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Hot honey sauce is the trendsetting sweet and spicy condiment you never knew you needed in your life. It’s perfect for drizzling on fried chicken, pizza, buttermilk biscuits, and beyond!
Once you get a taste of this homemade hot honey sauce, you’ll never go back to your regular condiments again. It’s a 3-ingredient sweet and spicy sauce that is putting all others to shame. Not only is it a signature part of my hot honey chicken sandwich, but you’ll want to drizzle it on everything, from fried chicken wings to pizza to spicy chicken sandwiches!
Table of Contents
What is hot honey?
Hot honey infuses liquid honey with spicy peppers, like red pepper flakes. The honey is sweet, while the peppers give it an addicting spicy kick that complements all of your favorite foods. You can use it on practically everything, from meats to veggies and even dessert!
Here are some reasons why I LOVE this homemade hot honey recipe:
- Easy to make with 3 ingredients. Despite it being made from only honey, vinegar, and chili flakes, this simple sauce delivers some seriously complex flavors.
- Better than store-bought. Making hot honey from scratch is less expensive and tastes much better than store-bought. Plus, it leaves you in complete control over the level of heat.
- Pairs with anything and everything. With its sweet heat and touch of tang, this sauce is one of the best to pair with chicken, pizza, pork, and more.
One taste and this hot honey sauce will become a new must-have in your kitchen. Just like my spicy mayo and ranch dressing, it’s completely addictive!
Ingredients needed
Once you see how easy it is to make this spicy honey sauce from scratch, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff. The 3 simple ingredients you need to make this recipe are likely already in your pantry:
- Honey. Try to use unflavored filtered honey because it tastes better and has a wider variety of nutrients. You can even use my keto honey if you’re looking for a sugar free hot honey sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar. For a subtle acidic and tangy flavor that balances the rest of the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes. These add the heat! Feel free to start with only 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, then add more to reach your preferred level of spice.
How to make hot honey sauce
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Heat the honey and vinegar. Whisk the honey and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat.
Step 2 – Infuse with red pepper flakes. Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as the honey starts to simmer. Stir in the red pepper flakes.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Heat the honey to a simmer over low heat. Do not let it boil! If it boils, the flavor will be thrown off.
- This recipe makes about 16 tablespoons of sauce, but it’s very easy to double or triple the batch.
- The flavor of the honey will be a key component of the sauce, so choose a high-quality honey with a flavor you enjoy. Raw honey or unfiltered local honey can add an extra layer of complexity to the sauce.
- If the sauce is too hot for your taste, you can reduce spice level or add more honey. If it’s not hot enough, you can add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
Ways to use this sauce
Deciding what to pair with this sauce is the hardest part about making homemade hot honey! Check out these craveable ideas for inspiration:
- Wing sauce. Bake a crisp and juicy batch of bone-in chicken wings and toss them with hot honey. Or make hot honey lemon pepper wings by seasoning them with lemon pepper before coating them in the honey sauce.
- Dipping sauce. Whip up my air fryer French fries, air fryer sweet potato fries, or zucchini fries for something fierty and tasty.
- Firecracker sauce sub. swap out the firecracker sauce in my firecracker chicken, firecracker salmon, and firecracker meatballs with it.
- Crispy chicken. Drizzle the sauce over breaded air fryer fried chicken or chicken cutlets, or juicy chicken breasts. Use it as a dip for chicken tenders and air fryer chicken nuggets.
- Pizza. Finish a homemade pizza with a drizzle of this sauce.
- Pork chops. Drizzle it over crispy pork chops so the breading absorbs the sticky sweet-heat goodness.
- Fish and seafood. It’s the best sweet and spicy finishing sauce for blackened seafood dishes, like blackened salmon, blackened tilapia, and blackened shrimp. Or try it as a dip for crunchy fish and shrimp.
- Roasted vegetables. Spoon some over roasted brussels sprouts, cabbage steaks, or potatoes and carrots as soon as they’re done cooking.
- Cheese plates. Place a small jar of honey sauce on a charcuterie board with an assortment of cheeses, meats, and crackers. It’s also delightful as a topping on baked brie.
- Ice cream. Warm hot honey is a heavenly vanilla ice cream topping.
Storage instructions
To store: If stored in a sterilized dry jar, airtight container, or bottle, this sauce will keep at room temperature for 6 months to 1 year. Just be sure to let it cool completely before sealing the container and keeping it in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate.
Frequently asked questions
You’re in complete control of the heat level here, so you can make this recipe as spicy as you like. Remember, the longer the crushed peppers soak, the hotter your honey sauce will be. Strain the red pepper flakes for a mild sauce, or leave them be if you want it extra spicy.
Yes, in particular habanero peppers or jalapenos. Slice the fresh chili peppers first before stirring them into the honey and vinegar. Leaving the seeds and veins intact means the sauce will have more heat, but you can remove them ahead for a mild sauce.
Absolutely. If the honey sauce crystallizes or solidifies, simply place the tightly sealed jar under hot running water until the honey melts and returns to a smooth liquid.
The thickness of hot honey sauce can vary depending on personal preference. Some people prefer a thinner sauce that can be drizzled over food, while others prefer a thicker sauce that can be used as a glaze. If you want a thicker sauce, you can simmer it on low heat for a few minutes to reduce it.
More sauces and condiments to try
- Big mac sauce– This is even BETTER than the OG golden arches.
- Eel sauce– I promise you, this does NOT taste like eel.
- Bulgogi sauce– I describe this as a Korean-style BBQ sauce.
- Seafood boil sauce– The perfect condiment to any seafood boil.
Hot Honey Sauce (3 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk together the honey and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan and place over low heat.
- Once it starts to simmer, remove from the heat and add the red pepper flakes.
