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popeyes sweet heat sauce recipe

Sweet Heat Sauce Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Method
 

  1. Add honey, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
  2. Raise heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce darkens slightly.
  3. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour the slurry into the sauce while stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Remove from heat, cool for 2 minutes, then pour into a serving bowl. Drizzle with a thin line of hot sauce and a pinch of cayenne.

Notes

This sauce thickens more as it cools, so pull it off the heat as soon as it coats a spoon rather than waiting for it to look fully thick in the pan. If you want to make it ahead, store it in the fridge and reheat gently over low heat. For a milder version, drop the cayenne to 1/4 tsp before you start; it is much harder to fix a sauce that is too hot than one that is too mild.