iWay Magazine — Gourmet
By Virginia Viadas
Hot Honey Was the Most-Searched Recipe of the Year — Here's How to Make It in 10 Minutes
Mexico City; July 29, 2026 — Hot honey's rise says something about how flavor trends work now: the winner was not a dish, it was a condiment that improves dishes people already make. Pizza, fried chicken, cheese boards, roasted vegetables, cornbread — one bottle upgrades all of them.
Its reach shows up further down Google's 2025 list too: the hot honey cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl was the number one trending viral dish of the year, and pickle-flavored foods and cottage cheese dishes were among the most common searches. blog
What Google's data showed
| Category | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top trending recipe/food search 2025 | Hot honey | Google Year in Search 2025, via TechCrunch Candy Industry |
| Runners-up | Marry Me Chicken, chimichurri | Google Year in Search 2025, via TechCrunch Candy Industry |
| Top trending viral dish | Hot honey cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl | Google Year in Search 2025, via People blog |
| Other viral dishes | Dumpling bake, cabbage boil, carrot salad | Google Year in Search 2025, via People blog |
| Trending restaurant item | Caviar chicken nuggets | Google Year in Search 2025, via People blog |
The base recipe
Makes about 1 cup. Time: 10 minutes plus cooling.
- Combine 1 cup of honey with 2 to 3 teaspoons of red pepper flakes — or 2 dried chiles de árbol, broken open — in a small saucepan.
- Warm over low heat until the honey thins and just begins to bubble at the edges. Do not let it boil; scorched honey turns bitter and loses its floral character.
- Hold at that temperature for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. This is the step most home cooks skip, and it is what keeps the honey from tasting flat and one-note.
- Let it steep 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much heat you want, then strain if you prefer a clear honey or leave the flakes in for texture.
- Store in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to three months.
Three Mexican variations that beat the American original
- Chile de árbol: clean, sharp, front-of-mouth heat. The closest match to commercial hot honey and the most versatile.
- Chile morita: smoked and slightly sweet. Exceptional on grilled cheese, roasted carrots and anything off a parrilla.
- Habanero with a strip of orange peel: floral and aggressive. Use it sparingly on fried chicken or fresh cheese.
Where to actually use it
- Pizza. The canonical pairing, especially over pepperoni, spicy salami or a blue cheese base. If you want to see who is doing crust properly first, check the Mexico City pizzerias that made the world rankings this year.
- Fried chicken, drizzled at the table so the crust stays crisp.
- Cheese boards — it is the correct partner for aged manchego, goat cheese and fresh queso panela.
- Roasted vegetables: cauliflower, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts.
- Cocktails. As a syrup substitute in a whiskey sour or a mezcal-based drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is hot honey made of?
Honey infused with chili heat, typically plus a small amount of vinegar for balance. That is the entire formula.
How long does homemade hot honey last?
About three months in a sealed jar at room temperature. Honey is naturally preservative; the chiles are the limiting factor.
Will it crystallize?
It can, like any honey. Set the jar in warm water for a few minutes to bring it back.
Fresh chiles or dried?
Dried. Fresh chiles introduce water, which shortens shelf life considerably.
Is it very spicy?
You control it entirely through steeping time and chile quantity. Start at 2 teaspoons of flakes and 10 minutes of steeping, then adjust.