Description

This honey hot sauce elevates the classic sweet-and-spicy flavor with browned butter and crispy fresh sage. The result is a savory, nutty, and complex sauce, perfect for weeknight chicken or roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

Scale

115 g unsalted butter, high quality
10–12 medium fresh sage leaves, plus 2-3 small leaves for garnish
120 ml vinegar-based hot sauce (e.g., Frank’s RedHot)
80 ml honey
15 ml apple cider vinegar
2.5 ml garlic powder
2.5 ml smoked paprika
1 ml fine sea salt
0.5 ml freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Brown Butter and Crisp Sage: Melt 115 g of butter in a light-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 10-12 fresh sage leaves and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the butter is golden-brown and nutty and the sage leaves are dark green and crispy. Remove from heat immediately once browned to stop cooking.
Chop Crispy Sage: Carefully remove the crispy sage leaves from the butter using tongs and set them aside on a paper towel to drain. Once cooled, finely chop the leaves.
Add Sauce Ingredients: Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Add the hot sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk constantly to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
Simmer to Thicken: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, continuing to whisk for 3-5 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and achieves a glossy sheen. Avoid a hard boil.
Finish with Sage: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the finely chopped crispy sage. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or honey if needed.
Serve Warm: Pour the warm sauce into a small bowl and garnish with 2-3 small fresh sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

Store completely cooled sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a saucepan or microwave, whisking to re-emulsify the butter and sauce. Freezing is not recommended.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Sauce
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 130 kcal
Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 100 mg
Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg

Keywords: honey, hot sauce, sage, brown butter, condiment, sauce, chicken, spicy, sweet, easy