Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze Recipe – Sweet, Sticky & Spicy
A sticky lemon pepper chilli glaze made with honey, fresh chillies and cracked black pepper. Use as a glaze for cooking or a dipping sauce.
This lemon pepper chilli glaze balances sharp lemon juice and zest with honey sweetness, fresh chilli heat and cracked black pepper. Finely chopped chilli spreads the heat evenly through the sticky sauce.
Brush it over mushrooms, tofu, meat or vegetables towards the end of cooking for a sweet, spicy coating, or serve it as a dipping sauce for hot wings and nuggets.
While making a big batch of mushroom nuggets, I found myself craving a sweet, spicy honey dip to go with them. I still had plenty of freshly harvested lemon drop chillies, so I made this homemade lemon pepper chilli glaze recipe to make the most of their citrusy heat.
Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze Ingredients
Lemon juice and zest: The juice provides sharpness to balance the honey, while the zest adds lemon aroma without extra acidity; grate only the yellow skin to avoid bitter pith.
Honey: Sweetens the glaze and gives it a sticky consistency that clings to food. You can switch it for a vegan alternative if you like, such as maple syrup (more liquid) or rice syrup. A perfect vegan alternative would be homemade dandelion syrup if you have some on hand.
Fresh chillies: Add heat and flavour; I use lemon drops for their citrusy character, finely chopping them to distribute the heat evenly. Any medium strong chilli, such as birds eye, would work though.
Black pepper: Adds a peppery warmth distinct from the chilli heat; use a coarse grind – you want big old chunks of pepper corn in there too.
Cornflour: Thickens the sauce into a coating glaze; mix it with cold water before adding to prevent lumps.
How to Make Homemade Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze
Prepare the chilli, garlic and lemon
Very finely chop the two chillies and the garlic so they spread evenly through the glaze. Finely grate the lemon zest, taking only the yellow skin, then squeeze the juice. Measure everything before you start cooking.
Gently cook the chilli and garlic
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the chilli and garlic and cook uncovered for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently. They should smell fragrant without browning; lower the heat if the garlic starts to colour.
Add the honey and simmer
Stir in the honey, lemon juice, water, soy sauce and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chilli softens. Keep the bubbles gentle to avoid reducing the sauce too quickly.
Thicken the glaze
Mix the cornflour with the cold slurry water until smooth. Stir it again just before pouring it into the simmering sauce, then cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. The glaze should look glossy and lightly coat the back of a spoon.
When it is done, quickly remove it from the heat to prevent it from catching and burning
Add the zest and adjust
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Let a spoonful cool before tasting: add a little honey for more sweetness, lemon juice for extra sharpness or a pinch of salt if needed.
The glaze thickens as it cools, so check a cooled spoonful before making adjustments. If too thick, stir in water 1 tsp at a time. If too thin, return to a gentle simmer and add a small amount of extra cornflour mixed with cold water.
Cool and refrigerate
Transfer to a clean, heatproof container and refrigerate within 2 hours. For home storage, follow general cooked-leftover guidance: keep at 4°C or below and use within 3–4 days. Gently reheat the amount needed, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
How to Use Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze
Brush or toss the glaze over mushrooms, tofu, meat or vegetables towards the end of cooking. In a frying pan, lower the heat and toss briefly until coated. When roasting, brush it on for the final few minutes and check frequently.
The glaze is already thickened with cornflour, so it can quickly become too thick as moisture evaporates, while the honey can catch and burn.
You can also serve it warm or cooled as a dipping sauce for nuggets, hot wings or crispy tofu.
Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze FAQs
Yes, use whichever fresh chillies you have, adjusting the amount to their heat. I use two lemon drops; finely chop them to distribute the heat evenly, and remove the pale inner membranes if you want a milder glaze.
Dandelion syrup is the best vegan alternative, although there is a high chance you dont have any around. The next best bet would be a neutral vegan syrup like rice syrup. Maple would also be fine, but you have to take into account that it is thinner than honey.
The cornflour thickens the glaze as it cooks and cools, while prolonged simmering reduces the water content. Gently warm it and stir in water a teaspoon at a time until it pours easily.
The honey can scorch over high heat, especially once the glaze loses moisture. Add it towards the end of frying or roasting, lower the heat where possible and add a splash of water if it starts catching.
Use it to glaze mushrooms, tofu, cauliflower or meat towards the end of cooking. It also works as a dipping sauce for nuggets, hot wings and potato wedges.
More Chilli Recipes to Try
- Lemon Drop Chilli Jam
- Stuffed Anaheim Peppers with Feta and Quark
- Candied Red Jalapeno
- Cornelian Cherry Hot Sauce
Lemon Pepper Chilli Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral oil 15 ml
- 2 fresh lemon drop chillies stalks removed and very finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove finely minced
- 100 g runny honey
- 45 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 45 ml water
- 1 tsp regular soy sauce 5 ml
- 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp cornflour approximately 3 g
- 2 tsp cold water 10 ml, for the cornflour
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest yellow part only
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the finely chopped chillies and garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant without browning.
- Stir in the honey, lemon juice, 45 ml water, soy sauce and cracked black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chilli softens.
- Mix the cornflour with 10 ml cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until glossy and lightly thickened.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Let a spoonful cool before tasting, then add salt only if needed.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving. The glaze will thicken as it cools; stir in water a teaspoon at a time if needed until it coats a spoon but remains pourable.
Notes
Notes
- Adjusting the heat: Use one lemon drop for a milder glaze, or remove the pale inner membranes before chopping. Other fresh chillies can be substituted, adjusting the quantity to their strength.
- Cooking with the glaze: Add during the final moments of frying or the last few minutes of roasting. Lower the heat when frying and watch closely: the glaze thickens as moisture evaporates, and the honey can scorch.
- Serving: Use with mushrooms, tofu, meat or vegetables, or serve as a dip for nuggets, hot wings and potato wedges.
Variations and Substitutions
- Ginger and lime: Replace the lemon juice and zest with lime and add 1 tsp finely grated ginger with the garlic.
- Smoky chilli: Add ¼ tsp smoked paprika with the liquid ingredients for a subtle smoky flavour.
- Less sweet: Reduce the honey to 80 g for a sharper glaze. This will slightly reduce the yield.
- Different fresh chillies: Use a fresh red chilli instead of lemon drops, adjusting the amount to its heat. Very finely chop it to distribute the heat evenly.
