How to Make Chili Oil That's Aromatic and Flavorful

Name: How to Make Chili Oil That's Aromatic and Flavorful
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Chinese chili flakes; 3 tbsp Korean chili flakes; 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds; ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder; 1 pinch clove powder; 1 tsp salt; 3 slice ginger; 1½ cup high smoke point vegetable oil; 1 shallot (roughly chopped); 1 scallion; 5 sprig cilantro (optional); 3 dried shrimp (optional); 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn; 1 tbsp fennel seed; 2 bay leaf; 1 star anise; 1 inch cinnamon stick

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This versatile chili oil is mainly about adding depth, complexity, and some heat to a wide range of dishes, not about testing your pain tolerance. If you ever wondered how to make chili oil like the ones served in Chinese restaurants, this recipe is for you!

My husband's grandfather, who grew up in Sichuan, loves eating spicy food. He always had several jars of amazing homemade chili oil around, and it was likely the most important condiment in the house.

My husband's fondest food memory at his grandparent's home was the simple spicy noodles made primarily using his homemade chili oil. This goes to show just how far a good chili oil can take you.

My husband definitely has Sichuan blood in him and loves eating spicy food. Therefore, this chili oil is one of the most important condiments in my house that we almost feel "unsafe" if we ran out of it. To us, some dishes like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, Chinese chicken stew with potato and chow mei fun are just not complete without a drizzle of chili oil.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

This chili oil is super versatile and can instantly upgrade dishes like noodles, dumplings, stir-fry, and even avocado toast!
You know exactly what's in your chili oil and you won't need to worry about consuming any unnecessary additives.
You can adjust the spiciness based on your preference.
Nicely bottle up this homemade chili oil for a great unique gift for the spice-tolerant foodies in your life.

Ingredients You'll Need

notes

Chili flakes - I use Chinese chili flakes (辣椒面) for the spiciness and Korean chili flakes for the aroma and color. When you buy chili flakes, choose the coarse kind instead of powder. I usually grind the Chinese hot chili pepper whenever I'm making chili oil. See the picture below for the kinds I use.

Vegetable oil - In Sichuan, they use roasted rapeseed oil (caiziyou) when making chili oil, but since it's not available in my local Asian grocery store, I usually just use avocado oil. You can use what ever cooking oil with high smoke point you have on hand.
Dried shrimp - This is optional, but I like to add dried shrimp for a hint of umami flavor. When you fry it, it will have a strong shrimp smell, but don't worry, it's not noticeable in the final product.
Cilantro - This is also optional, but it provides a nice aroma without giving any cilantro taste, so don't worry if you don't like cilantro.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1- Mix chili flakes, white sesame seeds, Chinese five spice powder, clove powder and salt in a big heat-resistant bowl and lay the ginger slices on the top.

Step 2 - Heat oil with shallot, scallion, cilantro and dried shrimp in a sauce pan over medium low heat and cook until the edge of the shallots turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Fish out the vegetables and dried shrimp and set it aside. You can use it for making braised meat or soup.

Step 3 - Add Sichuan peppercorn, fennel seed, bay leaf, star anise and cinnamon stick into the oil and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil.

Step 4 - Remove the pot from the heat and wait for 10 seconds before pouring the hot oil through a strainer into the bowl with chili flakes and seasonings.

Stir the chili oil so that everything heats up evenly.

Step 5 - Store the chili oil in a glass jar and let it sit for a few hours to overnight before using. This allows the flavors to develop.

Tips and Tricks

There are many different types of Chinese chili flakes with varying degrees of spiciness. I usually get the one that's very spicy, but if the one you get is not as spicy or you prefer more heat in your chili oil, feel free to change the ratio with Korean chili flakes based on your preference (more Chinese chili flakes typically makes it more spicy, but this depends on the type of chili flakes you get).
You can replace dried shrimp with 2-3 dried anchovies with guts and heads removed.
Be careful when pouring hot oil into chili flakes, it will be boiling so make sure the bowl you use is deep enough so the oil won't spill out.

Recips FAQs

Can I make this chili oil recipe with Italian crushed red pepper flakes?

No, make sure you buy the kinds I listed in the ingredients section.

How long can I store the home made chili oil?

I would recommend finish it within 2 months.

Do I need to store it in the fridge?

I usually just store it in room temperature, but you can also store it in the fridge if you prefer.

Can I strain out the solid ingredients and just get the pure chili oil?

Yes you can, but I would wait for 2-3 days before doing it so that you get more flavor out of the ingredients.

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