Chinese Chili Oil (VIDEO)

Chinese Chili oil in a bowl with a spoon.

4.99 from 53 votes

This is my go to recipe for an authentic Chinese chili oil! It's a super flavorful, spicy chili oil that you can put on noodles, vegetables, dumplings, or just about anything! Makes about 3 cups of chili oil (1 tbsp = 1 serving)

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Mesh Strainer to easily strain spices from the oil
Infrared Thermometer I like this for monitoring the oil temperature

Ingredients

3 cups neutral oil such as avocado oil
2 tbsp whole Sichuan peppercorns
4 cloves garlic smashed
1 shallot halved
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
8 star anise
1 tbsp cloves
1 ½ cups Sichuan chili flakes
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Pour 3 cups of neutral oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, shallot, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star anise, and cloves. Turn the heat to medium low.
Heat over medium low until the neutral oil temperature up to 225-250F and infuse your spices for 30 minutes, or until the aromatics are a deep golden brown. Monitor the temperature of oil so it stays in this temperature range (I highly recommend a candy thermometer or infrared thermometer gun for this). Turn off the heat.
In a large ceramic or heavy metal mixing bowl (do not use glass), add the Sichuan chili flakes. Ensure that the bowl has at least 5 inches of clearance between the chili flakes and the rim of the bowl.
Strain all of the spices from the oil with a mesh strainer and discard the spices. Turn the heat to high and heat the oil to 350F. Turn off the heat, then carefully pour the oil directly over chili flakes in a steady stream. (CAUTION: the oil will bubble up when it comes into contact with the chili, so pour the oil carefully to not overflow the bowl)
Mix the oil and chili flakes to combine, then add the sesame seeds, sugar and salt. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

For the best results, you need Sichuan chili flakes when making Chinese Chili Oil. DO NOT use regular crushed red pepper flakes (I have used them before and the flavor does not come out right at all!). I purchase my Sichuan chili flakes from my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch) but these days you can also find them online very easily.

If you cannot find a dried chili flake labeled Sichuan (or Szechuan) chili flakes, do your best to find a chili flake that is made in China. You want to stay away from any pepper flakes that are sourced from India or Mexico (check the labels) – I’ve found that the flavor just doesn’t come out right when they are not sourced from China.

I highly recommend using a high quality oil, as it is such a large component for this recipe. My go-to neutral oil is Avocado Oil. You can use another neutral oil such as: vegetable, canola, peanut or grapeseed. I do not recommend using olive oil or sesame oil.

Safety First!

You will be handling boiling hot oil in this recipe, so use a small sauce pan that you can handle comfortably
DO NOT USE A GLASS BOWL - You must use a ceramic or oven safe bowl - do NOT use a glass bowl. Glass can explode when too hot.
Ensure there is at least 3-4 inches of clearance between the szechuan chili flakes and the rim of the bowl they are in, to allow for bubbling (refer to the video).
Pour the oil VERY SLOWLY.

Heat Management - Heat management in step 2 is important. If the aromatics start to turn too dark in step 2, immediately lower the heat and remove the aromatics, otherwise they will turn bitter and ruin the oil. I highly recommend using a thermometer.

Storage - Chinese Chili Oil should be stored in a sterilized airtight container (such as a mason jar) in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Do not leave it in room temperature, especially if you infused with aromatics (like garlic and shallot). When using your Chinese Chili Oil, always use a clean utensil so you can avoid it spoiling or being contaminated.

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