Hot Honey BBQ Sauce

Looking for that perfect balance of sweet and spicy? Adding this Hot Honey BBQ Sauce recipe to your entrees and sides will give you that perfect kick of flavor. It is great on everything from wings to burgers and pork.

Easy ingredients are really what makes a good recipe. We've all been at the store, reading the labels and wondering why there are so many "things" added in, right? This is just one of the reasons that this honey BBQ sauce recipe is one of my favorites.

Not only is it easy to make, but it's fast, too. When I'm craving a great sauce or looking for something to take my game day foods over the top, this is my go-to honey BBQ wing sauce without fail.

But keep an open mind when making this delicious honey sauce. It's great on chicken wings, pork, and chicken, but there are more foods that I'm going to recommend that you can read about down below.

Speaking of spice, be sure to check out my Jalapeño Simple Syrup and our Honey Sriracha Sauce for another one of my favorite dipping sauces.

What is Hot Honey?

The first time I had hot honey was at a restaurant. I ordered a chicken dish and I thought 'hot honey' meant 'warm honey'. I didn't realize it meant 'spicy honey'. Hot honey is just honey with something spicy added like hot sauce or chile peppers. They are not all created equal. You also need to shake or stir the hot honey to evenly distribute the peppers.

Ingredients and Equipment

Ketchup: Adding ketchup gives that tomato-based flavoring that balances out the rest of the ingredients really well.

Spicy Mustard: Using spicy mustard adds a nice balance of heat but doesn't make it too over the top.

Hot Honey: The natural sweetness of the honey really comes through and adds the perfect taste balanced with the heat.

Minced Garlic: There's always room for garlic in BBQ sauce recipes. Always.

Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds a nice tang that is delicious but not overpowering.

Black Pepper: Just a shake or two of black pepper will do the trick.

Salt: We like our sauce to be sweet and a bit salty. You can omit the salt entirely or just salt to taste if you prefer.

How To Make Hot Honey BBQ Sauce

Step One: Add all the ingredients to a bowl.

Step Two: Mix or whisk until well combined. (You can take a taste test at this point and alter what you want. If you want more heat, add more heat.)

That's it! Since you start with ketchup this is a no-cook barbecue sauce that requires no simmering, boiling, or heating.

Variations

Mustard: There are a lot of mustard options out there so vary it up. Spicy mustard is great but you can easily use regular mustard, honey mustard, or any other type that you want.

Ghost pepper: You like it spicy? Make it spicy! This is one of the hottest ingredients that you can possibly add to any food so take that as a warning.

Amino acids: For a healthier option, you can use amino acids in lieu of soy sauce. It's the same flavor profile just with less sodium.

Seasonings: Have fun with the seasonings. Adding in smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and even some liquid smoke will just enhance the flavors. 

Tomato paste: You can also add a bit of paste as well.

Add more sweetener: Adding brown sugar and even molasses can give a kick of sweetness, too.

Lemon juice: Just a little bit of the citric acid causes such a nice surprise of flavor.

How To Serve Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce

This is where you get to enjoy all those flavors! Some of the best ways to serve and enjoy this delicious sauce are to use it on:

Burgers - I love a good barbecue burger. A nice thick grilled burger with some onions, bacon, cheddar, bacon, and hot honey bbq sauce. Yum.

Pizza - Barbecue pizza is another love of mine. Just swap out the burger for some pizza dough and top it with the toppings listed above. Grilled or smoked pizza is even better. Just toss the dough on a hot grill, flip, and then top. Try this Hot Honey Pizza for a great meal.

Wings - Make the best batch of spicy honey BBQ wings by coating our Traeger wings in this sauce.

Pork - Adding to smoked pulled pork is just one more great use. We also love it on 3 2 1 Ribs.

Chicken - Pouring on top of shredded chicken or use it to coat smoked chicken legs. Or serve with hot honey chicken tenders to really kick things up!

Pork Belly Burnt Ends - These are a great way to enjoy burnt ends when you don't have time to smoke a whole brisket.

And the list goes on and on. If it can be sauced, sauce it. You won't be sorry. (I even drizzle this on top of my corn!)

You can also fresh warm biscuits to "soak" up any leftovers of this sauce that might be hanging out on your plate. Seriously, it's just really flavorful.

Common Questions

Is this spicy honey BBQ sauce too spicy for kids?

It just depends if the kids like heat! There is a kick of spice, so I would put a bit on a few teaspoons and let them try it and see what they think.

The great part about making a sauce is that you don't have to add it to everything. It's a great condiment to have and add individually to dishes, too.

How do you store this hot honey barbecue sauce recipe?

You need to be sure that you're storing this in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to use a mason jar with a lid. As long as you keep it cool in the refrigerator, it should last at least 5-7 days. We've had it last up to a month. Since it doesn't have any added preservatives, it's not going to have as long of a shelf life as store-bought sauces from the grocery store. It's not meant to be left out at room temperature for very long, so keep it chilled in the fridge.

However, this just means that you need to make more recipes to eat with it! It's a versatile homemade sauce that everyone is going to love.

 

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