11 Hot Honey Recipes for a Sweet & Spicy Bite

Baked Feta Dip with Hot Honey Recipe

Hot honey is more than just a trendy ingredient. The honey, traditionally infused with chili peppers, brings a sweet and spicy flavor to your plate. From roasted veggie sides to summer grilling favorites, these dishes prove that a drizzle of the complex condiment is worth the hype. Recipes like our Hot Honey Parmesan Carrots and Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites will make hot honey your new favorite staple.

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Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites

the recipe photo for the Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

These sweet-and-spicy salmon bites are seasoned with a hot honey–lemon glaze that clings nicely to the broiled salmon. Serve this easy appetizer with wooden picks at your next party. Turn this appetizer into a main dish by serving over brown rice and roasted veggies, or add to your favorite salad or grain bowl.

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Cheesy Zucchini with Hot Honey

a recipe photo of the Cheesy Zucchini Slices

Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

These cheesy baked zucchini slices are topped with a mixture of creamy feta cheese and melty mozzarella and finished off on a sweet note with a drizzle of hot honey. Cutting the zucchini on an angle gives you the most surface area to hold the cheesy topping. If your zucchini slices are crowding the baking sheet, it’s best to bake them on two baking sheets, and then broil them one baking sheet at a time so they cook evenly.

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Hot Honey Parmesan Carrots

a recipe photo of the Hot Honey Parmesan Carrots

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

This sweet side dish turns up the heat with hot honey and lots of crispy Parmesan cheese crisps for a savory note. To make your own hot honey, combine honey and crushed red pepper in a small skillet and bring just to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Stir in apple-cider vinegar to taste. Try this easy method with other veggies like beets, turnips or Brussels sprouts too.

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Hot-Honey Chicken & Pineapple Kebabs

Grilled Pineapple and Hot Honey Kebabs on a serving plate with a blue linen

Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

These grilled chicken kebabs are sweet and hot thanks to hot honey, juicy chunks of pineapple and the grill itself, which caramelizes the bell peppers, onion and chicken pieces to smoky perfection. Because the glaze (and the pineapple) are sweet, the kebabs may burn if left in one spot for too long. Be sure to move them from any hot spots on the grill and brush on the glaze in only the last couple of minutes on the grill.

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Hot Honey

Smashed Brussels sprouts with goat cheese & hot honey in a blue and with patterned bowl, with a serving spoon

Jacob Fox

Brussels sprouts are simmered until tender, then smashed to increase their surface area before they're finished in the oven with a creamy layer of goat cheese and a drizzle of sweet hot honey. If you like an herby flavor, garnish them with chopped fresh rosemary just before serving.

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Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp

Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
Jason Donnelly

Shrimp are coated in sweet heat thanks to hot honey and Sriracha. If you want to take the heat down a notch, use regular honey instead.

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Peach Bruschetta

a recipe photo of the Peach Bruschetta

Hot honey brings a sweet heat to this peach bruschetta. Basil gives a nod to bruschetta’s timeless flavor, while mint offers a cool and unexpected touch. Feel free to use either (or both), or experiment with other delicate herbs like tarragon or chives. Ripe but firm peaches work best for this recipe, as they are easiest to cut.

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Smashed Beets with Goat Cheese & Hot Honey

The smashed beets with goat cheese & hot honey recipe on a light gray plate, with a spatula pushed under some of the beet slices for serving

Jacob Fox

In this sweet and savory side, beets are sliced and cooked until tender in water with a splash of vinegar before crisping up under the broiler with tangy goat cheese on top. Hot honey adds spice, and thyme adds fresh, herby notes.

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Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey

a step in making the Whipped Feta with Pomegranate, Pistachios & Honey

This easy, quick appetizer is perfect for any gathering. Be sure to process the feta and cream cheese together until you see a smooth texture and ribbons start to form. Doing so will ensure any bits of feta are broken down, and you’ll avoid a grainy texture. The drizzle of hot honey adds a pleasant spice and plays well with the salty pistachios, but you could substitute regular honey or date syrup if preferred.

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Hot Honey Corn Salad

a recipe photo of the Hot Honey Corn Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Sweet corn combines with hot honey for a nice overall balance of hot and sweet flavors in this delicious summer side dish. Serve this easy salad alongside grilled chicken or steak, or ditch the greens on the bottom and enjoy the corn mixture as a taco or burrito bowl topping.

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Crispy Hot Honey–Sesame Feta Bites

a recipe photo of the Crispy Hot Honey–Sesame Feta Bites

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

These warm feta bites are encrusted in toasty sesame seeds and drizzled with spicy-sweet honey for an easy appetizer that hits all the right notes. Make sure to pat your feta dry so the egg can adhere to it, keeping the sesame seeds in place. Feta cheese holds its shape as it cooks but it will need a delicate touch when it’s turned and transferred to the platter.

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