Hot Honey

By Genevieve Ko

Published May 8, 2024

Hot Honey
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes, plus cooling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(59)
Comments
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Here’s a sticky elixir to drizzle over everything. Spicy and sweet, this homemade hot honey starts with fresh chiles for a fruity brightness that you can’t get from dried chiles (though they work in this formula, too). Fresh chiles become even more complex when simmered with vinegar. Cooking the acid mellows its harshness but still gives this condiment a nice tang. If you can’t find bird’s-eye chiles or chiles that are as small, you can use a few habanero or Scotch bonnets instead. (If you love heat, you can add as many chiles as you think you can handle.) Be sure to wash the chiles well before using. This honey is delicious drizzled over vegetables, biscuits, cheese, fried chicken, pizza, grilled meat and sandwiches. With its fresh notes, it’s a nice addition to salad dressings, too.

Featured in: Hot Honey Has Us in Its Sticky Grip

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Ingredients

Yield:½ cup
  • 5 to 10fresh whole red bird’s-eye or other small hot chiles
  • 2tablespoons white wine or distilled white vinegar
  • ½cup clover or other mild honey
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

160 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 38 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 8 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Use as many chiles as you want: five for a warm tingle, up to 10 for more burn. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut little slits in the chiles.

  2. Step 2

    Bring the chiles and vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Boil until the vinegar reduces by half, about 1 minute. Stir in the honey and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Pour into a jar, then cool to room temperature. Pluck out and discard the chiles. Refrigerate the hot honey for up to 2 weeks.

Ratings

4 out of 5
59 user ratings
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Comments

Ace Weems

I don't understand, how is honey not vegan? It's made from the nectar of blossoms. Where's the killing involved in making honey? With maple syrup you tap into a maple tree and drain its lifeblood, the syrup from it, and that's vegan?? BTW. I'm a beekeeper with over 100 hives.

Scott

Honey is very shelf stable and bacteria resistant, adding a bit of chili flavored vinegar shouldn't change that.

Agamemnon

I used 7 Thai chiles. On first tasing, there was no heat, only sweet. Then it hit the back of my mouth and my throat closed up and I couldn’t breathe for about 10 seconds. Good stuff! :-)

Ruth Domush

Can’t I mix honey with Siracha and that makes hot honey ??

Zulukat

Just made this to drizzle over butternut squash congee. I added 9 Thai chiles, OMG so yummy! Added just the right oomph to congee.

Bridget

Honey is not considered vegan because it is a product created by bees, which are animals. It's why vegans also don't eat non-fertilized eggs or drink milk.

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