Chili oil may sound like a traditional condiment that’s used only every so often. But this is the best chili oil that’s far from boring and will definitely spice up any of your favorite foods at home. Cooking eggs for breakfast? A slice of avocado toast? Or maybe some chewy noodles and need a little extra something to spice it up? This delicious molten sichuan chili oil will definitely do the trick!
Now, I do have to preface: This is not your traditional chili oil.
Traditionalists typically steep aromatics in oil to infuse, then combine the oil with chilies / chili flakes. While this method is certainly delicious… I usually crave chili oil with morsels of umami flavor along with the chili.
This recipe is closer to a Chiu Chow chili oil. It packs tons of garlic and umami flavors from the soy sauce. Then adds a punch of fiery spice to light up your taste buds and ends with a tingling Sichuan twist to slightly numb your mouth from all the heat.
It’s the best chili oil that’s addictively good!
Creating the Best Chili Oil at Home
I’ve tasted and tested many chili oils and this chili oil concoction consists of simple ingredients to produce big bold flavors.
And the beautiful thing about making chili oil at home is you can customize it to your taste! Are you a fireball who LOVES extra heat (like me hehe)? Throw in extra chilies! Not a fan of 5 spice flavor? Do away with it! You are the master chef and pro taste tester in your kitchen. This recipe is a guide to help you create your own chili oil masterpiece.
Try this recipe out and let me know your favorite dish to pair with chili oil! Mine are juicy wontons! How can you say no to that dynamic duo!?
Recipe: How to Make EASY Red Sichuan Chili Oil (Garlic Infused!)
Ingredients
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 head of garlic minced
- 10 - 15 Thai chilies thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + ¾ cup neutral oil divided
- ½ tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns toasted & ground
- ¼ cup Sichuan chili flakes*
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- pinch of 5 spice
- 2 ¼ tablespoon light soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat a medium size pan on medium low heat and add ½ cup oil. Add in shallots and cook until they're lightly golden along the edges. They will continue to become golden as it cooks, but we don’t want them to burn later in the process.
- Reduce heat to lowest setting and wait until there are no oil bubbles forming before adding in garlic. Allow garlic to slowly infuse in the oil, about 20 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure garlic doesn’t turn brown or turn crispy. They should turn very soft and still pale.
- Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, add Thai chilies and salt. Grind until chilies break down, but just before becoming a paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can salt Thai chilies on a cutting board and run your knife through the salted chilies multiple times until it's very finely minced. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine Szechuan peppers, chili flakes, sugar, and 5 spice. Set aside.
- In the pan, add soy sauce and mix well with the garlic and shallots. Add in the salted Thai chilies and cook for another 10 minutes, watching carefully so it doesn't burn.
- Bring heat to medium, then add spices and remaining ¾ cup oil. Stir fry for another 10 seconds or so, watching carefully that the chili flakes aren’t turning too dark. Turn off heat, let chili oil cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a sanitized airtight container and enjoy up to 3 months!
Notes
- Sichuan Chili Flakes: You can get them in a variety of coarseness, however, my favorite is coarse instead of a fine powder because it included the seeds for more heat. Alternatively, you can use gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), however, keep in mind it'll be much milder in flavor in heat. Avoid using Italian crushed red pepper flakes because they're much easier to turn dark, burn, and/or make your chili oil bitter.
- Serving Size: This recipe yields about 1 ½ cups of chili oil and you can multiply the recipe using the slider above. The nutrition facts account for 1 tablespoon of chili oil per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and provided for informational purposes. Nutrition may vary based on product availability, methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients, etc. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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