Hot honey is trending in restaurants and you can bring the same slap of flavor to all kinds of dishes that you eat at home. This Thai pepper honey adds major pizzazz to vegetables, meats, desserts, and even pizza – and it’s super easy to make.
Easy Recipe: How to Make Spicy Honey
Making spicy Thai pepper honey is easy. Start with two thinly sliced Thai chiles. Add them to a small saucepan that contains one cup of honey, and bring the mixture barely to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce your heat as low as it will go, and cook for one hour. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain if desired. Enjoy your Thai pepper honey immediately or store in the fridge for up to three months in an airtight container.
To dial up the heat, add one or two more Thai peppers. You can also try the recipe with ghost peppers or habaneros. For a little less spice in your sweet, opt for jalapenos. If you’re in a hurry – or you hate chopping peppers (ahem, because you always rub your eyes afterward) – simply substitute two teaspoons of red pepper flakes for the chiles and cook the mixture for just five minutes.
Drizzle, Dollop, and Drip Your DIY Honey on These Dishes
- Fresh Fruit – Toss your next fruit salad with a light dressing made with four parts honey to one part lime or lemon juice. It’s especially tasty with tropical fruits, like pineapple, mango, and papaya.
- Spicy-Sweet Salads – For any salad dressing recipe that calls for honey, whisk in spicy Thai pepper honey instead for a bigger, brighter flavor.
- Fired-Up Veggies – Brush hot honey on roasted vegetables to wake up your table. Complimentary pairings include carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, parsnips, broccoli, onions, and peppers.
- Fried Chicken – Crispy fried chicken dipped in sweet honey is a classic dish in the South, especially when served with fluffy buttermilk biscuits. Heat things up by using Thai pepper honey instead. It’s delicious as a glaze on buffalo wings and an excellent alternative for maple syrup on chicken and waffles.
- Sticky Pizza – Hot honey gives home-baked pizzas a gourmet twist. It tastes best with Hawaiian-style pizzas or other pies with pork toppings, including ham, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni. Barbecue chicken pizza with spicy honey is also a winner.
- Glaze for the Grill – Use sweet-hot honey as a glaze on grilled vegetables and proteins like pork ribs, chicken, shrimp, and salmon. You can also stir it into your marinade.
- Cheese Plates – Spicy honey will pep up your next cheese plate. Drizzle it lightly over Stracchino cheese, Parmigiano, or Camembert just before serving.
- Ice Cream Sundaes – Drizzle chocolate or vanilla ice cream with spicy honey and add a sprinkling of chopped, roasted nuts. Try pecans with chocolate and pistachios with vanilla.
- Bacon – Do you love dipping your bacon in maple syrup? Hot honey adds spice to the salt and sweet for a decadent taste that is truly mouthwatering.
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