Sweet with a hint of spicy! This recipe for Hot Honey only takes a few minutes to make but has endless uses.
We've been on one trip this year. We went to Asheville with my sister and brother-in-law at the beginning of March. It was a short trip. We mainly just ate and drank the whole time. We came home and two days later, Huck had surgery on his neck, and a few days after that, the entire state shutdown. Before this year, we traveled a lot! We had several trips planned {Scotland for my birthday and Australia for Huck's 40th were the big ones}.
In some ways, it has worked out that we couldn't travel. It gave Huck time to heal - a 12+ hour flight could have been rough. I miss it, though. I miss doing something different, getting lost in a city, eating new foods, and meeting new people. I know it will come back one day, but until then, I'm going to keep reliving our travels by recreating food from our trips!
While in Asheville, we went to a shop called Asheville Bee Charmer - a little store that sold all things honey. They even offered honey tastings. We bought a couple of small jars of spicy honey to bring home. I used it on wings, BBQ sauces/rubs, and Asian dishes. I even tried it on pizza based on their recommendation. It provides the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.
I've been doing a lot of recipe testing, and we have a ton of spice blends sitting around. Plus, I just purchased a huge jar of local, raw honey at Costco a few months ago, so I decided to make my own spicy hot honey.
What is Hot Honey
Hot Honey is just two ingredients. Honey and peppers. That's it. It takes only a few minutes to make and will last in the refrigerator for several months.
I used raw honey, but whatever you have on hand will work. I also used dried pepper flakes, but fresh peppers would work too. This post includes directions for both.
How to Make Hot Honey
The ingredients needed include:
- Honey
- Fresh or dried peppers of choice {jalapeno, habanero, scotch bonnet, ghost, or crushed red pepper}
The recipe below has a mild spice level. The sweetness from the honey mellows out the heat. If you like spicier food, feel free to add more flakes.
Using Dried Peppers
In a large, glass bowl, add the honey and pepper flakes. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for 5 seconds. Avoid overheating the honey. You just want to soften it slightly to mix in the peppers.
Remove from the microwave, stir, and allow to cool and infuse the pepper flavor into the honey. Instead of using the microwave, you can also place the bowl of honey in hot water. This will help soften the honey as well.
Allow the honey to sit at room temp for several hours to extract the flavor from the peppers. Serve the honey with or without the flakes. If keeping the flakes, store the honey in a jar in the refrigerator.
If removing the flakes, reheat the honey for 5 seconds until soft. Strain the peppers through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar. Discard the flakes and place the jar in the refrigerator.
Using Fresh Peppers
Slice your peppers of choice and add to a bowl with the softened honey. Stir and allow to sit together for several hours. Once infused with the peppers, heat the honey in warm water or the microwave for 5 seconds and strain the peppers and honey through a fine-mesh strainer.
Tip - I do not recommend leaving the fresh peppers in the honey unless you plan to use the honey within a few days.
Storage and Make-Ahead
This recipe is perfect to make-ahead and leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 3 months in a jar or bowl with a lid.
Ways to Use Hot Honey
My favorite way to use hot honey is for a glaze on chicken wings. I follow my recipe for air fryer chicken wings, omitting the curry, and toss the wings in a bowl with a little honey right before serving.
It's also great on roasted nuts, as part of a cheeseboard, on my Pork Ribs, or in a spicy cocktail.
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Hot Honey Recipe
- Total Time: 1 minute
- Yield: ½ cup of honey 1x
Description
Sweet with a hint of spicy! This recipe for Hot Honey only takes a few minutes to make, but the uses are endless.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Honey
- 2 teaspoons Dried Crushed Pepper {Crushed Red Pepper Flake or our custom Tear-Jerker Blends}
Instructions
- Place the honey in a bowl and soften slightly in the microwave for 5 seconds or place the bowl in hot water.
- Combine the honey and pepper flakes.
- For unstrained honey, pour the honey into a jar or bowl with a lid, and place in the refrigerator.
- For strained honey, leave the mixture on the counter for several hours to infuse. Soften the honey, so it is pourable, and strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the flakes.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Notes
If using fresh peppers, follow the directions for straining the honey. I do not recommend leaving the fresh peppers in the honey unless you plan to use it within a few days.
Add more or less spice depending on your personal preference.
- Prep Time: 1 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minute
- Category: Sauce
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: hot honey, spicy honey, how to make spicy honey
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