Homemade Chili Oil (辣椒油)

Give your dishes a kiss of warmth with this mild, simple, and highly customizable homemade condiment!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
12 min
Yields
20 servings
YouTube Tutorial

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

Chili oil is a thrill, and depending on your eating habits and personal preference for spice, that can be a great thing... or a scary risk. Cantonese cuisine is not particularly known for spice, so our recipe for homemade chili oil is on the gentler, milder side. It's the best condiment to drizzle over noodles, rice dishes, soups, and more, just to warm the flavor up.

If you want to really give it a kick, use this recipe with stronger chili flakes and heavier spices. The best part of making chili oil from scratch is the customization! Add what you like, omit what you don't.

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
20

Main Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz Sichuan dried chili flakes (

    Amazon

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger (

    fresh

    )
  • 1 oz red onion
  • 1 oz shallot
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 2 piece star anise
  • 1 dash sesame seeds (

    to taste

    )
  • 4 oz neutral oil (

    may need an extra tbsp or so if oil overheats; good options include corn oil, canola oil, and peanut oil

    )
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Chili Mix

  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 0.50 tsp sugar
  • 0.50 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp paprika (

    for color

    )
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil

The best chili flakes for making chili oil

For a tinge of Sichuan flavor (just a tinge!), we use Sichuan chili flakes (you can get it here on Amazon). We balance the heat with some sugar, add depth to it with white pepper, and complement it with star anise and other aromatics.

Red pepper flakes are usually a mix of different types of chili flakes. If that's what is in your kitchen, you can give that a try.

We'd recommend against using the jar labeled "chili powder" though; sometimes it's pepper flakes in powdered form, but sometimes it's a spice mix that can include oregano, garlic powder, cumin, which is delicious but not ideal for a chili oil.

The best oil for making chili oil

Since you’re cooking the oil at high temperature, you can use oils such as corn oil, canola oil, teaseed oil, or peanut oil. These oils are also known as neutral oils, which means they don’t impart strong flavors.

Neutral flavor is important for making chili oil because you’re infusing the flavors of all the ingredients into the oil, and those ingredients, not the oil itself, are the flavors you want to taste. Making sure those flavors stand out will help enhance the chili flavor.

Step 1: Prepare chili mix

First, we'll create a flavorful chili mix as the seasoning base for the chili oil. In a medium, heat-safe bowl, mix together chili flakes (1.5 oz), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (0.50 tsp), and white pepper (0.50 tsp).

To these dry ingredients, add some oil (1 tbsp) and mix it in. This small amount of room temperature oil prevents the dry ingredients from burning when we pour the hot oil over them later on.

Optionally, you can add paprika (1 tbsp) for a color boost. It won't drastically change the flavor but will help give the chili oil a nice, bright red color.

Step 2: Prepare aromatics

Cut the ginger (0.50 oz) and red onion (1 oz) into slices. They'll be frying in hot oil, so don't fuss over getting them too paper-thin.

Smash the shallot (1 oz) with the side of your knife, then smash, peel, and roughly mince the garlic (3 clove).

Smash the star anise (2 piece) into smaller pieces, and rinse and wet the pieces in a bit of cold water. This will help keep them from burning during the frying step.

Keep everything separate, but close at hand.

Step 3: Fry aromatics

Heat up your wok over high heat for about 30 seconds, and pour the oil (4 oz) in.

Once the oil reaches 300°F (150°C), or hot enough to bubble around a spare piece of onion, it's time to add the aromatics. While you're frying the aromatics, you'll likely need to lower the heat to medium so that the oil doesn't get too much higher than 300°F (150°C).

Add the sliced ginger first and fry for 15 seconds.

Add the garlic and fry for about 5 seconds (basically, the amount of time you may need to track down the next ingredient on your counter).

Add the shallots and fry for about 30 seconds.

Add the red onion and fry for about 15 seconds.

Add the star anise and continue to fry, stirring constantly for 2.5-3 minutes or until the ingredients are well-browned (not burnt!). Then turn the heat down or off completely.

With a mesh strainer or sieve, scoop out all the solid pieces. You can push on them in the strainer a little to squeeze out the oil back into the wok.

Once you have removed all the solids, heat the oil back up to 300°F (150°C). If you accidentally go too far and the oil gets too hot, bring the temperature down by lowering the heat and adding a tbsp or so of room temperature oil.

Step 4: Pour oil over chili mix

When the aromatic oil has come back up to 300°F (149°C), turn off the heat; it's time for the (somewhat) dramatic pour-over. Don't pour it all at once! Dumping a huge volume of hot oil at once will scorch and burn the chili mix.

Bring the chili mix close to the oil to minimize risk of dripping and bumping into obstacles.

Pour just one ladle of hot oil slowly over the chili mix. It should sizzle gently. Stir it in.

Add a second ladle of hot oil, again pouring slowly, and stir it in, and repeat with a third ladle of hot oil.

Add sesame seeds (1 dash) and stir those in.

Heat up the rest of the oil a little more. At this point, the batch of chili oil and chili mix have been brought up to a temperature where pouring in even hotter oil won't burn the solids anymore.

Add the final ladle of the hot oil (this should just about finish all the oil, though if you have more, feel free to use up the rest) and stir it in. Add a quick drizzle of sesame oil (1 tsp) to intensify the aromas of all the ingredients.

Store this amazing chili oil in the fridge, and enjoy for several months!

FAQ

How do you infuse fresh ingredients into chili oil?

  • Our recipe for homemade chili oil includes fresh ginger, garlic, shallots, and even red onion. It works because everything is fried and thoroughly cooked through.
  • If you have other fresh ingredients or big solids that you'd like to infuse, you can add it during the step where these fresh ingredients are fried into the oil. Bay leaf, for example, is another popular ingredient for infusion. Just make sure they don't burn, and that you scoop them out before pouring over the chili mix, and that there are no more fresh ingredients left in the oil when preparing it for storage.

What type of chili do you use to make chili oil?

  • For our homemade chili oil recipe, we use Sichuan dried chili flakes. We like to keep it on the relatively mild side for our Cantonese taste, but you can change it up to whatever you like to use in your usual cooking.
  • Watch out for spicy fumes though, and open a window if you experiment with new chilis and pepper flakes!
  • If you'd like that numbing, even more characteristically Sichuan mala flavor, use Sichuan red peppercorns.
  • If you want a zing of fresh heat, you can try infusing jalapeños or serrano peppers.
  • If all you have is Korean red pepper flakes, that's worth a try too. Let us know!

How do you adjust the spiciness of chili oil?

  • You can adjust the spiciness of chili oil while you're cooking it up, by increasing or decreasing the ratio of chili to other ingredients, and to the oil.
  • After the fact, the longer chili oil sits (safely in the fridge), the more it mellows out.

How do you store chili oil?

  • Chili oil should stay in the fridge. This is especially true of homemade chili oil, since we don't add any preservatives.
  • To help it stay fresh, make sure to use a clean, dry spoon each time you scoop into it. Or, you can use a bottle to pour the oil out. The point is to avoid introducing water or other contaminants into the chili oil.

How long does homemade chili oil last?

  • Safely stored in the fridge, homemade chili oil will last several months! Be sure to discard it (all of it!) if you see mold or unfamiliar debris.

Summary

Print Recipe
Made With Lau
madewithlau.com/recipes/homemade-chili-oil
Homemade Chili Oil (辣椒油)
Give your dishes a kiss of warmth with this mild, simple, and highly customizable homemade condiment!
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Total Time: 12 min
  • Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz Sichuan dried chili flakes (

    Amazon

    )
  • 0.50 oz ginger (

    fresh

    )
  • 1 oz red onion
  • 1 oz shallot
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 2 piece star anise
  • 1 dash sesame seeds (

    to taste

    )
  • 4 oz neutral oil (

    may need an extra tbsp or so if oil overheats; good options include corn oil, canola oil, and peanut oil

    )
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Chili Mix

  • 0.50 tsp salt
  • 0.50 tsp sugar
  • 0.50 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp paprika (

    for color

    )
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil

Step 1 - Prepare chili mix

↑ Jump to details

In a medium, heat-safe bowl, mix together chili flakes (1.5 oz), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.50 tsp), and oil (1 tbsp).

Optionally, add paprika (1 tbsp) for a color boost.

Step 2 - Prepare aromatics

↑ Jump to details

Cut the ginger (0.50 oz) and red onion (1 oz) into slices.

Smash the shallot (1 oz), then smash, peel, and roughly mince the garlic (3 clove).

Smash the star anise (2 piece) into smaller pieces, and rinse and wet them in a bit of cold water.

Step 3 - Fry aromatics

↑ Jump to details

Heat up your wok over high heat for about 30 seconds, and pour the oil (4 oz) in.

Once the oil reaches 300°F (149°C), or hot enough to bubble around a spare piece of onion, it's time to add the aromatics. While frying the aromatics, you'll likely need to lower the heat to medium so that the oil doesn't get much higher than 300°F (149°C).

Add the sliced ginger first and fry for 15 seconds.

Add the garlic and fry for about 5 seconds.

Add the shallots and fry for about 30 seconds.

Add the red onion and fry for about 15 seconds.

Add the star anise and continue to fry, stirring constantly for 2.5-3 minutes or until the ingredients are well-browned. Then turn the heat down or off completely.

With a mesh strainer or sieve, scoop out all the solid pieces.

Once you have removed all the solids, heat the oil back up to 300°F (149°C).

Step 4 - Pour oil over chili mix

↑ Jump to details

When the aromatic oil has come back up to 300°F (149°C), turn off the heat.

Pour just one ladle of hot oil slowly over the chili mix. It should sizzle gently. Stir it in.

Add a second ladle of hot oil, again pouring slowly, and stir it in, and repeat with a third ladle of hot oil.

Add sesame seeds (1 dash) and stir those in.

Heat up the rest of the oil a little more.

Add the final ladle of the hot oil and stir it in. Add a quick drizzle of sesame oil (1 tsp).

Store this amazing chili oil in the fridge, and enjoy for several months!

Step 5 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 6 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.