Turn 2 Chick-Fil-A Condiments Into Liquid Gold With A Sweet And Spicy Hack

Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich comes topped only with dill pickle chips on a toasted, buttered bun, a simple combination that was all it needed to become wildly popular and top our ranking of fast food chicken sandwiches. Customers who want to add extra flavor to that classic formula can spread on one of the chain's dipping sauces for its chicken nuggets and strips. But those in the know about an employee hack that went viral can create a sweet and spicy hot honey chicken sandwich by combining two Chick-fil-a condiments.

Request a chicken sandwich with the bun extra toasted for a sturdier surface against the sticky hot honey, and ask for two packets of honey and one of hot sauce (use two for more heat). After you take the sandwich out of its insulated bag, remove the top bun and pickles and put the chicken back in the bag. Empty the honey and hot sauce packets onto the chicken, roll down the top of the bag, and shake well to coat the fried filet. Return the now hot honeyed chicken to the bun, put the pickles back on top, and it's done.

Chick-fil-A has previously sold a version of hot honey chicken. It rolled out a Honey Pepper Pimento Cheese Chicken Sandwich for a limited time in 2023 that had pimento cheese and pickled jalapeños and was drizzled with honey. It also has a Sweet and Spicy Sriracha dipping sauce, but its sweetness is from sugar, which misses honey's mellow flavor.

Hot honey has become trendy, part of the growing market for the blend of sweet and spicy flavors that's been dubbed "swicy." Amping up fried chicken is one of the most well-known ways to use it, and some of Chick-fil-A's competitors have taken notice. KFC debuted hot honey with fried chicken and tenders box meal deals for a limited time in early 2025, and customers could also get it with their nuggets, tenders, and sandwiches.

MIke's Hot Honey is the most famous brand and helped get attention for the condiment made with honey and hot chile peppers. Mike's uses wildflower honey, but keeps the peppers secret, saying only that they're red chili peppers. You can make hot honey at home by simmering honey with fresh or dried chiles to infuse their flavor. Choose any honey flavor and chiles you like, from milder to fiery. It's common to finish it with a bit of vinegar, and you can also add extra flavors, like fresh herbs, garlic, citrus zest, or spices.

Hot honey can pair with all kinds of food, from savory to sweet. One of the first ways it got noticed was on pizza, and its sweet and spicy flavor can also upgrade grilled cheese, another American classic. It works drizzled on grilled meats and fish, roasted vegetables, cheese, biscuits, and in marinades, glazes, salad dressings, cocktails, and even in lattes. It can be an unexpected way to add loads of flavor to ice cream, and it can replace regular honey in baked goods for a surprise spicy boost.