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This easy jalapeño hot honey recipe uses just two ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to make. Fresh jalapeños are gently simmered in honey to create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Drizzle it over charcuterie, sourdough fried chicken, fresh-milled cornbread, and your other favorite dishes.
Recipe Overview: Jalapeño Hot Honey
- Ready In: 10 minutes
- Serves: 16 servings
- Calories: 65 kcal/serving (approximately)
- Main Ingredients: Jalapeño peppers, honey
- Dietary Notes: Low-sodium, gluten-free, fat-free
- Why You’ll Love It: This homemade jalapeño hot honey is sweet, spicy, and made with just two ingredients in 10 minutes. It’s an easy way to add an elevated finishing touch to everything from fresh-milled dinner rolls, sourdough brioche rolls, quick sourdough pancakes, pizza, and beyond.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON
Every summer, my garden produces more jalapeños than I know what to do with. While I always make a few batches of canned candied jalapeños and sourdough cheddar jalapeño bread, I also save a handful of peppers to make this easy homemade hot honey.
It takes just 10 minutes to make and adds the perfect sweet-and-spicy kick to everything from sourdough fried chicken to autumn veggie pizza (or your other favorite pizzas), fresh-milled cornbread, and butternut squash soup with leeks.
This will be your go-to condiment! Enjoy!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
2 Ingredients: You’ll need honey and fresh jalapeños. That’s it!
Quick & Easy: It takes just 10 minutes to make this recipe.
Fresh Jalapeños: This is a great way to use up extra jalapeños from your garden harvests.
Versatile Uses: Drizzle it over pizza, sourdough cheddar pork chops, easy sourdough English muffins, chicken shawarma sheet pan, cheese boards, and more.
Great for Gifting: This year, I’m making a few jars to include in sourdough gift baskets for the holidays.
Key Ingredients
Jalapeños: I used jalapeños from my garden, but store-bought works perfectly!
Honey: I prefer orange blossom honey from Azure Standard, but any honey will work.
Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.
Variations
Smoky: Simmer the honey with a pinch of chipotle powder or a dried chipotle pepper.
Citrus: Stir in a teaspoon of fresh lemon or lime zest while simmering.
Mixed Peppers: Swap the jalapeños for serrano peppers for a hotter honey, or use Fresno peppers for a sweeter flavor. Or use a mix of peppers!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Slice the jalapeños into 1/4-inch rounds. For a milder hot honey, remove the seeds and membranes.
Wear gloves while cutting and handling the peppers to avoid getting the oils on your skin.
Step 2: Combine the honey and sliced jalapeños in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Warm over medium heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Do not let it boil.
Step 3: Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, to infuse the honey with the jalapeño flavor.
Step 4: Remove the pot from the heat, and let the honey cool for a minute or two.
Pour the honey through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the peppers and seeds.
Step 5: Let the hot honey cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
If the honey crystallizes, warm the jar in a bowl of warm water until smooth.
Step 6: To serve, drizzle it over sourdough fried chicken, fall harvest pizza, or your other favorite dishes.
Tips for Success
- Use fewer peppers for a mild honey or add more for extra-spicy hot honey.
- If your honey is too spicy, add a little more honey.
- You can store the peppers in the honey, but it will reduce the shelf life, so I prefer to remove them.
- Cooling the honey, uncovered, to room temperature helps prevent condensation from forming inside the jar.
- Be sure to stir the honey often while simmering to prevent burning.
Serving Suggestions
Cornbread: Drizzle jalapeño hot honey over fresh-milled cornbread.
Fried Chicken: Finish sourdough fried chicken with a little hot honey (this is excellent for chicken and waffles).
Charcuterie Boards: Pair your homemade jalapeño hot honey with your favorite cheeses, cured meats, nuts, and fruit on a charcuterie board.
Cottage Cheese: I love pairing hot honey with my homemade cottage cheese recipe.
Pizza: Hot honey is delicious on fresh-milled pizza, an autumn veggie pizza, or your other favorite sourdough pizza.
Grilled Meats: Brush onto grilled chicken, pork chops, salmon, or shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking.
Storing
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Jalapeño Hot Honey FAQs
This recipe has a mild to medium heat. You can adjust the spice level by removing the seeds and membranes, shortening the simmering time, or using fewer peppers.
Yes, because this recipe is made with fresh jalapeños, it should be stored in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! Leave the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños, add another pepper, or substitute serrano peppers for extra heat.
I recommend straining them out after simmering. This prevents the flavor from becoming too strong and improves the honey’s shelf life.
More Condiment Recipes
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Jalapeño Hot Honey
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 2-3 fresh jalapeños
Instructions
- Slice the jalapeños into 1/4-inch rounds. For a milder hot honey, remove the seeds and membranes. Wear gloves while cutting and handling the peppers to avoid getting the oils on your skin.2-3 fresh jalapeños
- Warm the honey and jalapeños. Combine the honey and sliced jalapeños in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Warm over medium heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Do not let it boil.1 cup honey
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, to infuse the honey with the jalapeño flavor.
- Strain the honey. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the honey cool for a minute or two. Pour the honey through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the peppers and seeds.
- Cool and store. Let the hot honey cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 months. If the honey crystallizes, warm the jar in a bowl of warm water until smooth.
- Enjoy! To serve drizzle it over sourdough fried chicken, fall harvest pizza, or your other favorite dishes.
Notes
- Use fewer peppers for a mild honey or add more for extra-spicy hot honey.
- If your honey is too spicy, add a little more honey.
- You can store the peppers in the honey, but it will reduce the shelf life, so I prefer to remove them.
- Cooling the honey, uncovered, to room temperature helps prevent condensation from forming inside the jar.
- Be sure to stir the honey often while simmering to prevent burning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is auto-calculated and may not reflect your final product. Please verify independently if needed.
This is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Over the weekend, we hosted a grilled pizza party, and we drizzled this over our pizzas. Everyone LOVED it!