed over a large bowl. Pour the hot honey sauce into a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Add more crushed red pepper flakes or add some fresh chilis to the saucepan. Also, the sauce gets spicier the longer the spices sit with the sweet honey.
Use less crushed red pepper flakes to decrease the heat. You can also strain out the flakes if you want it to stay mild (allowing the pepper flakes to sit longer in the jar with the honey will make it spicier).
Pour hot honey sauce in a mason jar or other container with tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or spice drawer, for up to 6 months.
It is natural for honey to start to form crystals, especially toward the top of the jar. It is still considered safe to eat. Honey is one of the foods that generally doesn't soil or go bad. It may lose some of its flavor the longer it is on the shelf, so it's best to enjoy this honey sauce within 6 months.
🍽 Serving ideas for hot honey sauce
This delicious hot honey sauce can take both sweet and savory dishes to the next level! Here are some ideas:
- Chicken Wings - Elevate your crispy chicken wings by drenching them in hot honey sauce. The perfect combination of the crispy skin and succulent meat with the sweet and spicy flavors of the sauce will have you reaching for seconds in no time. The hot honey sauce adds a lip-smacking glaze that makes our air fryer chicken wings simply irresistible. Try this on other chicken cuts, like chicken nuggets, chicken thighs, and chicken drumsticks, too.
- Pizza - Give your pizza a fiery twist by drizzling hot honey sauce over the top. The contrasting flavors of the spicy honey and the savory toppings create a harmonious balance that will leave you craving more. Whether you prefer a classic margherita pizza or a loaded meat lovers' pizza, the hot honey sauce will elevate each slice to a whole new level of deliciousness.
- Grilled Shrimp - Take your seafood game up a notch by basting your grilled shrimp with hot honey sauce. The sweet heat of the sauce complements the natural sweetness of the shrimp, resulting in a sensational flavor combination. Whether skewered on a barbecue or grilled to perfection indoors, the hot honey glaze will infuse the shrimp with a mouthwatering glaze that will make them the star of any meal.
- Roasted Vegetables - Hot honey sauce isn't just for meat lovers. It adds an incredible depth of flavor to roasted vegetables as well. Whether you're roasting Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, or a medley of colorful veggies, a drizzle of hot honey sauce will transform them into a caramelized, spicy-sweet delight. The sauce brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables while adding a pleasant kick, making it a perfect accompaniment for veggie lovers and carnivores alike.
- Ice Cream -Drizzle some hot honey sauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream for a creative and fun dessert. The spicy honey sauce is balanced by the cool, refreshing sweetness of the ice cream.
Other ideas include drizzling hot honey sauce over fruit salad, adding it to a cheese plate or charcuterie board, buttermilk biscuits, or cookies.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
When it comes to finding the perfect wine to complement the flavors of hot honey sauce, you'll want to opt for a wine that can both cool the heat and enhance the overall experience.
Choose a crisp and refreshing white wine such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer. These wines possess a touch of sweetness that can balance out the spiciness while offering floral and fruity notes that harmonize with the dish.
If you prefer red wine, go for a lighter-bodied option like a chilled Beaujolais or a fruity Pinot Noir. These red wines have vibrant acidity and soft tannins that won't overpower the flavors of the dish but can still provide a lovely contrast. e!
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need. Click the links to shop my favorite cooking tools.
- Saucepan - You'll need a small or medium saucepan to heat the ingredients together to infuse the flavors.
- Whisk - Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together well.
- Jar - Use a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid to store the hot honey sauce.
Recipes to make with hot honey sauce
Here are some recipes to make that can go well with this yummy sauce!
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Hot Honey Sauce
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the honey, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Keep stirring and simmering on low for about 3 minutes. Watch the mixture carefully to ensure it doesn't reach the boiling point, and to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in the apple cider vinegar, then stir. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
- If leaving the red pepper flakes in to increase the heat/spiciness of the sauce over time, go ahead and pour the slightly cooled mixture into a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid.
- If you prefer the hot honey to be milder, strain out the red pepper flakes while pouring the hot honey mixture over a fine mesh sieve placed over a large bowl. Pour the hot honey sauce into a mason jar or other airtight container with a lid.
- Ensure the lid is on tight, then store hot honey sauce in a pantry or other cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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