Hot honey makes leftovers worth eating again. A drizzle over cold pizza or a plate of roasted vegetables from two nights ago makes it a lot more enjoyable.
And if peppers are taking over the garden right now, this is a good way to use them.
Honey and fresh peppers. That's the entire ingredient list. Fresh peppers give a cleaner heat than dried flakes, and you get some of the pepper's own flavor instead of only the burn.
We make ours with raw honey and if you'd like to keep the properties of raw honey intact, see the instructions at the end of the recipe.
Hot Honey Recipe
YIELD: About 1 1/3 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 lb raw honey (about 1 1/3 cups)
2.8 oz fresh hot peppers, sliced thin (weigh them)
DIRECTIONS
Slice the peppers thin. Leave the seeds in for more heat, take them out for less. Wear gloves.
Add the honey and peppers to a small pot. Bring it up to a boil, then drop the heat and keep it hot, at least 140°F, for 15 minutes. Stir now and then. Keep your face away from the pot.
Strain out the peppers and pour into a clean jar with a tight lid. Sealed, it keeps in the pantry indefinitely. Throw it out if it ever bubbles or smells sour.
To keep the honey raw
Dry the peppers first, until they're brittle enough to snap. Dried chiles don't add moisture, so they're safe to steep cold with no weight limit. Put them in a clean jar, cover with honey, turn the jar every day or two, and give it a few weeks.
7 Ways to Use Hot Honey
Pizza
Drizzle it over pepperoni the second the pizza comes out of the oven, while the grease is still shining. Works on leftover slices too.
Fried chicken
Hot honey on a fried chicken sandwich, with pickles for the acid. On bone-in chicken, brush it on after frying so it doesn't burn.
Cornbread
Chili night. Drizzle it over a warm square and let it soak into the crumb before you cut in.
Roasted vegetables
Toss brussels sprouts, carrots, or sweet potatoes with hot honey in the last five minutes of roasting. The honey catches and caramelizes on the edges.
Cheese boards
Pour it over baked brie or spoon a little onto sharp cheddar and crackers. Goat cheese takes it well.
Biscuits
Split them hot, butter first, then hot honey. On a sausage and egg biscuit it does the work of both the sweet and the heat.
Marinades
Whisk hot honey with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic for chicken thighs or pork. Marinate for a few hours, then cook over medium. The sugars scorch on high heat.
Crystal's Raw Honey is a third-generation family beekeeping farm, with hives across the U.S. We focus on regional, single-varietal raw honey, unheated and unfiltered, so every jar carries the real taste and health benefits of where it was made.
Find raw honey made from hives near you.