Dietitian and writer Christina Manian, RDN, has revealed that drizzling roast potatoes with hot honey can make them crispier, more golden and more flavourful. The suggestion comes as the cosy season approaches, when hearty meals and Sunday roasts return to many kitchens.
Rather than relying only on salt, pepper or herbs, hot honey adds sweetness, warmth and a kick of heat. It has grown in popularity in recent years, and Manian says it is one of the simplest upgrades for a potato dish that needs extra excitement.
How to cook roast potatoes with hot honey
Writing for Simply Recipes, Manian explained: "While a simple seasoning of salt and pepper is more than enough, I love dressing them up, too. Lately, my favourite one-ingredient upgrade is something that is likely in your pantry: hot honey."
Hot honey not only boosts flavour but also helps caramelise and crisp the potatoes in the oven. There are two ways to use it. The first involves raw, large diced potatoes placed on a baking tray and tossed thoroughly with salt, pepper, olive oil and hot honey. They should be roasted at 425°F (roughly 220°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and crispy.
Parboiling option and a milder alternative
The second method adds a parboiling stage before the potatoes go into the oven, and both approaches produce excellent results. Manian recommends adding one to two tablespoons of hot honey once the potatoes are arranged on the tray.
For those who want browning without spice, Manian confirmed that regular honey works just as well. She wrote: "While hot honey brings incredible flavour, regular honey works as well. It still brings all the browning benefits of hot honey but without the heat - a great fit for those who are sensitive to spice."
To intensify the flavour further, she suggests an extra drizzle of hot honey immediately after the potatoes come out of the oven. She said: "More often than not, I can't help but add a second drizzle of hot honey to my crispy potatoes once they come out of the oven for an extra punch of stickiness, spice, and sweetness, since some of the flavour fades in the oven."
