This Hot Honey Vinaigrette is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy in one bold, flavor-packed dressing. It comes together in minutes using simple ingredients and instantly transforms everyday salads into something exciting. If you're looking for an easy homemade vinaigrette with a little kick, this is the one to make.
Hot Honey Vinaigrette Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dressing / Condiment
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: About 6 servings
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Sweet, spicy, tangy, bold
- 🍚 Best Served With: Salads, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes
Summarize and Save This Content On
There's something irresistible about the combination of heat and sweetness, and this dressing delivers both in the best way. It's light yet full of flavor, making it perfect for everything from fresh greens to roasted vegetables and as a marinade for grilled meats. Once you try it, you'll find yourself reaching for it again and again.
This hot honey vinaigrette recipe was inspired by my honey hot sauce and avocado hot sauce on this site, and pairs well with this amazing sidedish recipe.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Comes together in minutes with common ingredients
- Bold flavor: Perfect balance of tangy and sweet heat that everyone loves
- Versatile: Enhances dishes without overpowering. Works as a dressing, marinade, or drizzle on salads, meats, veggies, and more
- Better than store-bought: Fresh flavor with no preservatives and you can easily adjust spice level
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this hot honey vinaigrette, and they're easy to find at any grocery store
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and smooth texture
- Red Wine Vinegar: Provides tangy acidity to balance sweetness
- Hot Honey: Brings sweet heat and signature flavor
- Garlic Powder: Adds subtle savory depth
- Salt: Enhances and balances all flavors
- Lemon Juice: Brightens and freshens the vinaigrette
- Dijon Mustard: Helps emulsify and adds slight tang like with our mustard maple syrup
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Maple Hot Vinaigrette: Replace honey with maple syrup for a deeper sweetness like our spicy maple syrup
- Balsamic Hot Honey Vinaigrette: Use balsamic vinegar for a richer flavor
- Garlic Lover's Version: Add fresh minced garlic for stronger flavor
- Spicy Version: Add red pepper flakes or hot pepper vinegar for extra heat
- Apple Cider Version: Swap vinegar for apple cider vinegar
How to Make Hot Honey Vinaigrette
This hot honey vinaigrette comes together in just a few easy steps and requires no special equipment.
Step 1: Add ingredients to bowl. In a medium sized bowl, add your red wine vinegar, hot honey, garlic powder, salt, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Whisk while adding olive oil slowly for best results.
Step 2: Blend and refrigerate. Whisk ingredients until incorporated. Ideally, chill covered for at least 30 minutes before serving for flavors to meld in your refrigerator. The dressing may separate while sitting after a while because it contains oil, just give it a nice stir or shake before serving.
Hot Honey Vinaigrette Expert Tips
- Add fresh garlic if desired: Gives stronger flavor than powder
- Double the recipe: Great to have some on hand for meal prep and weekly use
- Use a mason jar for mixing: Makes it easy to shake and emulsify the dressing quickly without extra tools
- Balance sweetness and acidity: Taste and adjust honey or vinegar to suit your preference for perfect flavor balance before serving
- Warm the honey slightly: Helps it mix more smoothly into the vinaigrette without clumping
- Add oil slowly while whisking: Creates a more stable and creamy emulsion
- Use fresh lemon juice: Brightens the flavor and enhances the tanginess of the dressing
- Let it sit before serving: Allowing the dressing to rest helps the flavors meld together
- Adjust spice level easily: Add chili flakes or spicy jalapeno hot sauce or scotch bonnet hot sauce for more heat if desired
- Use high-quality olive oil: Great oil makes a noticeable difference in taste and texture
- Store in airtight container: Keeps the dressing fresh and prevents flavor loss
- Shake before every use: Ensures the ingredients are well combined after separation
If you love hot honey vinaigrette recipes like this, you may also enjoy hot honey salmon.
Storage Directions
Refrigerator: Store this vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
Freezer: Not recommended
Reheat: Not needed, serve cold or room temp
Make Ahead: Yes, flavors improve over time
Serving Suggestions
- Drizzle over green salads or coleslaw
- Toss with roasted vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts or serve with roasted potatoes and carrots
- Use as marinade for chicken or drizzle over grilled shrimp or salmon
- Use a little as sandwich spread
- Pair with cheese boards
- Drizzle over bacon avocado toast
- Toss with pasta salad
Hot Honey Vinaigrette Recipe FAQs
Hot honey vinaigrette is used as a salad dressing, marinade, or finishing drizzle for vegetables, meats, and grain bowls. Its sweet and spicy flavor makes it incredibly versatile.
Hot honey vinaigrette has a mild to moderate heat depending on the hot honey used. You can easily adjust the spice level by adding more or less hot honey or chili flakes.
Yes, you can make it without Dijon mustard, but the dressing may separate more easily. Mustard helps emulsify the vinaigrette and adds a slight tang.
Homemade hot honey vinaigrette will last up to one week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Yes, apple cider vinegar works well and gives the dressing a slightly sweeter, fruitier flavor.
Yes, it can be a healthy option when made with quality olive oil and natural ingredients. It contains healthy fats and no preservatives.
Oil and vinegar naturally separate over time. Simply shake or whisk the dressing again before serving.
Yes, as long as your hot honey is made with plant-based sweeteners or you substitute with maple syrup and chili flakes.
Absolutely. Hot honey vinaigrette works great as a marinade for chicken, shrimp, or vegetables, adding both flavor and tenderness.
To thicken hot honey vinaigrette, add more Dijon mustard or reduce the amount of oil slightly for a more concentrated texture.
More Hot Honey Recipes
Do you like hot honey? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Hot Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup honey hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add your red wine vinegar, hot honey, garlic powder, salt, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
- Whisk while adding olive oil slowly for best results.
- Ideally, chill covered for at least 30 minutes before serving for flavors to meld in your refrigerator. The dressing may separate while sitting after a while because it contains oil, just give it a nice stir or shake before serving.
Notes
- Add fresh garlic if desired: Gives stronger flavor than powder
- Double the recipe: Great to have some on hand for meal prep and weekly use
- Use a mason jar for mixing: Makes it easy to shake and emulsify the dressing quickly without extra tools
- Balance sweetness and acidity: Taste and adjust honey or vinegar to suit your preference for perfect flavor balance before serving
- Warm the honey slightly: Helps it mix more smoothly into the vinaigrette without clumping
- Add oil slowly while whisking: Creates a more stable and creamy emulsion
- Use fresh lemon juice: Brightens the flavor and enhances the tanginess of the dressing
- Let it sit before serving: Allowing the dressing to rest helps the flavors meld together
- Adjust spice level easily: Add chili flakes or spicy jalapeno hot sauce or scotch bonnet hot sauce for more heat if desired
- Use high-quality olive oil: Great oil makes a noticeable difference in taste and texture
- Store in airtight container: Keeps the dressing fresh and prevents flavor loss
- Shake before every use: Ensures the ingredients are well combined after separation
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