This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare. You can have a delicious homemade hot honey sauce ready in just 2 minutes using 4 simple ingredients. Enjoy it as a dip or drizzle over your favorite dish for a sweet and spicy kick.
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Hot honey sauce is a sweet and spicy condiment made by combining honey with chili flakes.
It has gained popularity in recent years due to its distinctive blend of sweet and spicy flavors.
Many brands now offer their own versions of the sauce, such as Mike's Hot Honey and Red Clay Barrel-Aged Hot Honey, which are readily available online.
However, making your own hot honey at home is a simple and fun option. By making your own sauce, you can personalize the level of spiciness to your own taste, and it is free of additives or preservatives.
In addition, this can be a great DIY gift for the holidays!
Following this honey hot sauce recipe, you can make as much as you need more economically.
Looking for more condiments? check out our Asian Zing Sauce, Subway Sweet Onion Sauce and Mayo Ketchup Sauce.
Hot Honey Sauce Ingredients
Here are a few important notes about the ingredients. For measurements see the recipe card below.
Honey: I use pure raw honey that I buy locally. However, locally sourced organic honey or regular store-bought processed honey is perfectly fine. Just avoid those labeled "honey flavored" or "blended".
Chili: I find a combination of red chili flakes (crushed chili pepper) and chili powder gives the perfect flavor. You can adjust the amount by adding more/less chili as per your tolerance. You can even omit chili powder if you wish.
Lemon juice: lemon juice adds a slight tang to balance out the heat of the chili and the sweetness of honey. I love the wonderful citrusy flavor it adds to the sauce.
However, apple cider vinegar is an excellent alternative. You can use either of them depending on your taste preference.
Grated lemon zest (optional): a little grated lemon zest can give the spicy sauce a bright, fresh flavor and add a bit more complexity to the sauce. You can use a microplane or cheese grater for grating. Just make sure to avoid the white pith of lemon.
Key Tips
Use a good quality honey: All kinds of honey available in the market are not the same in terms of taste, texture, and quality. The flavor of the hot honey sauce will significantly depend on the quality of the honey you use. I recommend using high-quality honey preferably organic honey or pure raw honey.
Adjust the heat as per your liking: Some like the hot honey sauce to be very spicy, and some like it mild. However, the heat level of hot honey sauce will depend on the type and amount of chili element used.
It's always a good idea to start with small amounts and adjust to taste.
Don't boil the honey: Hot honey should be made over low heat on the stovetop and heated only as long as the texture of the honey becomes runny. Boiling honey will make it caramelize. Also, excessive heat can kill its natural enzymes and nutrients. So it is essential to keep an eye on it while heating.
Add other ingredients for extra flavor: You can also add other ingredients to the hot honey sauce, such as garlic powder, salt, or butter, to give it more flavor.
Instructions Step-By-Step
Here is a simple recipe for hot honey sauce:
- In a small saucepan, combine honey, chili flakes, chili powder, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest.
- Heat the mixture over low flame until the honey is hot and runny, not boiling.
- Take off from heat and allow it to cool.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
- Pour into a clean airtight glass container and it will last for about 2 weeks on the shelf.
Ways to use it
Hot honey sauce is a unique and versatile condiment with endless uses. Here are a few ways you can use it in your daily cooking.
As a marinade for your favorite protein. It can be an excellent marinade for chicken, seafood, pork, or other protein of choice.
As a topping for pizza or flatbreads. Give your traditional pizza a unique and flavorful twist by drizzling some hot honey sauce.
As a spread for sandwiches. Spread a spoonful on your sandwich, toast, burger, or crackers. You can even mix it with cream cheese or softened butter for a spicy spread.
As a dip for fried foods. It makes a great dip for fried foods such as chicken wings, fried chicken tenders, fried tofu, french fries, or onion fritters.
As a glaze for grilled or roasted meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. It can also be used as a glaze for baked goods such as bread roll or biscuits.
As a salad dressing. It's spicy and sweet flavor can add a unique taste to your salad, especially green, vegetable salad, or fruit salad.
As a sauce for stir-fries. It can be a great addition to stir fry dishes.
FAQs
Pure raw honey is a great choice as it is unprocessed and retains more natural nutrients and flavors. But if you can't find raw honey, don't worry! Locally sourced organic honey or regular store-bought processed honey will also work well. Just be sure to use a good quality one, as some producers use sugar and other ingredients to reduce the cost and avoid those labeled "honey flavored" or "blended".
Honey shouldn't be heated in the microwave in general. Since honey is a natural sweetener, subjecting it to high heat can make it caramelize and potentially lose some of its nutrients. In addition, heating honey in the microwave can cause it to bubble up and potentially spill over the container. So I suggest heating it on the stovetop. That way, you will have better control over the temperature and prevent the honey from scorching.
Well, that really depends on your tolerance for spiciness. The heat level of hot honey sauce can vary quite a bit depending on the types and amounts of chili peppers used. In general, though, I would say that the recipe I provided gives it a moderate level of heat - enough to add some zing to your dish without overwhelming your taste buds. Of course, if you love it spicy, you can always adjust the recipe to make it hotter, or if you're sensitive to spice, you can reduce it a bit. It's all about finding the balance that works for you!
If you try the recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. I love hearing from you and it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe
Homemade Hot Honey Sauce
Equipment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ teaspoon chili flakes or more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest grated optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine honey, chili flakes, chili powder, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest.
- Heat the mixture over low flame until the honey is hot and runny, not boiling.
- Take off from heat and allow it to cool.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
- Pour into a clean airtight glass container and it will last for about 2 weeks on the shelf.
Kimie says
Would this work to dip coconut shrimp in? Or would a standard sweet chili sauce be better?
MAUDE LAFOUNTAIN says
Can you do like a water bath with this to prolong the shelf life ? It really sounds amazing ....I only buy raw honey because it taste so much better to me ....I will be making me some of this just to tryout for my next get together with friends ....