Hot honey rub is a sweet and spicy rub that can be used to flavor meats, vegetables, and more. It combines the sweetness of honey with the heat of chili peppers for a tasty blend of flavors.
What are the ingredients in hot honey rub?
The main ingredients in hot honey rub are:
- Honey – This provides the sweetness and helps the rub adhere to foods.
- Chili peppers – The type can vary, but common options are cayenne, chipotle, ancho, and red pepper flakes. This gives the rub its heat and smoky flavor.
- Spices – Spices like black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, and paprika are often added.
- Oil – A small amount of olive or vegetable oil helps blend the ingredients.
- Salt
The specific amounts of each ingredient can be adjusted to make the rub more or less spicy. More honey will give it more sweetness to balance the heat.
What are some recipe variations?
There are many ways the basic hot honey rub ingredients can be varied for different flavor profiles:
- Use different types of honey – Floral honeys like orange blossom or clover have a nice flavor.
- Try different peppers – Chipotle, habanero, or jalapeño would work.
- Add warm spices like ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or cloves.
- Include herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil.
- Sweeten with brown sugar or maple syrup.
- Use chili sauce or harissa paste for more heat.
- Stir in citrus zest or juice for brightness.
- Swap in garam masala or Cajun seasoning for other spice blends.
Feel free to experiment with ingredients to create your own signature hot honey rub!
What meats pair well with hot honey rub?
Hot honey rub pairs excellently with hearty meats that can stand up to its bold sweet and spicy flavor. Some great options include:
- Pork chops – The sweetness balances the richness of pork.
- Chicken – Wings, drumsticks, and tenders are all fantastic with hot honey.
- Ribs – Spareribs, baby back ribs, and country-style ribs.
- Turkey – Great for grilled turkey breast.
- Duck
- Goat
- Lamb
- Beef – Try brisket, roasts, or steaks.
- Game meats – Like bison, venison, boar.
For leaner meats like chicken breast or pork tenderloin, marinating before cooking helps the meat absorb more flavor. Fattier cuts will soak up more of that sweet heat.
What vegetables work well with hot honey rub?
Beyond meats, hot honey rub also pairs deliciously with robust vegetables that can handle its punchy flavor. Excellent veggie options include:
- Potatoes – Sweet potato wedges, roasted red potatoes.
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Squash – Butternut, acorn, zucchini.
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Peppers – Bell peppers, shishito peppers.
- Corn on the cob
For caramelized, charred flavor, try tossing the vegetables with the hot honey rub before roasting or grilling. The sugars will help them brown while the spice adds kick.
What are some recipe ideas with hot honey rub?
Here are just a few tasty ways to use hot honey rub:
- Hot honey chicken wings – Toss fried wings in a mix of hot honey rub and melted butter or oil.
- Spicy honey glazed salmon – Top salmon filets with the rub and glaze with a hot honey mixture while cooking.
- Hot honey pork chops – Rub bone-in or boneless pork chops with the spice mix and drizzle with extra honey before broiling or grilling.
- Sweet and spicy ribs – For fall-off-the-bone ribs, coat liberally with hot honey rub and smoke low and slow.
- Grilled hot honey shrimp skewers – Thread shrimp onto skewers, coat with olive oil and rub, and grill until charred and cooked through.
- Spiced honey cornbread – Add a few tablespoons of the rub to cornbread batter before baking for a sweet kick.
- Hot honey roasted carrots – Toss carrot batons in oil and rub, then roast until caramelized.
- Sweet potato fries – Sprinkle rub over the fries before baking for spicy edges.
The possibilities are endless! Use the hot honey rub anywhere you want a touch of sweet heat.
How do you make hot honey rub?
Making your own homemade hot honey rub is easy. Here is a basic recipe and directions:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup dried chili flakes or chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, gently heat the honey over medium-low just until warm and runny.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chili flakes, brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne.
- Transfer the mixture to a glass jar and let cool completely before using.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Feel free to tweak the quantities to your taste – add more honey for sweetness or more chili flakes for heat. Extra spices like onion powder or ginger are also delicious.
Can you buy pre-made hot honey rub?
While homemade has the freshest flavor, you can also purchase pre-made hot honey rubs from some spice companies and gourmet retailers. Some popular options include:
- Mike’s Hot Honey – A brand that makes an original hot honey that can be used as a rub.
- Spicewalla – Offers a sweet and spicy smoked honey rub blend.
- Weber – Makes seasoning blends including a honey chipotle rub.
- Stonewall Kitchen – Sells a hot pepper honey rub.
- Traeger – Has an applewood honey habanero rub.
Check your local supermarket or specialty food store. Small batch rub producers also sell their products online.
What can you use instead of hot honey rub?
If you don’t have hot honey rub, there are a few substitutes that will provide a similar sweet and spicy flavor profile:
- Barbecue sauce or chili sauce mixed with honey
- Jalapeño jelly and brown sugar
- Pureed fruit preserves with cayenne and chili powder
- Molasses and Cajun seasoning
- Maple syrup with red pepper flakes
- Apricot jam with chipotle powder
You could also make your own quick sweet and spicy rub with ingredients like brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and maple syrup or honey. Adjust until you get the desired balance of sweet and heat.
Conclusion
Hot honey rub delivers a tasty blend of spicy and sweet that pairs perfectly with everything from juicy chicken to succulent slabs of ribs. While you can buy premixed blends, whipping up your own homemade batch allows you to customize the flavors exactly how you like. Brush on the sticky, peppery mixture while grilling or smoking meats for caramelized, charred results. The honey helps the rub adhere while also lending sweet contrast to the chili pepper heat. Hot honey rub also infuses robust flavor into vegetables like sweet potatoes, eggplant, and carrots when roasted. With endless versatility, this sweetly spicy rub can add delicious depth of flavor to proteins and veggies.