Easy, homemade hot honey is infused with red chiles for a deliciously sweet and spicy condiment. Great on chicken wings, salmon, or even in cocktails!
The first time I saw hot honey was out to eat at a wood-grilled pizza restaurant.
They had the bottles of “Mike’s hot honey” you could purchase lined up all along the counter and I immediately thought “What a GENIUS idea”.
…Move over Sriracha there’s a new hottie in town ;).
This Mike’s hot honey copycat recipe is super easy to make!
To make homemade hot honey:
- Add honey and chopped dried chiles to saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat to a bare simmer. Don’t boil!
- Just as the mixture starts to simmer, turn down to low, cover and cook 30 minutes to let the chiles infuse. Taste test the honey and add more chiles if necessary
- Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
- Strain mixture into a mason jar, canning jar or other airtight container. Store in a cool place.
A couple of tips while making chile infused honey:
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Be sure to keep your pan on low heat. If you have the heat too high, the honey will boil over and you’ll have a hot sticky mess on your stove top (trust me, been there done that!)
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If you feel your honey is not spicy enough to your liking, try adding more chiles or you can add a dash of cayenne pepper to really kick it up.
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I prefer dried chiles over fresh because they have a lower and slower burn making them perfect for infusions.
These are the dried chiles I prefer (affilate link). They are a mild spicy. You could also use guajillo chili which is also mild or chile de arbol for a spicer kick.
Normally I am not a fan of spicy. Sure, I like mild salsa and pepper jack cheese (if you consider that as spicy), but anything that feels like fire in my mouth, no thank you.
This homemade hot honey is just spicy enough to make you go “ouu”, yet not so spicy you’re shoveling bread into your mouth and drinking large glasses of milk.
It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, kind of like those sweet and salty recipes (cue my sweet and salty scones).
Recipe Ideas for Spicy Honey:
- Crispy Baked Hot Honey Chicken
- Drizzled on pizza
- Hot honey glazed salmon
- Drizzled over cheddar & herb biscuits
- In a whiskey bourbon cocktail on ice
- As a homemade Christmas gift
And yes, besides being an awesome savory food condiment, this hot honey is definitely good mixed in tea for sore throats :).
The recipe below makes 1 cup of honey, but feel free to double it since it will keep for 3 months in an airtight container.
Homemade Hot Honey (infused with red chiles)
Easy, homemade hot honey is infused with red chiles for a deliciously sweet and spicy condiment. Great on chicken wings, salmon, or even in cocktails!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Honey
- 6-8 Dried Chili Peppers, chopped
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Add chop dried chili peppers and honey to a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Bring just to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer 30 minutes, stir in apple cider vinegar. Remove from heat and strain into mason jar, canning jar or airtight container.
- Store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
Notes
If honey isn't hot to your liking, add more dried chiles or some cayenne pepper for extra heat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Hello, how much longer than the 3 months you suggest of shelf life can the infusion of chilli and honey last? what happens after that time, is there any change in mixture or taste?
Hi Maria, I think as long as you keep the honey stored in an airtight jar or container it should keep well. As with regular honey, it may start to crystallize over time.
I can use red Chile powder ?
Hi! Yes, I believe you could use the powder. I would just simply mix it into the honey.
Hello! When should you add the apple curse vinegar?
Hi! You’ll want to add the apple cider vinegar after the honey has simmered for 30 min. (Sorry about that, I’ll update the recipe!) :).
Hi Alyssa why did you add the apple Cider Vinegar? I am trying to make it for my restaurant but I am using Calabrian Chile’s Paste in oil.
Hi David, I like the Apple cider vinegar because it adds some brightness to the honey :). I would check the Chile paste you mentioned to see if it already has vinegar in it and if it does, I’d skip the apple cider vinegar in my recipe. Hope this helps!
Hi,
Which type of dried chili did you use?
Hi Mia, I like using dried szechuan chiles (I’ve linked to them in the recipe ingredient list) You could also use guajillo chiles which are also mildly spicy. If you prefer something with more heat, you can try chiles de arbol. I hope this helps!
Have you ever tried using a different type of hot pepper? I have dried Lemon Drop pepper from this past summer…..
I haven’t, but I’m sure any dried pepper could work! I’m not familiar with lemon drop pepper but if it’s really spicy I’d use half the amount in the recipe and then adjust to your preference 🙂