What Is Hot Honey and Why You’ll Want It on Everything

What is hot honey? It’s a great mix of heat and sweetness that’s perfect for drizzling on pizza, adding to chicken wings, or tossing with roasted vegetables. It’s not just hot sauce mixed with honey — it’s a versatile ingredient with endless ways to use it in cooking and baking. There’s even an easy DIY recipe included, so you can make it at home and adjust the spice level to your taste.

Good cooking often comes down to balancing opposite flavors in ways that bring out the best in each. It’s also about trying new ingredients and figuring out how to make them work. Hot honey, introduced in 2003, is a relatively new sauce that’s inspired both chefs and home cooks to create all kinds of uses for it — some better than others.

💬 What is hot honey?

Hot honey is exactly what it sounds like — a mix of honey and chili peppers or flakes. The chili adds a bit of heat to the natural sweetness of honey, making it a great way to add bold flavor to all kinds of dishes. It’s made by gently heating honey with chili to infuse the spice, and the result is a condiment that’s sweet, spicy, and super versatile.

Hot honey can be used as a drizzle, a glaze, or even a dip. It’s a favorite for pizza, fried chicken, and roasted vegetables, but it works just as well in marinades or over snacks like popcorn or nuts. You can adjust the spice level depending on how much chili you add, so it’s easy to customize. Whether you’re cooking or just looking for a quick way to spice things up, hot honey is simple to use and fits into almost any meal.

🍯 The first kind sold

The history of hot honey goes back to 2003. Mike Kurtz, the founder of Mike’s Hot Honey, was studying abroad in Brazil. While there, he saw jars of honey with red chilies in them, ready for customers to drizzle on top of pies. It was love at first taste. 

He always remembered that honey and went home to Brooklyn, where he perfected his unique recipe and gave out jars of it as gifts to friends and family. That’s when he called it Mike’s Hot Honey, and the name stuck.

But his free jars of honey wouldn’t be commercially sold until 2010. Mike was apprenticing at Paulie Gee’s pizzeria in Brooklyn and brought in a jar of his hot honey for Paulie to taste on the pizza. He loved it so much that it became a feature named The Hellboy Pie, and the word spread.

Customers kept asking for more jars of the honey on The Hellboy, so Mike Kurtz began bottling and selling 12-ounce bottles from the bar at Paulie Gee’s. Since then, it’s become a nationwide phenomenon, with new ways to use it popping up all over the internet every day.

〰️ How it’s made

Mike Kurtz will never give away the secret recipe, but enough people have created their recipes to hint at how to make hot honey. The basic idea is to combine honey with either chili peppers or chili-infused oil.

Some people use red chili flakes; others use jalapeno or habanero pepper flakes. Then, the flakes are removed completely, leaving just the heat behind in the honey.

✨ Hot honey varieties

Mike Kurtz might have brought the original recipe for hot honey to America. Since hot bottles became a culinary hit, people have created their takes on them. Today, there are many different varieties and types to choose from.

The original brand, Mike’s Hot Honey, now has an Extra Hot bottle. They also worked with Maille to release Hot Honey Dijon Mustard.

Other food brands joined the craze and released their versions. ChocZero has a keto hot honey bottle. AR has a few different varieties —  Hot Southern Mild Honey and Bourbon Barrel Aged Hot Honey. There is even a crunchy version with the chili flakes still in it.

👉 How long it lasts

The base of the popular condiment is authentic, real, genuine honey. So, the rules about how long it will last are the same as just honey by itself. According to Mike’s Hot Honey’s, it doesn’t expire. It doesn’t require refrigeration, either.

Store it at room temperature and use it until it’s all done. The biggest concern about honey is when it crystalizes. Thankfully, it’s really easy to decrystallize honey. Heating the honey helps it become pourable again. Some people use a microwave, and others prefer to put the honey in a hot bath.

💛 How to use hot honey

It takes just one taste to fall in love with hot honey. After one bite, you might start thinking of more ways to use it in other recipes. Here are some common and easiest ways to incorporate hot honey into your cooking.

1. Grilled vegetables

Anyone who has a tough time eating enough vegetables will love this idea. Transform boring broccoli and cauliflower into zippy, can’t-stop-eating side dishes. “I love to drizzle hot honey on grilled vegetables,” says Kristin King from Dizzy Busy and Hungry. “It adds a sweet and spicy kick that makes ordinary veggie side dishes like grilled zucchini taste amazing.”

It tastes perfect on any type of vegetable. Try it on grilled corn on the cob, seared asparagus or flame-grilled zucchini. It totally transforms the flavor.

2. Grilled chicken

It’s also a delicious way to add heat to grilled chicken. In fact, a grilled hot honey chicken recipe is perfect for cookouts. Serve it to guests, and they will be begging for the recipe.

It doesn’t just add flavor to the chicken. As it grills, the honey caramelizes, giving the chicken a tantalizing crust that makes people drool just looking at it. Make the hot honey yourself or buy a bottle from the store. The chicken tastes fantastic both ways.

3. Pizza

This is the most obvious choice since hot honey started out as a topping for Brooklyn pizza. If you haven’t tried drizzling hot honey on your pizza yet, give it a shot. It kicks up the flavor to level 10.

What type of pizza tastes best with hot honey? Honestly, any kind will taste amazing with it. Most people prefer it with jalapenos on their pizza, and others swear that pepperoni is the best with honey.

4. Chicken wings

Move over buffalo wings; hot honey wings are the new star of the party. The sticky sweetness and punch of heat will make everyone reach for seconds. Chicken wings are already one of the most popular things to serve at parties — especially tailgates — but they’re even better with hot honey.

There are many different ways to serve hot honey chicken wings. You can either make the hot honey part of the sauce, combine it with your favorite rub or serve the honey on the side and let everyone add it if they want it.

5. Spicy sweet dip

Speaking of parties, dips are another snack or appetizer that everyone loves. Light and airy, whipped feta with honey dip is a crowd-pleaser. When you use hot honey with the nutty feta cheese, the chilis bring out the cheese’s natural sweetness.

You can also make it dairy-free by using goat cheese instead of feta cheese. They have similar textures, and both kinds taste incredible with hot honey.

6. Loaded tots

The versatility of loaded tater tots is unmatched. If you’re serving them to a family or at a party, you could even set up a tater tots bar, kind of like a baked potato bar. Set out the tots with as many different toppings as possible and let everyone make their plate.

If you’re making them yourself, bake the tots with the honey. As the honey caramelizes, it will make the tots crispier. There’s nothing better than crispy tater tots.

7. Quesadillas

It seems like a really weird food combo, but add some hot honey to a chicken quesadilla. Add the honey to the chicken before you fry them up. It will create the most incredible flavors.

The hot honey is also delicious on pork or beef quesadillas. Some people like how it tastes with cheese quesadillas, and others say it’s an odd combination. Try it for yourself and see what you think.

8. Nuts

Browse the snack aisle and get inspired by the huge variety of different flavors of mixed nuts. Then, save some money and make them at home. Roasted cashews with hot honey are super simple and impossible to put down.

You can even play around with the flavors. Add more red pepper flakes to the nuts with the hot honey to make them spicier. Or make a batch of mixed roasted nuts. Sprinkle paprika for smoky flavors and add more sea salt to simultaneously bring out all the flavors.

🏪 Where to buy hot honey

Hot honey has become so popular you can find it almost anywhere. Check your local grocery store near the condiments or honey section. Brands like Mike’s Hot Honey are easy to spot and have become a go-to for a reason. Specialty food stores might carry smaller brands or fun variations, like bourbon-infused options. And if you’re looking for something specific, online retailers like Amazon usually have a wide selection to browse.

⏲ How to make homemade hot honey

Making hot honey at home is quick and simple, and it lets you control how much heat you want. Start by choosing your honey — regular clover or wildflower honey works great. Next, decide on your chili peppers or flakes. Red chili flakes are the most common choice, but jalapeño or habanero flakes can be used if you prefer more heat.

Gently heat the honey in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in the peppers or flakes. Avoid boiling the honey; just warm it enough to allow the flavors to infuse. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then taste to check the spice level. If you’re happy with it, strain out the peppers or flakes for a smooth finish, or leave them in for added texture. Once cooled, store the honey in a clean jar at room temperature, and it’s ready to use.

🌶️ Unique applications

Hot honey is one of those things that goes well with way more than you’d expect. Try stirring a spoonful into a hot cup of tea for a sweet and spicy pick-me-up. It’s also great for glazing meats like pork chops or salmon — just brush it on during the last few minutes of cooking.

Feeling adventurous? Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream or even a stack of pancakes. The mix of heat and sweetness works perfectly in sweet and savory dishes alike.

🐝 Transform your recipes with hot honey

Hot honey is more than just a trendy condiment — it’s a simple way to bring bold flavor to your favorite dishes. With its balance of sweetness and heat, it’s perfect for drizzling, glazing, dipping, or even spicing up snacks and marinades.

Whether you buy it or make your own at home, hot honey is a versatile ingredient that works in both savory and sweet recipes. From pizza and chicken wings to roasted veggies and even desserts, the possibilities are endless. Once you start using it, you’ll see why it’s become a favorite in kitchens everywhere.

🍽 Recipe

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.