5 Ways to Serve Hot Honey With Vegetables

A finishing drizzle of hot honey adds sweetness and chili heat to grilled corn, roasted carrots and other vegetables. Serve extra honey separately so each person can choose how much to add.

The five recipes below are by Teddy Danielson. Cooking times are approximate; check the tenderness and browning described in each method. The photographs illustrate ingredients and cooking scenes. They are not records of these recipes being tested.

Choose your vegetables

Start with the vegetables you already plan to cook:

• Zucchini and summer squash: grill or roast them, then add a little hot honey.
• Corn: try hot honey with butter, salt or cheese on grilled corn.
• Eggplant: cook until tender, then finish grilled slices with hot honey.
• Carrots: roast them and add a finishing drizzle.
• Peppers: bell, shishito and padrón peppers have different flavors and heat levels. Choose the ones you enjoy.
• Cherry tomatoes: roast them for a salad or grain-bowl topping.

Cook the vegetables, then finish with honey

Honey can scorch over high heat. Add it near the end of cooking, or drizzle it over the cooked vegetables before serving.

FDA’s produce-handling guidance recommends washing your hands and rinsing produce under running water before preparation. Dry it with a clean towel. Use clean utensils, keep produce separate from raw meat and skip soap or detergent on the vegetables.

• Grilling: cook the vegetables, then add hot honey. For another grilling idea, read Hot Honey Glazes for Grilled Meats.
• Roasting: roast until tender, following the recipe’s directions for when to add honey.
• Sautéing: add hot honey near the end when cooking zucchini, peppers or tomatoes.
• No-cook drizzle: try a little on a salad, prepared crudités or avocado toast.

Grilled Corn with Hot Honey and Feta

Feta adds a salty finish to corn with butter or olive oil and hot honey.

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn, husked
• 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
• 2 tbsp hot honey (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
2. Brush the corn with olive oil or butter and grill, turning occasionally, until charred, about 10–12 minutes.
3. Drizzle hot honey over the grilled corn.
4. Sprinkle with feta cheese and a pinch of sea salt before serving.

Serve alongside a meal or a fresh salad.

Roasted Carrots with Harissa and Hot Honey Glaze

Harissa and lemon give these carrots another source of heat and acidity alongside the hot honey.

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp hot honey
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (about 220°C).
2. In a bowl, toss carrots with olive oil, harissa paste, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet.
3. Roast for about 20–25 minutes, until tender and caramelized.
4. Drizzle hot honey and lemon juice over the carrots and sprinkle with thyme before serving.

Serve the carrots alongside chicken or salmon, or add them to a holiday spread.

Sautéed Zucchini with Hot Honey and Lemon

Lemon and hot honey finish zucchini cooked with garlic.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced into rounds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp hot honey
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add zucchini and garlic, sautéing until tender and slightly golden, about 5–7 minutes.
3. Drizzle hot honey and squeeze lemon juice over the zucchini.
4. Toss to coat, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

Serve with a grain bowl, chicken or salmon.

Hot Honey Blistered Shishito Peppers

Cook the peppers in a single layer so they have contact with the skillet, then finish them with honey and salt. If the peppers do not fit without crowding, cook them in batches.

Ingredients

• 1 lb shishito peppers
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Flaky sea salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp hot honey

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.
2. Toss the shishito peppers with olive oil.
3. Add the peppers to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until blistered and charred in spots, about 5–7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and drizzle with hot honey. Toss to coat.

Serve immediately as a snack, appetizer or side dish.

Grilled Eggplant with Hot Honey and Basil

Basil and hot honey finish grilled eggplant slices.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp hot honey
• Fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat.
2. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill for about 3–4 minutes per side, until tender and slightly charred.
4. Drizzle hot honey over the eggplant and top with fresh basil before serving.

Serve warm.

Choose a honey for your vegetables

Use a hot honey whose ingredients and heat suit you. One bottled option is Mike’s Hot Honey Original, linked below as one 12 oz squeeze bottle. We have not tested it in these recipes. Check the manufacturer’s ingredient information before choosing a bottle.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon link below is a paid link; purchases take place on Amazon.

View Mike’s Hot Honey Original, one 12 oz squeeze bottle, on Amazon (paid link)

If you prefer to make a batch, Shane Brand’s Homemade Hot Honey Recipe includes a linked complete preparation and food-safety method.