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!

The first time I saw hot honey was when I was out to eat at a wood-grilled pizza restaurant. 

They had the bottles of hot honey you could lined up all along the counter for purchase and I immediately thought “what a GENIUS idea”. 

Of course I had to try making my own once I realized how easy it was!

...Move over Sriracha there’s a new hottie in town ;).

This Mike's hot honey copycat recipe is super easy to make and is good on just about anything, sweet or savory!

While I do love it on my pepperoni and cheese pizza, I also have been known to drizzle some of this in my margarita for an exceptional cocktail!

Seriously, the possibilities are endless ;).

How to make homemade hot honey:

1. Add honey and chopped dried chiles to saucepan.  Heat over medium-low heat to a bare simmer.  Don't boil!
2. Just as the mixture starts to simmer, turn down to low and cook 5 minutes to let the chiles infuse.  Taste test the honey and add more chiles if necessary.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.  
4. 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:

• 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!)

• 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.

• I prefer dried chiles over fresh because they have a lower and slower burn making them perfect for infusions.

• You don't have to strain out the peppers if you don't mind them in the honey jars.  Keep in mind, the longer they stay in the honey, the hotter the honey may get!

What type of peppers to use in hot honey:

• My favorite dried chile to use is Chiles de Arbol.  They're very versatile and have a good amount of spice to them.
• Guajillo chiles are also good to use in hot honey if you don't like too much spice.
• Chipotle peppers add a more smoky flavor.

This article has a list of different types of dried chiles and their flavor/heat level.

Can fresh peppers be used instead of dried?

Yes you can absolutely use your favorite fresh pepper.

However, when using fresh peppers, the shelf life of the honey will be a little shorter especially if you don't strain out the peppers (about 1-2 weeks).

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 (or triple!) it since it will keep for 3 months in an airtight container.

If you give this recipe a try, leave me a comment or star rating, I always love to hear your feedback!