A little bit (or a lot, if you’re like me) of chili oil makes everything taste better. Add it to your noodles, stir-fries, salads and more for a spicy kick.
Making chili oil at home is really easy, you don’t really need to do anything. All you need is time for the oil to infuse with spices, and then for the oil to cool down before using. And if you’re really short on time, add the aromatics to the chili flakes and just pour hot oil over everything.
I learned a lot about chili oil and the different aromatics you can use from The Woks of Life. Highly recommend you read their detailed post if you want to know more.
Aromatics Used
Chili oil is really customizable to your liking, so feel free to swap or substitute spices. Here are the aromatics I used this time:
- star anise
- cinnamon
- bay leaf
- si chuan peppercorns
You could also add cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic and/or shallots. Some people even mix in black vinegar at the end, but I like to have a basic chili oil to use in recipes.
What Kind of Chili Flakes to Use?
Use Si Chuan chili flakes, and avoid regular crushed red pepper flakes. I’ve also seen people add gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) to their chili oil for a bright red colour, but shi chuan chili flakes are definitely a must. I buy mine online.
Notes to Make Chili Oil
- You should see small bubbles appear around the spices. If the spices brown too quickly, that means the oil is too hot.
- The oil should bubble and sizzle when pouring over the chili flakes. If it doesn’t, that means the oil wasn’t hot enough.
- If adding additional spices, you can use more oil and chili flakes. There isn’t a specific ratio to follow.
- If adding shallots/garlic/ginger, remove them from the oil once they are golden brown. Otherwise they will burn and give the oil a burnt taste.
Essential aromatics for chili oil 
Pouring hot oil over chili flakes
Here are some dishes you can use the oil in:
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 180 ml neutral oil
- 2 star anise
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ tbsp si chuan peppercorns
- 40 g si chuan chili flakes
- ½ tsp salt more to taste
Optional ingredients
- 1 pod cardamom crushed
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 shallot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine oil, spices and herbs. Bring to a gentle simmer, and let the oil infuse over low heat for at least 30 minutes. You should see small bubbles appear around the spices. If the spices brown too quickly, that means the oil is too hot.
- In a clean heat-proof glass jar, combine chili flakes and salt. Pour the hot oil over a strainer into the jar. The oil should bubble and sizzle. If it doesn't, that means the oil wasn't hot enough.
- Let cool completely before storing or using.
Notes
- You should see small bubbles appear around the spices. If the spices brown too quickly, that means the oil is too hot.
- The oil should bubble and sizzle when pouring over the chili flakes. If it doesn’t, that means the oil wasn’t hot enough.
- If adding additional spices, you can use more oil and chili flakes. There isn’t a specific ratio to follow.
- If adding shallots/garlic/ginger, remove them from the oil once they are golden brown. Otherwise they will burn and give the oil a burnt taste.